'Fried foods may not be healthy, but they don't cause acne. '
The origins of the association between fried foods and acne is unknown, but it is a much-perpetuated myth. Acne is caused when sebaceous glands under the skin produce sebum (a chemical that helps maintain lubrication on the skin) and that sebum, coupled with dead skin cells, blocks or otherwise causes irritation to the pores of the skin. While science has pinpointed hormones as a culprit in causing excess acne, other factors are also at work, including one's genes and outside influences, such as stress, which helps to explain why acne isn't just a problem for adolescents.