Skin Care
Holding a sugary donut? Here’s a reason to set it down: sugar speeds up aging. Many things hurt your skin, but sugar is one of the biggest culprits for making your face and body look older. Besides the usual diet reasons to cut back (US health guidelines advise limiting added sugar), you can now protect your appearance by reducing sugar. Here’s how sugar can age your skin.
Key Takeaways:
– Glycation: Sugar in your blood binds to proteins and forms harmful molecules called advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which damage collagen and elastin—the proteins that keep skin firm and youthful.
– Visible Damage: Sugar’s effects show up as wrinkles, sagging, and loss of facial fullness, especially in the cheeks and jowls.
– Prevention: Lower sugar intake, stay well hydrated, and eat or supplement with vitamins that help slow AGE formation.
How Sugar Affects Your Skin
Sugar harms your skin through glycation. When sugar in your bloodstream attaches to proteins, it creates AGEs—harmful byproducts that build up as you eat more sugar. These AGEs then damage nearby proteins.
1. Damages Collagen and Elastin
Collagen and elastin are the skin’s support fibers, keeping it firm, plump, and springy. AGEs stiffen and weaken these proteins, making them dry and brittle. That loss of strength shows up as fine lines, sagging, and wrinkles.
2. Changes Collagen Types
A high-sugar diet can also change the balance of collagen in your skin. Skin has several collagen types—Type I, II, and III—where Type III is the strongest. Glycation can degrade stronger collagen into weaker forms, reducing skin strength and resilience.
3. Weakens Antioxidant Defenses
AGEs also interfere with your body’s natural antioxidant enzymes. Without those defenses, your skin is more vulnerable to damage from pollution, blue light, and UV rays. Unchecked free radicals lead to oxidative stress, which speeds up skin aging.
Signs Sugar Is Aging Your Skin
Research shows visible glycation effects often appear around age 35, when accumulated damage, hormone shifts, and AGEs start to add up. When your skin can’t keep up with repair, these signs may appear:
– Skin looks hard or shiny.
– Deep, crisscross lines around the upper lip.
– Uneven tone and dark spots.
– Deep grooves near laugh lines.
– Sagging around the jowls.
7 Ways to Prevent Sugar Damage to Skin
It’s never too late to slow visible aging. Here’s how to counter sugar’s effects and keep your skin looking its best:
1. Cut Back on Sugar
You don’t have to quit sugar entirely, but reduce it. Aim to keep added sugar under 10% of daily calories and watch for hidden sugars like barley malt, fruit juice concentrate, and maple syrup. High fructose corn syrup—found in many soft drinks and processed foods—creates a lot of AGEs and is especially harmful.
2. Drink More Water
Water helps your body perform the functions that support healthy skin, including collagen and elastin production. Staying hydrated helps your body fight the effects of glycation. Drink plenty of water and eat water-rich foods like cucumber, tomato, and watermelon.
3. Add Helpful Vitamins
Studies show vitamins B1 and B6 can help slow AGE formation. Vitamin B1 (thiamin) has antioxidant benefits and is found in green peas, sesame seeds, and spinach. Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) supports skin health and is found in chickpeas, pinto beans, and sunflower seeds.
4. Eat More Antioxidants
Antioxidants fight free radicals and can help prevent sugar from binding to proteins. You get antioxidants naturally from foods like berries, leafy greens, and even coffee. Look for skincare products with vitamins C and E to help collagen and elastin stay strong and resilient.
5. Get Enough Sleep
Good sleep is one of the best beauty habits. While you sleep, skin repairs and regenerates. Poor sleep leads to more fine lines, uneven tone, and less elasticity. Quality deep sleep is especially important for undoing daily stressors like sugar.
6. Try a Skin Detox
A skin detox can give your skin a fresh start. Detoxing can create a healthier environment for skin, encourage collagen and elastin production, boost cell turnover, and improve the skin barrier overall.
7. Follow a Skin Care Routine
You can still enjoy sweet-smelling skincare while cutting dietary sugar. For moisture, the Chocolate Mousse Hydration Masque offers rich cocoa scents and a hydrating boost. The Firm Skin Acai Masque cleanses and delivers vitamins and nutrients to refresh skin. For dry lips or fine lines around the mouth, the Rosehip & Lemongrass Lip Balm SPF 15 hydrates with rosehip oil, lavender, zinc oxide, and sun protection. The Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant gently exfoliates: rice flour absorbs oil, lactic and salicylic acids remove dead cells, and strawberries and rhubarb add antioxidants.
Have you tried any of these products or tips to fight sugar-related skin aging? We’d love to hear your thoughts—share them in the comments and follow us on social media to join the conversation.