Eat your skincare? Acne, Nutrition, Instagram, and the Evidence

Hannah Cole, AB 

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​Can your lunch help your skin health? Many content creators seem to think so! If you’ve never heard the phrase “eat your skincare,” it refers to the idea that what you eat can influence your skin health – a popular subject in certain corners of the internet. While you might scroll past these kinds of posts, people dealing with acne may be taking them to heart, making dietary changes based on what shows up in their feeds. That’s why it’s worth taking a closer look at what these posts are actually claiming, how they stack up against scientific literature, and how this content might be shaping patients’ choices.

​I spent some time perusing Instagram posts that connect nutrition and skin health, especially acne. A few patterns stood out. Here, I’ll unpack three recurring themes–probiotics, glycemic load, and micronutrients–and reflect on the potential benefits and drawbacks of this kind of content for patients.
 
In the realm of probiotics, many Instagram posts touch on links between gut and skin health, frequently mentioning specific foods such as kimchi, yogurt, and sauerkraut. The relationship between gut bacteria and skin health isn’t just wellness influencer fluff: scientific literature also supports the role of the microbiota in the gut-skin axis. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of a specific oral probiotic capsule even found significantly greater improvement in Acne Global Severity Scale scores in the probiotic group compared to the placebo. It is important, however, to contrast the specific intervention studied with the recommended foods touted in many social media posts.
 
Another major theme among posts that I saw related to dietary glycemic load, with posts promoting “low-glycemic foods” or describing “high glycemic foods” as a trigger for acne. Both social media content and scientific literature discuss a relationship between glycemic load or “high-sugar foods,” insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and acne development. Furthermore, an investigator-blinded randomized controlled trial of a low-glycemic-load diet over 12 weeks in male patients found a statistically significant drop in acne lesions compared to the control group. While this study shows promising evidence favoring a dietary change, it is still important to consider who was included in the study and the specifics of the intervention.
 
Finally, many micronutrients were mentioned in the posts that I encountered, including zinc, vitamin C, and vitamin A. A systematic review of nutraceuticals for acne found good-quality studies favoring only vitamin D, green tea extract, probiotics, and the herbal formula cheongsangbangpoong-tang. Studies of other nutraceuticals (including zinc, vitamin C, and vitamin A) were rated as fair to poor in quality. Again, of note, studied interventions frequently differ from what is promoted online.
 
This experience highlighted why social media literacy is so important, especially in clinical contexts. While some posts may be grounded in research, it is important to be aware of bold claims that go beyond what guidelines recommend, which could mislead patients. It can also be easy to miss that a post is trying to advertise products or services. Another concern is that some posts disparage medical treatment in favor of nutritional intervention, reinforcing stigma around more conventional care.
 
Still, it’s not all bad. Some posts introduce a diverse range of perspectives that aren’t always represented in medical literature. At its best, this content can inspire patients to make healthful choices by giving them inspiration for new recipes and ingredients that their clinician may not be familiar with.
 
One final point: my feed changed as a result of this digital experience. The more I clicked on posts related to acne, gut health, and micronutrients, the more similar content appeared on my Explore page. This kind of algorithmic loop demonstrates how platforms like Instagram can amplify health content – for better or worse – and it’s a ripe area for further exploration.

Author 
​Hannah L. Cole, AB is a fourth-year medical student at Harvard Medical School. She aspires to a career in pediatric dermatology, with particular interests in inflammatory skin disease, pharmacoepidemiology, and the impact of digital technologies on child health. She is from Newton, MA and graduated from Harvard College in 2022 with a concentration in Molecular and Cellular Biology.