Experiencing an acne flare-up in adulthood can be frustrating and embarrassing. Especially when you have to maintain a certain appearance. You may have noticed whiteheads or blackheads appearing on your skin. But what’s causing this? If you have tried upping your skin-care game to no avail, you may be wondering…does nicotine cause acne? 

We know that using nicotine in any form is bad for your health and really hard to stop. There are lots of motivations to stop using nicotine such as the risk of lung and oral cancer, poor respiratory function, and the monetary costs of nicotine addiction. 

Here’s one more reason: using nicotine products actually affects your skin health as well. 

We understand that changing isn’t easy - especially when it comes to a habit that’s so hard to break like this one. But, we have a secret weapon that will give you that focus and drive that nicotine does without any of the consequences for your complexion (or any other serious health risks, for that matter). We’ll talk more about quitting later on - or you read this article about how to quit chewing tobacco. 

But for now, let’s get down to brass tax. We’ve heard about oral cancer and poor dental hygiene. But does nicotine really cause acne? It does. We’re going to break it down for you below.

Does Nicotine Cause Acne? How I Using Nicotine Affects Your Skin

Using nicotine products can cause a specific form of acne that’s known as Atypical Post-adolescent Acne (APAA). A research study conducted at the San Gallicano Dermatological Institute in Italy has found that APAA appears to be connected to the use of nicotine products. 

APAA is characterized as whiteheads and blackheads that are not inflamed, and found anywhere on the body but predominantly around the mouth and nose. So how does nicotine cause acne? 

The reason for this is that when the body is exposed to toxins in the environment, the body responds by producing molecules known as free radicals that are highly unstable and reactive. The free radicals attack fatty acids found in sebum. Sebum is the oily substance found in your pores. This leaves your pores more susceptible to hosting bacteria, and boom! A pimple is born.

What makes our dip replacement special is that instead of nicotine, it has caffeine which is an antioxidant that protects the skin from free radicals. This is literally the opposite of what nicotine products do.

In order to progress this conversation, we’ll take a look at the common consumption methods for nicotine and analyze the effect they have on your skin. Let’s start with one of the worst trends to hit our world: vaping.

Does Vaping Nicotine Cause Acne?

In a roundabout way, yes, vaping can cause acne. How does vaping cause acne? It can dry out your mouth, throat, and skin. Your body responds to dry skin by producing excess sebum in order to try to keep the skin hydrated. Excess sebum can trap dead skin cells, dirt, and bacteria- causing acne to appear. 

Does Dipping or Chewing Cause Acne?

While research on the causation between smokeless tobacco and acne is nil, there have been studies linking chew and snus to molecular changes in the body having adverse effects on hormones. A common sign of hormonal changes in the body is acne. Speaking of hormones, nicotine also reduces testosterone. No bueno.

Also, nicotine products such as chew and snuff increase the production of the stress hormone, cortisol. Cortisol can cause painful cystic acne all over the body - and is the hardest type of acne to treat.

Do Cigarettes Cause Acne?

Smoking cigarettes has been shown to cause excess sebum, too. Remember, your skin is an organ with several functions. When it gets too dry, it works to create more sebum in order to rehydrate it. 

As a result, excess sebum traps dead skin cells and bacteria in the skin’s pores leading to raised pustules and comedones (small, skin-colored bumps) on the skin’s surface.

Smoking also decreases the presence of vitamin E, an antioxidant that would otherwise work to protect skin cells from the free radicals we talked about earlier.

All of this is to say - yes, nicotine causes acne. No matter the form in which you’re consuming it, you’re wreaking havoc not just on your lungs, mouth, and heart - but also on your skin. 

Does Quitting Nicotine Cause Acne?

Naturally, your response to learning how harmful nicotine can be to your skin is to quit. This isn’t easy of course- due to the withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, headaches, and insomnia. But, another symptom of nicotine withdrawal, though uncommon, is acne breakouts. 

Wait - what gives? Using nicotine causes acne…and quitting nicotine causes acne too? Yes - but don’t let that deter you from stopping.

Quitting nicotine products, like chew or snuff, for example, can be stressful, leading to temporary hormonal imbalances that can trigger a breakout. On the bright side, shortly after quitting, your skin will improve due to an increase in circulation and oxygen.

Skin cell production will also increase, making your skin appear brighter and no longer be affected by toxic free radicals, allowing pH levels to stabilize and the skin will become more hydrated. 

As mentioned earlier, Grinds caffeine pouches can help alleviate the initial discomfort of nicotine withdrawal and give your skincare an extra boost and help clear up your complexion quickly.

For more information, check out these articles about what happens when you quit dipping and chewing tobacco withdrawal symptoms.

Tips for Keeping Your Skin Clear and Healthy

Ultimately, we recommend you quit nicotine once and for all - the changes to your skin are just a little extra incentive. Really, making this change will contribute to better oral hygiene, less irritability or anxiety, and diminish your risk of many common health complications. 

But is there anything else you can do to improve your skin health in the meantime? Yep - below, we’ll provide a few tips for restoring your skin’s natural brightness and smooth texture for a blemish-free look.

1. First things first, you need to make nicotine a thing of the past. Replacing your nicotine habit with caffeine dip can help with discomfort and cravings while also rejuvenating your skin.
2. I cannot stress this enough. WATER. It is essential for skin hydration, skin cell turnover, and getting rid of those nicotine toxins fast.
3. Amp up your diet with nutrient-rich food packed with antioxidants - these will rejuvenate your skin as well. Think citrus fruits, berries, and other natural fruits and vegetables. 
4. Develop a skincare routine. You should learn what your skin type is, and then figure out the best way to take care of it. You’ll want to find cleansers and treatments that work best with your unique skin - and make sure you come up with a process that you can stick to.

As for your nicotine habit, we can help you make changes there, too…

Need Help Making Your Nicotine Addiction a Thing of the Past?

Grinds is here for you. Now that you’re ready to quit nicotine for good, it’s time to come up with a quit date. Setting a date will help you mentally prepare yourself for ending your relationship with nicotine and providing closure. Don’t make it too far off in the future, because you may lose your determination. Throw out your nicotine products the night before and make sure you’re stocked up on your chewing tobacco alternatives. 

Nicotine patches could be helpful too if you don’t feel confident about quitting cold turkey. You may be wondering, does the nicotine patch cause acne? No, but nicotine patches can leave a rash in the area of skin it makes contact with. To avoid this, make sure you remove the patch at bedtime and use a new patch on a different area of the skin.

It’s not uncommon for people to feel fed up with nicotine addiction but teeter on the fence when it comes to giving up the sensation that those products give. This is where Grinds caffeine dip comes in. Our solution gives that feeling of get-up-and-go without the negative impacts of nicotine. Once you experience it yourself, you’ll never look back - join thousands of people just like you who have taken control of their life again.

Final Thoughts on Nicotine and Acne

To sum it up, nicotine products generally have a negative impact on skin and can cause unsightly acne breakouts. If the internal health implications aren’t enough to deter you from nicotine products like dip and chew, consider the external benefits of quitting nicotine. 

If you still need something to give you that extra boost to get stuff done during the day, try Grinds tobacco and nicotine free dip. It can help ease the quitting process and help your skin stay clear and rejuvenated. Once you have that first taste, you’ll never look back!