Supplements That Can Cause Acne (and How to Tell Which One)

Protein shaker, protein powder and supplement bottles on a kitchen counter

Short answer: yes, a few supplements can trigger or worsen acne. The best-documented are high-dose vitamin B12 (and, in older reports, B6), whey protein, iodine-rich products like kelp, DHEA and anabolic steroids or other testosterone-boosting products. The evidence for biotin is mostly anecdotal. The clue is usually timing: a sudden breakout of similar-looking bumps that starts days to weeks after you begin something new.

Can supplements cause acne?

They can. Dermatologists call it drug-induced acne. It tends to look different from everyday acne: it starts suddenly, often at an unusual age, the bumps all look alike (inflamed papules or pustules rather than a mix with blackheads), and it can spread beyond the usual oily areas. The key to spotting it is a clear link between starting something and the breakout, and it usually eases once the trigger is removed (Kazandjieva and Tsankov, 2017).

Most supplements don't do this. But because many people take several products at once, it's easy to miss the one that might be involved.

Which supplements cause acne, and how strong is the evidence?

Supplement	How strong the evidence is	Typical timing	What it looks like
Vitamin B12 (high dose, injections)	Moderate: case reports plus a lab study showing a plausible mechanism	Days to about 2 weeks after starting	Sudden small, uniform red bumps and pustules on the face, few or no blackheads
Vitamin B6	Weak: older case reports, mostly alongside B12	During treatment	Acne flare or acne-like rash
Whey protein	Mixed: case series and observational studies suggest a link; one small 6-month trial in men found no meaningful worsening	Weeks to about 2 months	New or worse acne, sometimes mainly on the chest and back
Iodine / kelp	Weak to moderate: iodides are a recognized trigger; kelp evidence is an old case report	Not well defined	Inflamed, similar-looking bumps
DHEA	Moderate: acne and oily skin more common than placebo in a randomized trial	Within the first few months	Oily skin, acne, increased body hair
Anabolic steroids, testosterone	Strong: well-established cause	During use	Can be severe, including acne conglobata and acne fulminans
Biotin	Very weak: mostly anecdotal, no controlled studies we could find	Unknown	Reported as general breakouts

Vitamin B12

B12 is the best-studied vitamin trigger. In a 2015 study, B12 supplements changed the behavior of the skin bacterium C. acnes, pushing it to make more porphyrins, compounds linked to inflammation in acne. One of ten volunteers developed acne about a week after starting (Kang et al., 2015). Case reports describe sudden eruptions within days of high-dose injections (Owen et al., 2024). Read more in our guide to vitamin B12 and acne.

Vitamin B6

A 1976 German report described 14 patients whose acne appeared or worsened during treatment with vitamin B6 and/or B12, most of them women (Braun-Falco and Lincke, 1976). There's little newer research on B6 alone, so treat it as a possible, not proven, trigger.

Whey protein

Whey protein is where the evidence is most mixed. Five teenage athletes developed acne soon after starting whey, and four cleared after stopping; one flared again when he restarted (Silverberg, 2012). A Brazilian study followed 30 gym-goers for 60 days and saw new or worsening acne with protein supplement use (Pontes et al., 2013). Six young men developed acne only on the trunk after using whey (Cengiz et al., 2017). A 2024 case-control study of 201 young men found whey use was more common in those with acne (47% vs. 28%) (Muhaidat et al., 2024).

But the one randomized trial, 49 young men with mild to moderate acne taking 30 g of whey daily for 6 months, found no meaningful worsening compared with a non-whey supplement (Sompochpruetikul et al., 2024). Honest summary: some people may be sensitive, but it isn't a universal trigger.

Iodine and kelp

Iodides and other halogens are on the list of substances with a clear causal link to acne-like eruptions (Kazandjieva and Tsankov, 2017). A 1976 report linked a kelp diet to an acneiform eruption (Harrell and Rudolph, 1976). If you take kelp, seaweed or other iodine-containing supplements, check the label for the iodine dose.

DHEA

DHEA is a hormone precursor your body can convert into testosterone, including inside oil glands themselves (Chen et al., 2010). In a randomized trial in postmenopausal women, 50 mg of DHEA a day tripled DHEA-S levels, and greasy skin, acne and extra body hair were more common than on placebo (Finckh et al., 2005). DHEA is widely sold as a supplement, so it's easy to take without thinking of it as a hormone.

Anabolic steroids and muscle-building products

Anabolic-androgenic steroids and testosterone have an undoubted causal link to acne (Kazandjieva and Tsankov, 2017). In one review, acne occurred in about half of steroid users, and severe forms like acne conglobata and acne fulminans can occur (Melnik et al., 2007). If you use muscle-building products, tell your doctor exactly what you take, including anything bought online.

Biotin

Biotin is often blamed online, especially in "hair, skin and nails" products. But we couldn't find clinical studies showing biotin causes acne. If your skin changed after starting it, the timing is still worth noting. Biotin can also interfere with some lab tests, including thyroid tests, so tell whoever orders your bloodwork that you take it (Shing et al., 2025).

How to figure out which supplement is causing your acne

List everything you take, with doses. Include multivitamins, B-complexes, energy drinks, protein powders, "hair, skin and nails" blends, pre-workouts and anything prescribed. Several products may contain the same ingredient.
Line up the timeline. Note when you started each product and when the breakouts began or worsened. A sudden change within days to weeks of starting something is a strong clue.
Talk to your doctor before stopping anything prescribed. B12 injections for deficiency, or hormones prescribed for a medical reason, may be necessary. Your doctor can adjust the dose or treat the breakout.
Change one thing at a time. If you and your doctor decide to pause an over-the-counter supplement, stop one at a time so you know which one mattered.
Test levels instead of guessing. Many people add vitamins "for their skin" without knowing whether they were low to begin with.

How BreakoutLabs fits in

The BreakoutLabs Acne Root Cause Test measures 12 biomarkers, including three nutrients people often supplement: Vitamin B12, Vitamin D and Ferritin (iron stores). If your B12 is already high, that's useful to know before adding more. It also measures DHEA-S and Free and Total Testosterone, which can show where your androgens sit if you're taking or considering hormone-related products.

It does not measure biotin, zinc or iodine, so it can't tell you whether those are involved. You collect a small sample at home with a painless device on the back of your upper arm, it's processed in a CLIA-certified lab, and results are ready 5 business days after the lab receives it, with a personalized Clear Skin Blueprint. See what the test measures.

Frequently asked questions

How long does supplement acne take to go away?

In reported cases, drug-induced acne usually improves after the trigger is stopped, often within a few weeks for B12. Some cases take longer. If it doesn't improve, something else is likely involved.

Can a multivitamin cause acne?

It's possible if it contains high doses of B12 or iodine, especially stacked with other products. Most standard multivitamins are not linked to breakouts.

Does whey protein cause acne in everyone?

No. Case reports and observational studies suggest some people break out, but a 6-month randomized trial in young men found no meaningful worsening. If you notice a clear pattern, talk to your doctor or dermatologist.