If you’ve ever felt like sugar does something to your skin but can’t quite put your finger on it, you’re not imagining things.


We’re finally starting to understand that while some people can handle carbs and sugar just fine, the rest of us… not so much. Whether it shows up as bloating, breakouts, brain fog—or in some cases, all three—our bodies are often waving red flags we’ve been taught to ignore.


Over time, many of us develop some level of carb intolerance, blood sugar imbalance, or even metabolic dysfunction. And unfortunately, the consequences of this don’t stay on the inside.


They show up on our skin.

Woman resting her head on a table scattered with sugar cubes, conveying contemplation or concern about sugar consumption.

What Does Sugar Actually Do in the Body?

When you eat sugar (yes, even from seemingly “healthy” sources like smoothies or oat milk lattes), your body breaks it down into glucose. This gives you energy—which sounds great—until there’s too much glucose in your bloodstream too often.


Here’s where things get dicey.


To bring glucose back into balance, your pancreas pumps out insulin. But if you keep spiking your blood sugar again and again, your body becomes less responsive to insulin. This is called insulin resistance—and it’s at the root of a whole host of health concerns, including many inflammatory skin conditions like acne, eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea.


This process also triggers something called glycation, where sugar molecules attach to proteins like collagen and elastin—the building blocks of healthy, youthful skin. The result? Weakened skin structure, reduced elasticity, more inflammation, and accelerated aging.


Fun, right?

The Inflammation-Skin Connection

Inflammation doesn’t just affect your joints or gut—it shows up on your skin too. In fact, most of the chronic skin concerns I see in clinic are fueled by some level of inflammation.


Here’s what we know:

  • Acne affects up to 5.6 million Canadians each year (that's 20% of the population)
  • Eczema shows up in about 25% of children and 2–3% of adults
  • Rosacea impacts over 3 million Canadians
  • Psoriasis often includes painful joint inflammation too


And while topical treatments can provide temporary relief, they often miss the root of the problem. What we eat—and how our body processes it—plays a huge role in the way inflammation shows up on our skin

Person spreading avocado on toast with coffee and an open book on a wooden table in a cozy kitchen setting.

So What Can You Do?

Before you panic and cut out every carb or swear off fruit forever (please don’t), know this: it’s not about being perfect. It’s about being aware.


The truth is, balancing your blood sugar is one of the most skin-loving things you can do.


Here are some simple places to start:

  • Eat protein, fat, and fiber with every meal to slow glucose spikes
  • Skip the sugary drinks and opt for herbal teas or sparkling water with lemon
  • Be mindful of processed “health” foods—many are sugar bombs in disguise
  • Consider a guided plan that supports blood sugar balance from the inside out (like my Breakthrough Acne Program)


You don’t have to go keto to see results. What matters most is understanding how your body responds to sugar—and supporting it in a way that reduces internal inflammation, not adds to it.


And if clearer skin happens as a happy side effect of better blood sugar? Even better.

Want to Learn More?

  1. Watch my free webinar, "3 Reasons Your Acne Isn’t Clearing (That Your Doctor Never Told You)", where I break down the myths about acne, inflammation, and your hormones
  2. Or download my Active Ingredients for Acne-Prone Skin guide for easy changes you can make right now.
  3. Still have questions? Book a free 15-minute strategy call to see if my Breakthrough Acne Program is the right fit for you.


You deserve skin that reflects how amazing you feel inside.

References

  1. Ah-Thiane L, Nguyen JM, Khammari A, Dréno B. Lifestyle habits and impact of the Mediterranean diet on facial acne severity in French women: a case-control study. Int J Womens Dermatol. 2022 May 13;8(2):e017. doi: 10.1097/JW9.0000000000000017. PMID: 35795692; PMCID: PMC9249266.
  2. Carneiro ACA, de Carvalho JF, de Sá DC, Rodrigues CEM. Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome and Insulin Resistance in Adult Patients with Acne: Association with Traditional Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Acne Severity. Metab Syndr Relat Disord. 2023 Mar;21(2):109-114. doi: 10.1089/met.2022.0073. Epub 2022 Dec 5. PMID: 36472551.
  3. Chandak S, Singh A, Madke B, Jawade S, Khandelwal R. Acne Vulgaris and Metabolic Syndrome: A Possible Association. Cureus. 2022 May 5;14(5):e24750. doi: 10.7759/cureus.24750. PMID: 35677010; PMCID: PMC9166482.
  4. Kartal D, Yildiz H, Ertas R, Borlu M, Utas S. Association between isolated female acne and insulin resistance: a prospective study. G Ital Dermatol Venereol. 2016 Aug;151(4):353-7. Epub 2015 Sep 15. PMID: 26373866.
  5. Meixiong J, Ricco C, Vasavda C, Ho BK. Diet and acne: A systematic review. JAAD Int. 2022 Mar 29;7:95-112. doi: 10.1016/j.jdin.2022.02.012. PMID: 35373155; PMCID: PMC8971946.
  6. Penso L, Touvier M, Deschasaux M, Szabo de Edelenyi F, Hercberg S, Ezzedine K, Sbidian E. Association Between Adult Acne and Dietary Behaviors: Findings From the NutriNet-Santé Prospective Cohort Study. JAMA Dermatol. 2020 Aug 1;156(8):854-862. doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2020.1602. PMID: 32520303; PMCID: PMC7287950.