We have all heard about celebrities who have cut all sugar out of their diet and frankly, as a true sugar addict, this sounds absolutely ridiculous to me…but when I heard that the excess sugar in my diet could be causing my skin to sag and age, I started to pay more attention.

So, how exactly does sugar age us? Well to answer that we need to look at the science behind the way our bodies process sugar. World renowned dermatologist, Dr Frederic Brandt, summed it up best in his book titled 10 Minutes/10 Years: Your Definitive Guide To A Beautiful And Youthful Appearance.

“Sugar triggers a process in the body called glycation. This is where the sugar molecules bind to your protein fibres – those wonderfully springy and resilient collagen and elastin fibres – which are the building blocks of skin. Imagine that your collagen is your skin’s mattress and the elastin fibres are the coils holding it together. The sugar attacks these fibres, making them less elastic and more brittle so they break. The result is that your once-youthful skin starts to sag and look old.”

Now we know how the sugar damages our skin, what can we do about it? Well firstly, reducing the amount of excess sugar in our diets is a great start and an easy thing to do. Cutting down on your alcohol intake or ditching the 3pm sugar hit could go a long way to preventing the damage to your skin.

If ditching the sugar seems too hard or your concerned about the damage that has already been done then there are some topical treatments that specifically target the glycation process.

 L’Oreal Paris Revitalift Laser x3 Serum contains Pro-Xylane which strengthens the support fibres in the skin.
Available from Priceline for $49.95

Chantecaille Anti-Glycation Primer helps to protect collagen from damage.
Available at Mecca Cosmetica for $135