Seeing a candy bar can make most acne sufferers cringe. You and I have been told most of our lives that if we eat that chocolate, we’re setting ourselves up for a guaranteed breakout within a day or two. It leads to the most monumental of decisions: to indulge or not to indulge. 

Well, you can rest easy the next time you have an hankering to munch on a Hershey’s bar. The truth is that there is no conclusive evidence that chocolate is directly connected to acne breakouts. Most dermatologists agree that specific foods are not root causes for acne. 

So what are the root causes? Acne can emerge as a result of excess skin oil production, an accumulation of dead skin cells in the pores or an over-abundance of acne-causing bacteria. Not one of these things results directly from ingesting chocolate. Many of these factors are actually either a direct result of hormonal changes or they are inherited from our parents (So, yes, you can blame Mom or Dad for your zits!). 

That’s not to say a healthy diet won’t aid your body in fighting acne. If you eat plenty of nutritious foods like fruits vegetables, it will aid you in having naturally healthier skin. But it is safe to say that a little chocolate now and then will not be the end of the world when it comes to pimples. 

So feel free to enjoy that candy bar the next time you just got to have one.