Does Creatine Really Cause Acne? We’re Setting the Record Straight
It's one of the most persistent rumors in the gym: start taking creatine, and your skin pays for it. Scroll through enough fitness forums and you'll find plenty of people swearing their breakouts started the same week they started supplementing. So is there anything to it, or is creatine just an easy scapegoat for something else entirely? Let's look at what's actually going on.
Where the Acne Rumor Actually Comes From
The theory traces back to a small, often-cited study linking creatine supplementation to a rise in a hormone called DHT, which is associated with oilier skin and, in some people, breakouts. It's a real finding worth acknowledging — but it's one study, with a small sample, and it hasn't been consistently replicated. The broader body of research on creatine, which is some of ...
