FoodsComparisons

Instant noodles vs rice noodles for acne

By SpotBite · Sources: 13 studies · one typical serving of each, on its own · Updated 2026-09-16

Instant noodles scores 54/100 (WARN) and rice noodles scores 66/100 (WARN) on SpotBite's Skin Score. Rice noodles is the safer choice by 12 points, and the gap comes mostly from inflammatory fats.

Instant noodles 54 WARN

Instant noodles

one serving · 85 g

Rice noodles 66 WARN

Rice noodles

one serving · 175 g

Where the gap comes from

Evidence: Caperton 2014 double-blind RCT (n=14): one dose of 100% cocoa increased acne lesions by day 4 (study). All 13 sources.

Score breakdown, side by side

Instant noodlesRice noodles
Glycemic (of 50)GL 26
−35.6
GL 23.3
−34
Dairy (of 25)0 g
0
0 g
0
Inflammation (of 25)7 g sat · 1.2 g ω-6
−11.5
0.1 g sat · 0.1 g ω-6
−0.4
Skin Boost (of 25)0.1 g ω-3 · low polyphenols
+0.8
0 g ω-3 · low polyphenols
0
Skin Score54 · WARN66 · WARN

Estimates for a typical serving. Real foods vary by brand and recipe.

Verdict

If you are acne-prone, rice noodles is the better pick of the two.

Not medical advice. Both scores are for the food on its own. What you eat with it changes the result, and breakouts usually show up 3 to 7 days after a meal. Diet is one factor among many.

See your own pattern

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Get SpotBite More on instant noodles · More on rice noodles

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