Short answer: No - there's no scientific evidence that creatine causes acne. It isn't a recognised side effect, and no study has ever shown creatine triggers breakouts. The worry is purely theoretical, borrowed from the same shaky hormone hypothesis behind the hair-loss myth - and the latest research shows creatine doesn't change those hormones anyway. If your skin flares up after you start creatine, the far more likely culprits are the extra sweat from training harder, the whey protein in your shakes, or simply coincidental timing.
Acne is frustrating to troubleshoot at the best of times, so it's understandable that a new supplement gets the blame when a breakout shows up. But "I started creatine and broke out" is a classic case of correlation being mistaken for cause. Let's look at what the evidence actually says, where the fear came from, and what's genuinely more likely to be behind gym breakouts.
What the evidence actually says
There is no research linking creatine to acne. Across decades of study involving thousands of participants, acne has never shown up as a side effect of creatine supplementation - it isn't listed among the recognised side effects in the major safety reviews, including the International Society of Sports Nutrition's position stand on creatine.[1] No controlled trial has measured acne as an outcome and found that creatine makes it worse.
That's worth sitting with for a second. When people claim creatine causes acne, they're not pointing to evidence that it does - they're pointing to a chain of "it might, in theory" reasoning. And that theory turns out to be shaky.
Where the worry comes from
The theoretical concern runs through hormones. Androgens like DHT stimulate the skin's sebaceous glands to produce more sebum (oil), and excess sebum is one contributor to acne. So the logic goes: if creatine raises DHT, it might increase sebum, and therefore cause breakouts.
The problem is the first link in that chain. It rests on a single 2009 study that found a rise in DHT in a small group of rugby players - a result that stayed within the normal range and, critically, has never been reliably replicated.[2] More recent and more rigorous research, including a 2025 controlled trial, found creatine produced no significant change in DHT at all.[3] We unpack this hormone question in full in our article on creatine and hair loss, but the short version is: the hormonal premise behind the acne worry doesn't hold up.
There's also a simpler source of confusion - people mix creatine up with anabolic steroids, which genuinely can cause acne. But creatine is not a steroid and doesn't work anything like one, as we cover in is creatine a steroid?
What's actually more likely behind gym breakouts
If the creatine link is so weak, why do some people genuinely break out around the time they start? Because starting creatine rarely happens in isolation - it usually comes bundled with a set of changes that have much stronger connections to acne.
| Possible cause | What the evidence says |
|---|---|
| Creatine | No evidence of a link to acne |
| Whey protein / dairy | Linked to acne via raised IGF-1 and sebum production |
| Sweat & training | Sweat, friction, and trapped bacteria can trigger breakouts |
| Timing / age | Many users are in their teens or twenties - peak acne years anyway |
Your protein shake is the prime suspect. Creatine is very often taken alongside whey protein, and whey has real dermatological evidence behind it. Whey and dairy proteins raise levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which increases oil production and has been associated with acne - with breakouts documented in athletes after starting whey supplementation.[4] If you started creatine and whey at the same time, the whey is the far more plausible cause.
Sweat and training play a role too. Creatine helps you train harder, which means more sweating. Sweat combined with friction, heat, and bacteria - from gym equipment, helmets, tight clothing, or just not showering promptly - can clog pores and trigger the type of breakout sometimes called "acne mechanica." That's a workout problem, not a creatine problem.
And timing matters. Creatine is especially popular with teenagers and people in their early twenties - which also happens to be the peak age range for acne. A breakout in that window is often coincidence, not causation.
What to do if you're breaking out
You don't need to quit creatine at the first spot. A more useful approach:
- Shower promptly after training and wipe down shared equipment before use. This tackles the sweat-and-bacteria route directly.
- Check whether your protein shake correlates. If you take whey, try noting whether breakouts track with it. Some people find a dairy-free protein alternative helps, while creatine stays the same.
- Use non-comedogenic skincare (products labelled as not pore-clogging) and remove any sunscreen or makeup after training.
- Change one thing at a time. If you overhauled your diet, supplements, and training all at once, isolate variables rather than blaming the newest addition by default.
- See a dermatologist if it persists. Stubborn acne has many possible causes and effective treatments - a professional can pinpoint yours far better than guesswork.
The bottom line
Creatine doesn't cause acne. There's no evidence for it, it isn't a known side effect, and the hormonal theory it's based on has been undercut by the latest research. If your skin flares up when you start, look first at your training sweat, your protein shake, and the simple fact that acne is common in the years people tend to start supplementing. For nearly everyone, creatine monohydrate is not the reason for a breakout - and it's not a reason to skip it.
Frequently asked questions
Does creatine cause acne?
No. There's no scientific evidence that creatine causes or worsens acne, and it isn't a recognised side effect. No controlled study has found a link.
Does creatine increase DHT and cause breakouts that way?
The theory relies on a single 2009 study showing a small, within-normal DHT rise that has never been replicated. A 2025 controlled trial found no change in DHT, so the hormonal basis for this worry is weak.
Could my breakouts be from something else I started with creatine?
Very likely. Whey protein is linked to acne through raised IGF-1, and extra training sweat can trigger breakouts. Both are more plausible than the creatine itself.
Should I stop taking creatine if I get acne?
Not necessarily. Try improving post-workout hygiene, check whether whey or dairy correlates, and use non-comedogenic skincare first. If acne persists, see a dermatologist rather than assuming creatine is the cause.
Is creatine like steroids, which cause acne?
No. Anabolic steroids can cause acne, but creatine is not a steroid and doesn't affect your hormones the way they do. They're completely different compounds.
References
- Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:18. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z
- van der Merwe J, Brooks NE, Myburgh KH. Three weeks of creatine monohydrate supplementation affects dihydrotestosterone to testosterone ratio in college-aged rugby players. Clin J Sport Med. 2009;19(5):399–404. doi:10.1097/JSM.0b013e3181b8b52f
- Lak M, Forbes SC, Ashtary-Larky D, et al. Does creatine cause hair loss? A 12-week randomized controlled trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2025;22(sup1):2495229. doi:10.1080/15502783.2025.2495229
- Meixiong J, Ricco C, Vasavda C, Ho BV. Diet and acne: a systematic review. JAAD Int. 2022;7:95–112. PMC8971946
This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have persistent or severe acne, consult a qualified healthcare professional or dermatologist.