Date Written:  November 1, 2023

In the United States, November 1^st ushers away the Halloween decorations and rushes in the glory of the Holliday season.  For many of us the holiday season unfurls with its delightful mix of festivities, travel, and yes, sugar-laden treats. While the merrymaking is infectious, the indulgence of all the treats, and alcohol can take a toll on your skin. Ushering in the arrival of the new beauty term sugar face.  Sugar face is the name given to how excessive sugar shows up on our skin and as you read this term you likely can think about seeing it staring back at you after a few nights, or during the Holidays, a few weeks of indulging.  It can make the season not seem so merry, but not to worry this blog is dedicated to helping you enjoy the season while protecting your skin.

WHAT IS SUGAR FACE?

The term sugar face refers to the visible effects of glycation, a process where sugar molecules bind to proteins like collagen and elastin which keeps them from doing their job effectively on your skin. While most of the time, sugar face is a temporary concern, over time, excess glycation can lead to a loss of the skin's structural integrity, resulting in premature appearance of aging.  

Enter the Holidays and all your favorite holiday delights.  Most of our favorite treats are often packed with sugar.  And let's not forget the festive parties and the sugary alcoholic concoctions that often accompany them which can compound the appearance of sugar face. 

WHAT DOES SUGAR FACE LOOK LIKE?

In general, think of a long weekend in Vegas and you get the general idea of what sugar face can look like. Excess sugar can contribute to dehydrated skin which looks lackluster, dull, and sometimes blotchy.  To make matters worse, too much sugar can also contribute to an increase in under-eye puffiness and make dark circles, well darker.  When skin is dehydrated, it naturally produces more oil which can make pores appear bigger and trigger breakouts. 

Before this blog takes a hard left into the Grinch’s cavern of despair, there are some ways you can minimize the impact of the season on your skin while imbibing in your favorites. 

TIPS TO MINIMIZE IMPACT 

Tip #1:  Stay hydrated.  Make sure you drink water throughout the day and consider adding electrolyte support, just be sure it isn’t loaded with sugar, we love LMNT (stick with the fruit flavors, the chocolate, mint, and spicy ones are not great).

Tip #2:  Boost your Vitamin C intake.  Not only does Vitamin C boost your immune system, a much-needed added benefit during the Holiday season, increasing your Vitamin C intake can help your body fight off excess free radical attacks.  Whether taking it as a supplement in the form of a tablet or getting it from a powder, just ensure that you are not consuming excess sugar with it. 

Tip #3:  Amplify your skincare routine to include nourishing active ingredients that fight free radical damage and help combat oxidative stress. For your morning routine, consider adding in a topical serum or moisturizer enriched with active Vitamin C to boost hydration, collagen production and combat daytime free radicals.  For your evening routine, grab the PM POWER PACK by KICK PEACH BEAUTY, this powder-to-gel night serum is packed with nourishing actives like 5% niacinamide and aloe vera, proven heroes when it comes to combatting oxidative stress on the skin.

Tip #4: Lean into those indulgences that have the “worth it” factor and skip those that don’t.  This simple strategy allows you to find balance and harmony within the Holiday season while supporting your skin.

CONCLUSION

Do you want the good news or the bad news first?  The good news, okay!  When it comes to sugar face, the good news is that the visibly noticeable impact of excess sugar consumption will fade within 72 hours post-over-indulgence.  Which means that the puffiness should settle and skin should balance a few days post over-indulgence.  Okay now for the bad news.  More and more research is linking excess sugar consumption and the root cause of inflammation response generated by the body directly to increasing the visible signs of aging in the skin.  

In general, using a moderation approach will serve you and your skin well this Holiday season.