By now, most of us know that too much sugar is bad for us…bad for our health and bad for our waistlines. What a lot of us don’t already know, is that sugar can be just as detrimental to your skin, causing a plethora of issues like wrinkles, brown spots, yellowing and sagging skin, among others! Before you reach for that pint of Cherry Garcia in the freezer, take a minute to learn what your favorite sweet treat could be up to…

How Does Sugar Affect My Skin?

In a nutshell, sugar causes glycation…and glycation causes skin aging. How? Glycation happens when molecules in your body, such as protein and lipids, bind with sugar. Once together, these sugar-by-products do two things…they stop your cells from functioning as they should, and then they actually CREATE free radicals, further damaging your skin! Rather than your complexion looking tight and young, the collagen and elastin in your skin are no longer able to do their jobs, making you more vulnerable to environmental toxins such as UV light, air pollution, cigarette smoke, and others.

Collagen breakdown isn’t the only trouble glycation causes…it’s also a known factor in the increase of AGE’s (Advanced Glycation End Products). AGE’s damage the proteins in the body causing inflammation of the skin that can lead to signs of aging, such as rosacea, eczema, hyperpigmentation, and can increase the acceleration of wrinkle development.

What Can I Do?

Sugar hides in the most unlikely of places…watching what we eat, and making simple changes to some of our regular, everyday foods can cut sugar consumption by more than ½! You’ll never notice the change in flavor…and your body (and skin) will thank you for it!