One of the main reasons that you probably eat instant noodles are because they’re...well, practically instant. Plus, they’re dirt cheap and it’s not that hard to add some extra ingredients to spice it up. 

But still, there’s a good chance that you’ve heard about the possibility of instant noodles not being so healthy.  It is a valid concern: instant noodles can be high on carbs, sodium, and fat, while also missing vitamins and nutrients that you should be consuming. 

With some packages of instant noodles having well over 3000mg of sodium, one serving of instant noodles will make you eat more than your recommended daily dose of sodium.

But then there’s the burning questions: do instant noodles cause acne or a breakout? Should you stop eating it for clearer skin?

If you’re trying to get better skin, keep on reading to find out what the link between acne and ramen is!  

Can Instant Noodles Cause Acne Breakout?

Credit: Wikipedia

On its own, it’s hard to say definitively that instant ramen can lead to or cause a breakout. While on a base level, the ingredients that instant noodles contain won’t necessarily cause acne (like flour), some ingredients can. 

When you’re going to grab your next pack of instant noodles, take a look at the nutrition label before making your next purchase and pay attention to the ingredients below! 

Ingredients in Instant Noodles That Might Cause Acne

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As mentioned earlier, instant noodles can have a lot of sodium, or salt. When you eat too much salt, it can lead to dehydrated skin. The problem? It can make it harder for your body to recover from a breakout. 

Worse, if your skin dries out too much, it could end up producing excess oil to combat the dry skin, which could also lead to breakouts.

On top of that, research has shown people with acne consumed much higher levels of salt, suggesting that there’s a link between the two and that salty foods could exacerbate your acne! 

In other words, while having salt in and of itself isn’t bad for your diet, consuming it in too high amounts if you eat a lot of instant noodles may not be the best for your face! 

Another ingredient that could spell trouble for your face in instant noodles is fat. While not all brands of instant noodles are high in fat, if your favorite brand has a lot of saturated fat, it could cause acne. 

Studies have shown that diets high in fat, sugar, and dairy, have a higher likelihood of causing an acne breakout. 

In fact, as little as one portion of fatty foods brought the chance of acne up by 54%! 

If your instant noodles are high in saturated fat, which tend to contain higherr concentrations of insulin growth factors, this could make your acne worse. 

Insulin growth factors can trigger the hormones that produce acne, so it’s best to limit the amount of foods you eat high in saturated fat.

So the next time you’re going to pick up a package of instant noodles, scan the nutrition label--your face may thank you!

What Foods Can Cause Acne?

While a little bit of searching can make it easy to find the right brand of instant noodles to eat that doesn’t involve sacrificing the quality of your skin, it’s not always that easy. 

If you need to overhaul your diet and eliminate foods that could cause acne, here’s a list to get you started with. 

Like we mentioned earlier, foods that are high in dairy and sugar can trigger an acne breakout. One big culprit? Milk chocolate (check out our blog post on if chocolate can cause acne for more!)

In general, fatty foods can also really have a toll on your skin. This includes fast food in general, like pizzas, burgers, fries, and other greasy food. 

Sugary drinks can also wreak havoc on your skin, so it’s best to cut down, completely eliminate it, or swap it for zero-sugar drinks if you really need a fizzy drink. 

As a general rule of thumb, to help keep your skin glowing, minimize the junk food you eat, and try to consume more fruits and veggies, while drinking a lot of water. It’ll go a long way!

Final Thoughts

It’s important to remember that, at the end of the day, we all have different bodies, and therefore different triggers. While some people have to worry about peanut butter or tomatoes causing an acne breakout, many others don’t. 

The best way to handle the situation is to keep track of what you eat if you have periodic breakouts, and try to get a better grasp of what could be causing your breakouts. 

Above all, be patient: it might take a little bit of time, but it’ll be worth it in the end. By eating a well-balanced diet, you’ll be well on your way to clearer skin! 

References:

El Darouti MA, Zeid OA, Abdel Halim DM, Hegazy RA, Kadry D, Shehab DI, Abdelhaliem HS, Saleh MA. Salty and spicy food; are they involved in the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris? A case controlled study. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2016 Jun;15(2):145-9. doi: 10.1111/jocd.12200. Epub 2015 Dec 9. PMID: 26648163.

Penso L, Touvier M, Deschasaux M, et al. Association Between Adult Acne and Dietary Behaviors: Findings From the NutriNet-Santé Prospective Cohort Study. JAMA Dermatol. 2020;156(8):854–862. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2020.1602