Time and time again we hear about how bad eating sugar is for your skin. From breaking down collagen and elastin (a.k.a. making you look older) to increasing inflammation, the sweet stuff seems like it should be something you should stay far, far away from, right?
Well, that’s not the case when it comes to applying sugar topically. “Sugar crystal has mildly jagged edges and can scrub off dead skin cells without tearing new living cells that are underneath,” says S. Manjula Jegasothy, M.D., dermatologist at the Miami Skin Institute. (Heal your whole body with Rodale’s 12-day power plan for better health.)
Here, five ways to use sugar in your beauty routine: