Creatine is an acid that occurs naturally in all vertebrates which helps supply energy to muscles and nerve cells.  It is very common for athletes to take store-bought creatine supplements before a workout in an attempt to give their muscles more energy and achieve better “gains.”  While there are common side effects to creatine that a majority of its users will experience if they are not careful (dehydration and/or increased bowel movements), many users have claimed that creatine supplements cause acne breakouts.

While several studies have been done about the athletic and possible muscle building effects of creatine, very few, if any, studies have been done on the relationship between creatine and acne.  Studies have shown that using creatine for a long period of time can cause blood pressure to rise, but whether or not creatine actually causes acne is still up in the air.  Since creatine is known to cause dehydration, it could easily lead to your skin becoming more dry, which means you are more susceptible to acne developing.  Some users may experience acne breakouts starting as early as a week after starting creatine supplements, while others may never have a problem with acne developing.  Since a lot of creatine users are still in the late teens and twenties, it could merely be a result of genetics and/or other factors.