Bespoke Cosmetics Institute

Does sugar show on your skin? 🤔

Glucose in the bloodstream does not only get used for energy. A portion of it binds permanently to proteins, and in the dermis the protein most affected is collagen. A collagen fibre with sugar bonded to it loses its flexibility, and because the body clears these damaged fibres slowly, they build up over
the years.

Researchers group the results under the term advanced glycation end products. They have been measured directly in skin, they increase with age, and they are considered a likely contributor to age-related change in the dermis, although much of the evidence comes from laboratory and observational studies.

Eating patterns high in refined carbohydrate are thought to accelerate the process. Sun and smoking add to it.

We are not here to demonise sugar. We share it because it is one of the lifestyle factors with a clear proposed mechanism in the skin.

Follow for more content like this on the science behind skin ageing.

Educational content only. This is general information and not personal medical or dietary advice.
Individual consultation is required to determine suitability for any treatment. Outcomes vary between individuals. Risk information is available on our website. This content is for adults only. Fernanda Barbosa | Registered Nurse (Division 1) | Ahpra Reg. No. NMW0002585008

Gkogkolou P , Böhm M. Advanced glycation end products: key players in skin aging? Dermato-Endocrinology, 2012.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23467327/

The belief that discomfort equals results sends a lot of people in the wrong direction.

The surface of the skin is built from flattened cells bound together by lipids, forming a barrier whose purpose is to hold moisture in and keep irritants out. Exfoliating acids, retinoids, physical scrubs and layered actives all remove those lipids.

Used within the skin’s capacity to rebuild, that is fine.
Used beyond it, the barrier thins, water leaks out and the skin becomes reactive.

The pattern we see is recognisable. Products that used to feel neutral begin to sting. The face feels tight immediately after cleansing. Redness settles in and stays. Flaky patches appear that moisturiser does not resolve. Eventually almost everything provokes a reaction.

A sting is not a sign that an ingredient is doing its job. More often it is the barrier reporting that it is overwhelmed.

One caution: the same symptoms can come from eczema, rosacea or an allergic reaction, which are managed differently.

If a simpler routine has not helped within a few weeks, that is a GP or dermatologist question before it is a cosmetic one.

Educational content only. This is general information and not personal medical advice, and not a
diagnosis. Individual consultation is required to determine suitability, and a consultation may
conclude that no procedure is indicated. Outcomes vary between individuals. All procedures carry
potential risks, which should be discussed as part of informed consent. Risk information is available
on our website. This content is for adults only. Fernanda Barbosa | Registered Nurse (Division 1) |
Ahpra Reg. No. NMW0002585008

Proksch E, Brandner JM, Jensen JM. The skin: an indispensable barrier. Experimental Dermatology, 2008.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19043850/

Our skin runs on a slower clock than the calendar. Here’s what that means for a plan.

The reason we talk about timing in September has nothing to do with urgency. It has to do with biology.

The outer layer of the skin replaces itself on a cycle of about a month, and that cycle lengthens with age. Whatever changes now takes weeks to reach the surface.

Collagen moves on an even longer clock. Where a procedure is intended to encourage new collagen, the body lays it down over two to three months, which is why we do not judge how
someone has responded after a few days.

Most treatments also run as a series rather than a single visit, with sessions several weeks apart and an assessment before anything starts. Put those pieces together and a realistic plan needs a runway of roughly one season.

None of this means a treatment is the right answer for you. It may not be. It means the conversation belongs at the start of that runway, not at the end of it.

Link in bio to book a consultation.

Educational content only. This is general information and not personal medical advice. Individual
consultation is required to determine suitability, and a consultation may conclude that no procedure
is indicated. Outcomes vary between individuals. All procedures carry potential risks, which should
be discussed as part of informed consent. Risk information is available on our website. This content
is for adults only. Fernanda Barbosa | Registered Nurse (Division 1) | Ahpra Reg. No.
NMW0002585008

Two things are true at once here, which is why we think it is a good question.

The physiology is real. Oestrogen acts on skin tissue, and research describes changes in collagen content, in hydration and in healing that are associated with the decline occurring around menopause. That is documented, not something advertising invented.

The second truth is that it gets used to sell things, and that deserves naming just as plainly.

What tends to fall out of both versions is the order of importance. Menopause is a medical transition rather than an event that happens to skin. Bone density, cardiovascular health, sleep and mood all sit above skin on that list, and the conversation belongs with your GP, or with whoever looks after your care.

Skin forms part of the picture. It is not the first part of it.

Follow for more content like this on skin changes around menopause.

Educational content only. Individual consultation required to determine suitability. Outcomes vary between individuals. All procedures carry potential risks. To learn abour risks, visit our website. This content is for adults only. Footage shared with the patient’s full informed consent. No edits, filters, or alterations have been applied to this video.
Fernanda Barbosa | Registered Nurse (Division 1) | Ahpra Reg. No. NMW0002585008