If you’re worried about all the extra calories that sugar will contribute to your daily intake, you should also freak out about the impact it’s having on your skin. Education manager for the International Dermal Institute Emma Hobson has confirmed that sugar does, in fact, cause wrinkles, so it’s time to think twice about those sugary cheat-treats.
Let us introduce you to a little thing called glycation. It’s an internal chemical reaction between sugar molecules in your blood and the collagen and elastin proteins in your skin, which are essential for a firm and youthful epidermis. Emma tells us that this process results in the formation of advanced glycation end, or AGEs.
AGEs contribute to the stiffening and thickening of protein fibres, meaning the skin’s elasticity is degraded, causing sagging and giving the ageing process an untimely headstart. In short, AGEs cause wrinkles. They also increase pore size, helps along dark circles and strips you of your radiance. That chocolate doesn’t look so good now, does it?
