FoodsComparisons

Mayonnaise vs mustard for acne

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

Mayonnaise scores 90/100 (GLOW) and mustard scores 100/100 (GLOW) on SpotBite's Skin Score. Mustard is the safer choice by 10 points, and the gap comes mostly from inflammatory fats.

Mayonnaise 90 GLOW

Mayonnaise

one serving · 15 g

Mustard 100 GLOW

Mustard

one serving · 10 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

MayonnaiseMustard
Glycemic (of 50)no carbs
0
GL 0.2
−0.4
Dairy (of 25)0 g
0
0 g
0
Inflammation (of 25)1.6 g sat · 5.8 g ω-6
−14.9
0 g sat · 0.1 g ω-6
−0.3
Skin Boost (of 25)0.7 g ω-3 · low polyphenols
+5.3
0.1 g ω-3 · medium polyphenols
+5.8
Skin Score90 · GLOW100 · GLOW

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

Verdict

If you are acne-prone, mustard 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

Scan what you actually eat and SpotBite shows which foods line up with your breakouts a few days later. Free on iPhone and Android.

Get SpotBite More on mayonnaise · More on mustard

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