The idea that chocolate causes acne is complete bullshit. This popular myth has been circulating for absolute years, however there is just no scientific research to back it up.
Although a poor diet can exacerbate skin conditions, eating chocolate alone does not cause acne. What causes acne is the overproduction of sebum (oil) in the skin’s sebaceous gland. When an excessive amount of sebum is produced, it travels up the hair shaft and out through the pores. This then blocks the pores causing whiteheads and blackheads to appear. To make things worse, when pores are blocked, the (normally harmless) bacteria that lives in the skin joins the party and infects these blocked pores, leading to pus-filled papules or cysts (ewwww!). The overproduction of sebum itself can be caused by a number of things, including hormonal imbalance, menstrual cycle and stress.
So chocolate lovers rejoice! And, if you really want to stick it to the myth, treat yourself to a chocolate-based beauty product. One of my favourites is the Karin Herzog Finest Chocolate Cleansing Gel 50ml (£42.00 feelunique.com / $55.00 dermstore.com). This cleanser smells gorgeous and removes all traces of makeup and dirt, whilst leaving the skin soft and radiant.