What Is Glycation? How Sugar Affects Your Skin

In general, everything you do influences your skin’s health. As a result, my approach to skincare is both holistic and thorough. Taking the time to examine and alter your diet can seriously help your skin’s wellbeing. No change will create a more profound difference for your skin than reducing sugar and alcohol consumption. The sugar-aging link, known as glycation, is real, and scientific research backs that up.

However, before going any further, I want to mention one thing. I am all about moderation. And you know what? It’s okay to have some sugar. But if sweet stuff is a daily part of your life, then you may want to reassess it. If you aren’t taking care of your insides, the quality of your skincare will not make up for it. After all, healthy skin starts on the inside.

• What Is Glycation?
• How Can I Protect My Skin Against Glycation?
  • Eat The Right Foods
  • Get Your Beauty Sleep
  • Manage Stress
  • Protect Yourself From Sun Exposure
• How Can I Support My Skin With Anti-Glycation Products?

What Is Glycation?

When you consume sugar, the glucose from the carbohydrates and sugar molecules float around your bloodstream. Eventually, they use free amino acids to attach themselves to proteins and lipids in your body. We refer to these new molecules as advanced glycation end products, or AGEs for short. This is glycation boiled down to its most basic form.

This contributes to premature aging because glucose attaches itself to vital structural proteins in your skin, such as collagen and elastin. As you may know, these proteins are essential for healthy, youthful, firm skin. Advanced glycation end products degrade these important proteins similar to the way rust weakens and degrades metal. They damage the structural integrity of the surrounding tissue, leaving it unstable. The end result is skin that sags and is at a higher risk of lines and wrinkles. 

Glycated skin with damaged collagen and elastin leads to a rough, callus-like texture on the skin. It often looks like there is a layer of orange peel on the epidermis. Considering you are reading a blog post on skincare, I assume you would prefer to avoid this skin texture.

Glycation affects more than just protein structures, however! Hyaluronic Acid, a naturally occurring, clear substance with a gooey texture, is also responsible for keeping the skin youthful and plump. Just like collagen, its concentrations naturally deplete as we age. Well, the processes of glycation speed up hyaluronic acid depletion as well. 

What’s more, smoking and sun exposure can make glycation even worse. One study even demonstrated that UV damage leads to increased deposits of AGEs. If it wasn’t clear by this point, glycation is highly damaging to your skin. And while excess sugar is the largest culprit, additional risky lifestyle choices help create the perfect storm of sped-up aging.

How Can I Protect My Skin against Glycation?

There’s no getting around the fact that diet and lifestyle have the biggest effect on glycation. Let’s start there, then look at additional changes you can make to help yourself out.

Eat The Right Foods

In your diet, focus on consuming only fresh, whole, unprocessed foods. You want to “eat the rainbow” (no, not Skittles, which, just like most candies, contain high levels of fructose) to ensure you are filling your body with all the nutrients and antioxidants it needs. Consuming a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, proteins, and whole grains is a great way to make that a reality.

And remember, sugar is sugar, no matter its source. One of your end goals in this process is to reduce your sugar intake. While your body digests natural sugars slower than processed fructose, too much of it can still lead to faster glycation. I recommend following a diet similar to someone with diabetes; shying away from foods and drinks that translate into sugar in the body. Be sure to avoid foods like pasta, cereal, oatmeal, sweetened yogurt, juice, chips, crackers, and all bread to avoid a spike in insulin levels and the process of glycation from occurring.

Low glycemic foods are your skin’s best defense against glycation and oxidative damage. You want to stick to a low-carb diet and avoid food and drink that shoot your insulin levels up. So, try to avoid combinations like pasta with bread, as tempting as it may be to mop up your remaining pasta sauce with fresh bread.

You may want to consider cutting out alcohol or only having a drink every now and again if youthful skin is your top priority. But, you know, we’re all human. Events like birthday parties, anniversaries, and maybe girls-weekends may come along where naturally you’ll want to have a glass or two of red. I try to minimize my drinking, but I’m also never afraid to treat myself. When you do consume alcohol or sugary foods, try to supplement your diet with one NAC, which I’ll explain more later.

Low – Glycemic Foods	High – Glycemic Foods
Fruit: Blueberries, Oranges, Apples, Most Grapes, Plums, Pears, Grapefruits.	Fruit: Bananas, Dried, Cranberries, Mango, Papaya, Watermelon, Dates
Vegetables: Asparagus, Tomato, Lettuce, Onion, Mushrooms, Cucumbers, Broccoli, Zucchini, Spinach, Carrots, Brussels Sprouts	Vegetables: Acorn Squash, Beets, Butter Squash, Cooked Carrots, Corn, Potato (Especially Russet), Sweet Potato.
Grains/Starch: Bran Cereal, Pearled Barley, Rye Whole Kernels, Sprouted Whole Wheat Bread. Brown rice is more “Mid-Glycemic”.	Grains/Starch: White Rice, Sweet Potatoes, Couscous, Whole Wheat, Muesli, Oatmeal, Tortillas/Taco Shells, White Bread.
Protein: Peanuts, Most Dried Beans, Lentils, Kidney Beans, Split Peas	Protein: Lima Beans, Refined Beans.
Dairy: Greek Yogurt, Plain Yogurt, Labne, Most Cheese, Whole Milk, Fat-Free Milk, Skim Milk	Dairy: Fruit Yogurt, Ice Cream, Sweetened Yogurt.
Snacks: Nut & Seed Muesli Bar, Hummus, Most Unsweetened Nuts, Dark Chocolate, Corn Chips	Snacks: Pretzels, Water Crackers, Rice Cakes, Donuts, Scones, Syrup.

Please keep in mind that this table is a guideline. Context and quantity, as always, matter a great deal too! For example, watermelon and acorn squash, in moderation, are worthwhile foods to eat. Just don’t overdo it!

Get Your Beauty Sleep

Getting enough sleep is imperative. While the mechanics aren’t as well known, skimping on sleep seriously sabotages your skin health. Aim for at least 6-8 hours every night.

Manage Stress

I also highly recommend finding mindful ways to manage stress. Excess cortisol has a major negative impact on your body and can increase oxidative stress and free radical regeneration. This in turn accelerates the aging process. And to be honest, managing stress will make your life more pleasant all around. It’s truly a win-win situation!

Protect Yourself From Sun Exposure

While standard skincare advice, protecting yourself from the sun’s rays will help slow down glycation. Stay in the shade, wear clothes that cover exposed skin, and make sure to wear SPF. Finding a sunscreen that you enjoy wearing will help a great deal! Fortunately, we offer a large, ever-expanding line of SPF!

How Can I Support My Skin With Anti-Glycation Products?

Internally, you can find support in a supplement such as acne-safe NAC (N-Acetyl-I-Cysteine); which not only treats oxidative stress induced by sugar but can also help minimize the effects of alcohol before consumption. Recent studies have also proven the effectiveness of NAC for women who have PCOS. 

Pure Encapsulations Liposomal Glutathione is another great option for internal protection; preventing free radical damage and playing a key role in slowing skin glycation. Dr. Susan Blum, the author of the book The Immune System Recovery Plan, even regards it as the most important antioxidant.

External Products

When looking for skin support, you should reach for an anti-glycation serum. One of my personal favorites is Rhonda Allison’s AGE less! If you still have unanswered questions or want a different anti-glycation serum recommendation, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team of experts!