Search “ Raw Garlic For Acne ” on TikTok right now, and you’ll be met with dozens of posts depicting acne sufferers either chomping on cloves or gently patting them on their pimples, but is there any truth to users’ claims that the allium has magical spot-vanquishing powers? Vogue asked three experts – Dr Ketaki Bhate, consultant dermatologist at Self London ; board-certified dermatologist Dr Shereene Idriss ; and Emily English, nutritionist and founder of epetōme – to weigh in. The dermatologists’ digest While all three experts understand the appeal of simple, at-home “solutions” to common dermatological problems, they couldn’t be clearer: rubbing garlic on your skin isn’t a good idea. Doing so can “cause irritation or even chemical burns, which could leave behind post-inflammatory marks”, explains Dr Bhate, while Dr Idriss is unequivocal: applying garlic “topically to the skin cannot clear your acne”.
“The majority of videos online where people are using garlic to ‘cure’ their acne depict those struggling with hormonal acne,” she continues. “Hormonal acne, unlike other types of inflammatory acne, more often than not requires prescription medication. It is so important to treat the root cause in order to minimise any unwanted side effects such as long-term scarring.
” So what should you be using in terms of products? Bhate is keen to highlight that the best plans are tailored to your specific needs by a dermatologist. “Everyone’.