What Does Too Much Sugar Do To Your Skin?

You have probably heard of sugar being used as an external skin exfoliant to help improve skin tone and texture, but ingesting too much sugar can have the opposite effect. That's because sugar can age you.

Sugar damages your skin through a process called glycation. Sugar attaches to proteins in your blood and forms harmful free radicals called advanced glycation end products (AGEs). As the amount of AGEs increase, they damage the proteins around them, including collagen and elastin. These proteins keep the skin firm and plump. AGEs also damage our antioxidants, which protect us from environmental induced free radicals. Free radicals cause oxidative stress that contributes to the premature aging of your skin.

Sugar in moderation is ok, but not in excess. So, the next time you are thinking about that second slice of chocolate cake, think about what it could be doing to your skin!