Acne is one of the common skin diseases in clinic. The clinical manifestations are facial acne, papules and pustules. Repeated episodes will leave pigmentation or scars, which seriously affect the patient's physiological, psychological and social interaction. At present, the clinical pathogenesis of acne is not completely clear. It is generally believed that excessive secretion of sebaceous glands, abnormal keratinization of hair follicle sebaceous ducts, Propionibacterium acnes, inflammation and immune factors are the main pathogenesis. However, the relationship between diet and acne is still controversial. Therefore, this article introduces the effects of diet on insulin-like growth factor-1, sebaceous glands, inflammation, skin microbiota and Propionibacterium acnes based on the existing literature, aiming to provide guidance for the correct and reasonable diet and prevention of acne patients.