It’s that time of the year when we start seeing chocolate and candy EVERYWHERE, thanks to Halloween. And while sometimes you just have to treat yourself, it’s important to know the effect that sugar can have your skin so that you can learn to control your urges. Knowledge is power after all, right? To put it simply, sugar is not your skin’s friend. Ever eat sweets multiple days in a row and start breaking out, or noticing that your skin lacks luster? This is a real phenomenon and it’s all thanks to your digestive system, which breaks all carbs into sugar. And the bad thing about carbs is that all carbohydrates trigger skin inflammation. Sugar itself also has some effects on your skin: when eaten in high quantities, sugar molecules attach to collagen (a process call glycation), leading to wrinkles over time. While not eating any carbs or sugar at all is near impossible these days, there are two things you can do to avoid the negative effects of sugar on your skin:
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If you over indulged in candy and sweets…
go on a low-carb, low-sugar diet for a couple of weeks. If you suffer from rosacea or adult acne, your skin will be significantly clearer after this short sugar cleanse.
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If you eat sugar pretty regularly…
and begin to notice that your skin is stiff and that you’re getting wrinkles, you’ll need to decrease your intake of sweets to moderate amounts (the 2 week sugar cleanse
recommended above would also do wonders!) and also begin using skin products to counter sugar’s effects and rebuild healthy collagen, such as IMAGE’s Skincare the MAX Stem Cell Creme ($96). Formulated with the latest in stem cell technology, this night cream, as well as all the other products in the line, contains a maximum concentration of peptides to smooth wrinkles and support collagen regeneration.
Another great solution for skin that is showing the effects of sugary diet is to undergo a MicroNeedling treatment, which will stimulate collagen production and get rid of dead skin cells, leaving skin smooth, dewy, and younger looking over time. To learn more about MicroNeedling click here.