Sugar and Acne

April 27, 2017

How does eating sugar affect acne?

Easter was yesterday.  And around here, we are still recovering from the lingering effects of the extreme sugar overload that we all experienced. For some of us here at Ninja, those effects were primarily the result of our kids consuming an obscene amount of refined sugar and chocolate from dawn to dusk.  For others, ahem, it was the amount that WE consumed… yes, those Easter baskets are hard to resist!

All kidding aside, we wanted to take a second to talk about sugar and the effects that it has on our skin. Much like fat was the central focus of diet conversations in the 90’s, sugar seems to dominate nearly every health article and discussion these days.  Nearly every fad diet eliminates all added and refined sugars. Studies have surfaced that proves that sugar causes maladies from cancer to inflammation to, well of course, diabetes. It is a very potent and addictive ingredient and one that we should definitely monitor closely.

Sugar causes weight gain. Got it. Sugar is especially bad for people who are genetically prone to or have diabetes. Check. Cancer cells love feeding off sugar. Eek!  But how does sugar directly affect our skin and acne.

Consuming sugar and foods that rank high on the glycemic index (eg. foods that once ingested break down quickly into glucose) will result in a quick burst of insulin creation, causing wide spread inflammation throughout your body. Sweets and simple carbohydrates cause these insulin spikes, which then can cause a surge in skin oil, or sebum, production. Sebum is what makes our skin soft (and waterproof!) but too much of it is what leads to people having “oily” skin. For acne-prone people, sebum is also the substance that gets trapped in the layers of dead skin cells inside the hair follicles, eventually leading to acne breakouts.

Not all acne is inflamed. Small whiteheads and blackheads are not generally exacerbated or caused by excess sugar consumption. However, studies have shown that people who consume a high amount of refined sugars have more severe and longer acne breakouts (due to the high inflammation levels in their body) than those who consume foods that rank low on the glycemic index.

Regardless of the type of acne you have, you always want to maintain a well balanced diet full of vegetables, lean proteins and low in sugar. This not only helps to reduce inflammation, but it also gives your body the necessary building blocks to have your skin heal as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately for most people, eliminating sugar from your diet will not eliminate your breakouts. But what you may find, if you are in tune with your body, that by eliminating refined sugars and simple carbohydrates from your diet, your breakouts (that might be caused by hormones, genetics, sun exposure… the list goes on) could be considerably less severe. Without inflammation exacerbating breakouts and without the excess sebum production, your breakouts could be shortened dramatically.

Net net: try to stay healthy in every aspect of your life. My mother always taught me “everything in moderation” and sugar is not the exception.  Want some chocolate? Indulge… in a piece. Of dark chocolate. And satisfy that craving. Bite into a juicy apple – natural sugars are much easier for your body to break down so when your sweet tooth comes calling, consider a clementine instead of the Cadbury Easter Egg.  A tough decision to make but one your skin will thank you for later on.