Is Sugar Bad For Your Skin?

You probably think that sugar only affects your waistline, right? So did we. Unfortunately, it does a lot more than make it difficult to squeeze into your favorite pair of jeans. It affects your skin as well. Queue the tears. We did not want to hear it either but let’s face the truth- no amount of amazing skincare products will help your skin if you have a diet that’s high in sugar. Source Beauty investigates this heartbreaking, yet totally true, skin fact.

Why?

Sugary foods are high on the glycemic index. That means that when you ingest sugar, it causes glycation; a process by which sugar latches on to proteins and lipids in your body and converts into harmful molecules. These molecules stop your cells from functioning properly. If your cells aren’t functioning well, then the elastic and collagen found in your system are unable to do their job. Sugar basically causes inflammation within the body which can damage your skin in a variety of ways.

Effects of sugar on the skin

Eating too much sugar can give you what’s known as ‘sugar face’. Sugar face refers to a number of skin issues that are directly correlated to a high intake of sugar. These include:

• Acne and pigmentation
• Enlarged pores
• Wrinkles (specifically your forehead area)
• Loss of elasticity in the skin which thins out your skin
• Dark under eye circles
• Sparse eyebrows
• Facial hair growth
• Discolouration-usually a grey/pasty white tint to the skin

What foods should I avoid?

Try to stay away from refined sugars, such as white pasta, pastries, sweets, candy, and soft drinks (anything with high fructose corn syrup). Of course, you can eat these in moderation, excess amounts of sugar is where the problem lies.

Source Beauty recommends

Eat a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, and protein. What you put in your body is reflected in your face, so make healthy decisions! Drink plenty of water, it’s the best way to keep your body healthy as well.