The truth about blood sugar spikes & your skin

Throughout the day, your blood glucose levels naturally rise and fall. That's normal and nothing to fret over.

When those spikes become frequent or dramatic, you’ll start to see a cascade of repercussions throughout the body.

Including collagen.

• Chronically elevated blood sugar can contribute to a process called glycation.¹
• During glycation, excess sugar molecules attach to proteins like collagen and elastin, forming compounds known as advanced glycation end products (AGEs).²
• AGEs make collagen fibers stiffer, weaker, and more prone to breakdown.
• Over time, this can contribute to visible signs of skin aging, including fine lines, wrinkles, loss of elasticity, increased skin fragility, and slower repair processes.
• So unfortunately, yes, sugar can cause wrinkles.

Blood sugar regulation also influences inflammation throughout the body. And chronic low-grade inflammation is one of the major drivers of accelerated skin aging.

Interestingly, recent research shows poor metabolic health (like glucose levels, but also blood pressure and cholesterol) is linked to an increased risk of skin cancer.³

But something I learned during my CGM experiment is that supporting healthy glucose levels doesn't require perfection. A few evidence-backed habits, that I learned from our in-house RD, can help:

• Prioritize a balance of protein, healthy fats, and fiber at meals
• Take a short walk after eating and strength train regularly
• Prioritize stress management consistently throughout the day

The beauty industry has begun to have meaningful conversations about gut and mental health, but now it’s time we start talking about metabolic health too.

+Balance from the inside out

• 5 simple blood sugar hacks that actually work
• 3 skin-boosting breakfast ideas that can balance blood sugar
• An MD explains how metabolic health impacts skin cancer risk
• The nutrient gap that leads to crepey skin

Everything is skin care…including your friendships

Several studies over the past decade have all shown an unfortunate truth: People experiencing skin disease report higher rates of loneliness.⁴

There are many reasons for this—and if you’ve ever dealt with a visible skin issue, I don’t need to explain it to you.

But the relationship goes both ways.

• One large review found that social connection is consistently associated with better physical and mental health outcomes throughout life.⁵
• People with stronger social ties tend to experience lower stress levels, healthier aging trajectories, and greater overall well-being.
• While they didn’t look at measurable skin outcomes, we know that stress and mental health all influence how our skin looks and functions.⁶
• Strong relationships support each of those factors, creating the kind of internal environment where healthy skin can thrive.

So go ahead, take those plans out of the group chat. You can count it as skin care.

+These ingredients are BFFs too

• 2 vitamins to always use together
• How to properly layer these buzzy ingredients
• The ultimate ingredient pair for dewy skin