Ahhhh Sugar! Do Do Do Do Do Do!

The Sun Has A Partner When It Comes To Aging Our Skin And Its Called Sugar. Who Knew!

Sort of like the song says… “Like the summer Sunshine, Sugar you got me wanting you!”

It’s not just candy and soda that are the culprits though. Wine, pasta, bread, fruits and veggies… they all eventually turn into sugar in the body. I was not happy to learn this and I’m sure you aren’t either. So sorry to be the barer of such bad news, but it’s my job. And I take it very seriously, so let me continue…

My first question was how does sugar age your skin? The answer was through a process called Glycation. Never heard of it? Neither did I until just recently. How did I miss that?!!! Since it’s part of my job to know, I did some research. Here’s what I learned…

When sugar molecules enter your system, they attack the body’s cells, attaching to fats and proteins. This process forms Advanced Gycation End Products, commonly referred to with the acronym AGE’s. Huh! Go figure! These end products then cause protein fibers to become stiff and malformed. Guess what proteins in the skin are most prone to Glycation? Collagen and Elastin! These are the proteins that make our complexion so plumb and springy. When Collagen and Elastin couple with sugar, they become discolored and weak, causing wrinkles, sagginess and loss of radiance.

So what are we going to do about that? Stop eating? I don’t know about you but I’ve had just about enough of being told about all the things that are wrong with food and our human need to eat it. I’m simply not about to live on Kale and Salmon for the rest of my life, so I was glad to hear there are people working on a solution for us. My guess is there have been and will be many more to come as skin care companies set out to provide us with yet another miracle cure. Whew! Thank goodness because we definitely don’t have enough of those already. I’m kidding of course. But read on, they have a cream for us to use in our home care regimen. It’ll be step number 102 in your morning and evening bathroom routine. ; )

One of the most recent products is brought to us by SanMedica International and it’s called GlyTerra-gL.

It contains a compound by the name of Theraglycan-3, which some are already calling “The most significant breakthrough in skin care since the discovery of Retinol!” This is the first topically applied anti-glycation, “anti aging” compound to be tested to reduce actual AGE content in human skin and make it appear measurably younger. The age reducing effects were validated using a highly formularized equation based on measurements taken by an AGE-Reader (a sensitive research instrument that uses autofluorescence to measure AGE present in the skin). In the studies, women used a Thraglycan-3 cream twice a day (2% day cream and a 4% night cream). The results documented an unequivocal 8-10 year differential based on the actual AGEs remaining on the skin’s surface. To learn more about Glyterra-gL, visit www.sanmedica.com. You can buy the product on the website and if you use the code GLY20, shipping is free. If you don’t want to wait for the product, I believe Ulta now sells it at select stores.

I’m not looking to sell a new product. I merely want to bring awareness and information to my clients in hopes of keeping you all up to date with the latest discoveries. You will likely hear more about Glycation soon, if you haven’t already. I don’t believe its new information, the above mentioned company just discovered a better way to combat it. Thank Goodness, because I just can not be told one more time to avoid eating something. I’m Italian for goodness sake! I have to have my Pasta and Pastries.

I’ll likely have more to come on this subject soon, and I will keep you posted on the effects of the above mentioned product as well. But for now…

Excuse me while I treat myself to that yummy cupcake pictured in this blog … Don’t worry, I got my Glyterra-gL days ago. Please don’t tell anyone what a horrible example your esthetician is being right at the moment. I turned 50 this year and I get to celebrate all year long!!! Oh and maybe I should get back to my game of Candy Crush too. Anything I can do to help the cause! ; )