Sugar and Acne simplified… the four things you must understand

1) Sugar is a stimulant which gives your body a “sugar high” and with this rush comes an increase in oil production
2) Sugar increases the amount of insulin(hormone) production which causes more skin cell growth and oil production which adds to clogging the pores
3) Sugar causes inflammation in the body which can lead to bigger pimples
4) Sugar depletes antioxidants which is used to fight bacteria (p.Acnes bacteria) and more bacteria leads to more inflammation

The takeaway…does too much sugar really make a difference in your skin, the answer is, YES. Sugar stimulates hormones and inflammation in your body and can be the cause of many breakouts.
A good rule of thumb: Keep added sugars to no more than 28-30 grams (6-8 teaspoons) a DAY.



Research in the past few decades has uncovered two main factors behind acne:
Hormones put the sebaceous/oil glands in overdrive, resulting in excessive sebum production and skin cell growth (Combination of sticky sebum and dead skin cells is the ideal recipe for blocked pores).

Inflammation occurs when your immune system responds to a stimulus(sugar) or trigger. As the sebaceous gland begins to swell it blocks the pore (aka hair follicle).