Im sorry to say but sugar is one of the worst offenders for ageing your face and body by damaging the skin. I know that sound pretty harsh, but its up there with sun exposure.

When you eat sugar a natural process called glycation takes place where the sugar in your bloodstream attaches to proteins and produces harmful free radicals called AGEs (advanced glycation end products). The more AGEs you accumulate the more they damage the proteins in your body. The key point here is collagen is a protein!

The Sugar Effect on Skin

Collagen and Elastin which are the building blocks for skin firmness and elasticity are the most at risk of being damaged by AGEs causing the collagen fibres  to become stiff, the skin becomes dryer and brittle, zapping away the skin strength and threatening your youthful plump and dewy look of your skin. A high-sugar diet can also affect the type of collagen you have causing the stability and resilience of your collagen to reduce, leaving your skin at risk of being weak and loosing stability and structural strength, increasing visible lines and wrinkles.

Natural Anti-oxidants and Enzymes

AGEs are also responsible for deactivating your body’s natural antioxidant enzymes, making your skin more vulnerable to free radial damage from environmental factors, such as pollution, UV rays and blue light, triggering oxidative stress on your skin contributing even more to premature ageing.

 

Signs that Sugar is Aging your Skin

 The visible effects of glycation tends to start emerging around the age of 35 once the accumulation of oxidative stress, hormonal damage and AGE builds up. During this time wear and tear will begin to start showing on your skin leading to; the surface of the skin looking hard or shiny, deep crosshatch lines appearing along the upper lip and under the yes, discolouration and hyperpigmentation marks on the skin, deep crevices appearing particularly around the laugh lines and sagging around the skin in the jowl area.

How to prevent sugar damage to the skin

• The most simple answer is to cut back on your sugar intake, your diet is key!

 

• In particular look out for high fructose corn syrup which is often hidden in soft drinks, fruit drinks and pre-packaged food. Its not only the sweets, its all the hidden sugars including the synthetic ones, a diet coke is no better for you (its probably worse!) than a full fat coke.

 

• Drink plenty of water to keep the skin hydrated improving its ability to counteract the ageing effects of glycation and also support your bodies natural detoxification processes.

 

• Add vitamin supplements to your diet such as Vitamin B1 and B6 to aid in inhibiting free radicals and improving skin development and maintenance. Vitamin C and E will help aid in collagen and elastin holding their shape and maintaining their strength for your skin.

 

• Get enough sleep to allow your skin the time for regeneration and repairing of damage done during the day. The lack of good quality sleep has been shown to increase fine line, wrinkles, uneven skin tone and less elasticity.

 

• Add in Antioxidant serums, Im talking about the essentials a Vitamin C in the morning, to brighten and help restore free radical damage and a Vitamin A in the evening to boost cell turnover.

 

• Peptides in your skincare are also an essential, these amino acids are key in supporting collagen production.

 

• Collagen supplements, even though these are not directly replacing lost collagen within the skin, they are giving the body the best key nutrients to support collagen production and boost skin hydration.