Take Care Of Your Skin At Christmas

Christmas is a time of indulgence – and quite rightly so, too! Obviously, we all know each year that we should be eating less sugar, and some of us even manage to successfully cut down on it. But if you need a little extra motivation, it’s worth knowing the kind of effects that sugar has on your skin. We’d hate you to think we’re all doom and gloom though – so on the flipside, you’ll be happy to hear that there are Christmas foods that are actually good for your skin. We’re filling you in on which Christmas foods you can go to town on, completely guilt-free!

How Does Sugar Affect Your Skin?

It’s a topic we’ve covered in a few previous blogs here at AP Skincare, but to save you the trouble of searching back: essentially, when you ingest sugar (or any high glycaemic foods that convert to sugar), your body turns it into glucose, which raises your energy levels. Refined sugar – like the kind you’d find in cheesecakes, milk chocolate and Christmas pudding – causes your insulin levels to spike.

This in turn produces enzymes that breaks down your collagen and elastin, both of which are vital for youthful, healthy looking skin. This can exacerbate the signs of early ageing, as well as aggravating skin conditions like acne and rosacea. Plus, the more sugar you eat, the more likely it is that you’ll develop insulin resistance. If you’ve not heard of it, then trust us when we say that it’s not something you want! Insulin resistance can result in excess hair growth, and dark patches on your neck or in body creases. We think you’ll agree, it’s not a look that always works for everyone.

What Christmas Foods Are Good For My Skin?

If you want to maintain healthy, radiant looking skin, then you might want to consider taking some of the most sugar-rich foods off the menu. But that doesn’t leave the menu empty – far from it! So then – what’s left?

Turkey

Ah, the staple of Christmas dinner. Turkey is packed with protein that’s essential for the manufacture of collagen, which basically supports the underlying structure of your skin. (So pretty important!) Turkey also contains selenium, an antioxidant that neutralises ‘free radicals’ – essentially, undesirable elements that can damage your skin. Never let it be said that turkey isn’t good for you!

Brussels Sprouts

Yes, we know – not the most popular of options! But Brussels are packed with Vitamin C, which again gives valuable support to the collagen in your skin. As a handy bonus, it’s also rich in Vitamin K, which helps your skin to repair itself.

Carrots

Even if you don’t like carrots, don’t forget that there are tonnes of ways to prepare them. You can honey roast them, dry roast them, boil them or steam them…whatever your preference! Carrots get their orange colour from beta carotene, an element that actually regenerates your skin cells. Sadly, the jury’s still out on whether they actually help you to see in the dark.

Chocolate

You read that right! Not just any chocolate though; dark chocolate. Dark chocolate contains flavanols, phytochemicals that protects the skin from damage by free radicals. Plus, it doesn’t contain nearly as much sugar. What could be (metaphorically) sweeter?

Whatever the case, we wish you a very Merry Christmas from all of us here at AP Skincare! And as ever, you can always count on our expert team to place your skin’s welfare as their absolute highest priority. We’ve got a range of core treatments to choose from, to leave your skin looking and feeling amazing. Feel free to pop into our treatment centre in Blackburn, or give us a call on 01254 297 000.

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