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."

Does garlic cure acne?

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 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 truth about diet and skin health

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.

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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.

"Acne is very personal." Dr. Rossi previously told USA TODAY. "Some people really break out in acne from certain foods, like dairy or chocolate."

If you're someone for whom traditional acne treatments haven't worked, it might be worthwhile to take stock of your diet and see if a particular food may be behind it.

"It's not always the easiest to figure out if your diet is contributing to your acne, because it's a hard thing," Dr. Rossi previously told USA TODAY. "But, if you have bad inflammatory acne or bad cystic acne and you've been going to your dermatologist and you've been trying things and it's still not working, then it's also time to look at your diet as well."

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Garlic is good for you

Garlic may not help much with acne, but there's still plenty of good reasons to eat it.

Ilisa Nussbaum, a registered dietitian nutritionist at Yale Children's Hospital, previously told USA TODAY garlic’s superpower lies in its characteristic fragrance. “(Garlic) has these compounds that are called organic sulfur compounds. That's what gives it that smell. Onions have that too. It gives it that strong odor, and it has a ton of antioxidants that really protect your cells from damage,” she said.

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According to Nussbaum, there's evidence garlic may benefit your metabolism, as well as your tendons and ligaments. 

Contributing: Delaney Nothaft, Special to USA TODAY