I
’ll admit it; I have a sweet tooth. I love cake,
continue producing natural antioxidants so
I take two sugars in my tea and my favour-
your skin suddenly becomes significantly more
ite meal of the day is a bowl of sugary
vulnerable to UV-induced damage and, yep,
cereal. Because I know I have a sweet tooth, I
premature ageing.
take the necessary measures to help limit the
When I was younger and stuffing my face with
effect it has on my body: I am fanatical about
sweets and sugary drinks, the long-term skin
brushing my teeth to ensure my pearly whites
effects of an out-of-control sugar habit barely
don’t succumb to tooth decay and I make sure
crossed my mind. However, glycation is still
I work out at least three times a week, so those
happening beneath the surface. The reason your
extra sugar-induced pounds don’t creep up on
skin doesn’t suffer as a child is because your
me. But I never even thought about the effect
body is able to produce vast amounts of colla-
all this sugar is having on my skin.
gen and elastin, so any sugar-induced damage
Along with UV exposure and free radicals,
is kept to an unnoticeable minimum. As collagen
consuming too much sugar can be just as det-
production naturally drops off after your 30th
rimental for the skin. The problems start when
birthday, so does your ability to neutralise a hefty
sugar molecules enter your bloodstream and
sugar intake. Meaning you might have to skip
start honing in on fats and proteins that are
that big slice of birthday cake if you want to
happily going about their business within the
maintain that smooth and youthful complexion
body. When they come into contact with each
you have become so accustomed to.
other, the sugar molecules bond themselves to
So what can be done to curb sugar’s assault on
these proteins to create a compound, which
the skin? The obvious solution is to cut down
usually leads to one of two outcomes. The ideal
on sweet treats, but we all know that’s not going
scenario involves the
to happen, so the major-
Along with UV exposure and free
compound breaking
ity of the work falls on
apart, causing little to no radicals, too much sugar can be just as your skin care’s shoul-
damage to the sur-
ders. Antioxidants can
detrimental for the skin
rounding cells and
help prevent the break-
therefore having no effect on the state of the
down of collagen caused by AGEs, as can
skin. The less appealing yet increasingly common
overnight restorative ingredients like Resveratrol
outcome is glycation. This is when the new
which inhibit glycation within the cells while
sugar/protein compound transforms into what
you sleep. In terms of special anti-glycation
is known as an Advanced Glycation End
ingredients, science is slowly catching up. The
Product or AGE for short. As you continue to
SkinCeuticals A.G.E Interrupter is currently top
eat sugar, these compounds start to build up
of my wish list as it contains a high concentra-
within the skin and cause the once springy and
tion of Blueberry Extract, a naturally derived
supple collagen proteins to become stiff, brittle
antioxidant, which helps to fortify the skin’s
and misshapen, which means the skin becomes
matrix and prevent the formation of AGEs
flat, wrinkled and slack at the surface.
within the skin. Another great ingredient is
And that’s not the only way that sugar can
Alpha Lipoic Acid, a potent glycation inhibitor
damage the skin. Healthy skin contains a mix
which is starting to be included in more topical
of different types of collagen – typically types
skin care products, but it can also be consumed
I, II and III, with type III being the most
through your diet by eating foods such as carrots,
long-lasting – which work in harmony to keep
broccoli and beef.
the skin smooth and wrinkle-free. When glyca-
As I creep ever closer to the big 3-0, I guess
tion happens, it degrades type III collagen to
now is the time to take action against my sugar
type I collagen, which is much more fragile and
demons if I want to keep my skin (and body)
less flexible. Oh, and the more AGEs there are
as healthy as possible. I can’t promise I will
present, the more difficult it is for your body to
always skip dessert though.
ISSUE #04 | 2017 | SkinHealthMagazine.com 31