Dermatologists weigh in on the trend of eating raw garlic to treat acne

3 months ago 24

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A couple weeks ago we talked about sunscreen usage. One of the suggestions was to add sunscreen-infused makeup into your daily beauty routine, and I was like, “my daily what?” I know it’s bad, but I do not have a daily skincare regimen (aside from slapping on the spf, which I’ve been trying to be more diligent about). And yes, I’m aware that my days of getting away with this are running short. If only I had been following the latest trends on TikTok, I would’ve known that skincare can be as simple as popping a clove of raw garlic. Well, it’s not so much a panacea for skincare in general, as a remedy for acne specifically. And, it’s not so much a verified acne treatment, as it is something that might be working in conjunction with other factors, at least according to the dermatologists weighing in:

Is eating raw garlic a cure for acne?

Plenty of people seem to think so on TikTok, where videos have gone viral of people eating cloves of raw garlic in attempts to rid themselves of acne. The people in these videos wince as they eat garlic by the spoonful, or, sometimes, by swallowing a clove whole.

Dermatologists, however, are here to ruin the garlic party: Though garlic is healthy, they say there’s little evidence it does much to help acne. Instead, they encourage people struggling with acne to consult their dermatologists and make improvements to their health and diet overall.

“I guess it can’t hurt you, other than giving you some really bad breath,” dermatologist Dr. Brooke Jeffy says. “But I think there are a lot more tried-and-true ways to treat acne, and some actually good nutritional dietary things that you can do that are rooted in science that do not apply to this garlic trend.”

Dermatologist Dr. Anthony Rossi wonders if myth and legend surrounding garlic might be why some have come to see it as a magic cure-all for acne. After all, if garlic could supposedly ward off vampires, why couldn’t it also stave off acne?

“While garlic is good for you, and I think it has a lot of health benefits, I don’t know if it’s really clearing up these people’s acne or there’s a compounding factor — like they’re eating so much garlic, but, because of that, they’re drinking tons of water,” he says.

While garlic may not cure your acne, the antioxidants it offers can be good for you and your skin. Dr. Rossi says you can also get antioxidants from fruits and vegetables. Certain kinds of dark chocolate have antioxidants as well. Dr. Jeffy adds avoiding dairy and processed foods can also help with acne.

“People are always looking for the fast, easy fix,” Dr. Jeffy says. “When creators put something out about a fast, easy fix, people want to jump onto it and believe it. Unfortunately, fast, easy fixes do not really exist in acne treatment.”

The relationship between diet and skin health is complicated, and it’s a topic that continues to undergo research.

While not every skin problem can get chalked up to diet, dermatologists say that, when assessing skin problems, it’s important to look at one’s overall health and lifestyle, including diet.

It’s also important to remember everyone’s body is different and different foods may affect people’s skin in different ways. This is especially true of acne.

[From USA TODAY]

“After all, if garlic could supposedly ward off vampires, why couldn’t it also stave off acne?” Um, have these guys not seen vampire skin lately? That sh-t is spotless and glowing! There’s a whole other corner of TikTok dedicated to replicating it! Sorry, but I’m not buying that particular logic that if it’s bad for vampires, it’ll be good for our skin. I can’t help it, I have to follow the science!

Don’t hate me, but I somehow skated through my teens without getting acne, nor have I gotten it as an adult. And it’s not down to my “health and lifestyle,” I swear! My diet includes an amount of potato chip consumption likely incompatible with human life… nevertheless, I persist. Maybe, as Dr. Rossi muses, it’s the extra water I drink as a result that’s actually keeping my skin in good shape. I think the most salient point in the article is that everyone’s body and skin are different, and will therefore react differently to stimulants. Kelly Rowland uses an LED night light for her skin, while Lucy Hale worked with specialists to understand her specific skin type. No judgment on a method that’s working for someone else. Though I would say, any trick picked up on TikTok should probably be discussed with a medical professional. And also, garlic is not a replacement for vaccinations.