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Sugar vs. Skin

  • Writer: Leilani W
    Leilani W
  • Oct 30, 2025
  • 8 min read

Updated: Nov 23, 2025

Halloween is right around the corner. And that means...candy! The joy found in our quintessential tradition of going Trick-or-Treating and returning home with a bag full of sugary treats is something most people can testify to. Now, it isn't a secret that overconsumption of sugar is not good for you. But how exactly does it affect our largest organ, the skin? Today, we'll be looking at just that: what sugar is, how it plays a role in how our skin looks and feels, and a few good-to-know nutritional facts about our favorite Halloween sweets.



What even is Sugar?

Down to a molecular level, sugar is a carbohydrate (one of the four major biological macromolecules). The biological term for "sugar" is simple carbohydrates, which are small molecules that our bodies use to produce energy. The most common simple sugar is sucrose, which is made up of two smaller sugars: glucose and fructose. Sucrose is what we typically mean when we say "sugar", the white, crystal-like substance that can be found in candy or used as table sugar.


Before we move on, let's set some background info. Under the category of carbohydrates, there are 3 main kinds: sugars, starches, and cellulose (we'll skip this one because it isn’t relevant for this topic). The ones we'll focus on are sugars, which are simple carbohydrates (the ones mentioned earlier), and starches, which are complex carbohydrates. We can find simple carbs in candy, soda, fruit juice, table sugar, and even natural sources like fruits and milk. Complex carbs can be found in whole grains, beans, oats, and sweet potatoes. A key difference between the two is that sugars/simple carbs are either monosaccharides or disaccharides (made up of one or two sugar molecules), which make them a lot faster for our bodies to break down compared to starches/complex carbs, which are polysaccharides (long chains of sugar molecules).


Now that we know what a simple carb is, we can talk about added sugars vs natural sugars. You probably already know that added sugars are the "unhealthy" ones, while the natural sugar comes from, well, a natural source such as fruits. But both of them are simple sugars, so why are fruits considered healthier? Added sugars, which can be found in table sugar, soda, and candy, provide empty calories, energy without nutrients, and are broken down quickly by our bodies. This can cause spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels. Natural sugars, which can be found in fruits, veggies, and whole foods, provide fiber, vitamins, minerals, water, and antioxidants, making it slower for our bodies to absorb and overall healthier.

Image showing a strawberry next to a spoonful of sugar

Sugar and the Skin


Acne

You've probably heard that "chocolate causes acne", a very common skin disease, but there are some debates over this. Several studies have found a correlation between eating chocolate and an increase in acne. However, many claim that solely pointing the finger at chocolate isn't reasonable either. Other factors, such as genetics or an overall unhealthy diet, can also play a role.

  • Chocolate, specifically those that include added sugars, is broken down a lot faster compared to natural sugars. This leads to faster absorption and faster increased blood sugar levels.

  • Evidence that supports the position that chocolate does cause acne is its inflammatory properties. When our bodies break down a lot of chocolate, high blood sugar, aka hyperglycemia, leads to increased inflammation in the body. This causes the thickening of hair follicles and increased sebum (oil) production, hence exacerbating acne.

  • When we get a spike in blood sugar levels, our bodies release insulin to bring the blood sugar level back down. Excess insulin can lead to your adrenal glands (small glands above the kidneys that make stress and metabolism hormones) producing more androgen hormones (hormones that rise during puberty, increase skin oil production, and other male traits), which leads to more sebum being produced.

  • So far, I've specifically mentioned chocolate, as it's a point of contention, but overall, high-glycemic foods are what can cause acne. The glycemic index (GI) is a rating system that evaluates foods based on how fast they increase your blood sugar levels (e.g., white rice, sugary drinks, cereal, candy). These foods affect our gut microbiome (bacteria in our digestive system that affect health and skin), creating an unhealthy imbalance between the good and bad bacteria in our gut. By altering the bacteria in our gut, this can potentially also affect skin breakage.


Skin Conditions

Other skin diseases, such as eczema, rosacea, or psoriasis, can also become exacerbated by the consumption of sugar. As mentioned earlier, high amounts of sugar lead to inflammation. This releases inflammatory chemicals called cytokines. When they're released in large amounts, they can lead to several skin issues, such as redness, puffiness, and triggering skin conditions.


Aging

Further, overconsumption of sugar leads to premature aging. Through the process of glycation, our skin becomes less firm and more aged-looking. When sugar is broken down in our bodies, excess fructose and glucose (the monomers for sucrose) bind to our skin proteins called collagen and elastin, thread-like structures that keep the skin firm and elastic. This binding is called glycation. The fructose and glucose bind to the amino acids (their building blocks) in these proteins, forming a new chemical compound called AGEs, which stiffen the collagen and elastin strands. Later, some of these complexes (the new sugar-protein molecules) cross-link two protein strands, making the skin stiffer, less flexible, and more prone to aging.


Halloween Candy Breakdown

Because Halloween is literally tomorrow, I thought it’d be informative to list some nutritional facts about popular candies seen during this holiday. I’m also going to include their EWG score, which is a rating from Environmental Working Group on a scale of 1 to 10 that indicates the potential health and environmental hazard of a product, 10 being the most unhealthy.


KitKat

I love these; they're probably one of my favorites. There’s not much to it but sugar. A lot of it, as you could expect. It’s an ultra-processed food that has high levels of saturated fats and ingredient source concerns, such as genetically modified ingredients and animal-derived ingredients treated with antibiotics and/or growth promoters. It has an EWG score of 8.

M&Ms

The best are the peanut ones, I don’t care what anyone says. We’ll look at the original ones for simplicity's sake, though. They're basically the same as KitKats; it’s highly processed and has a lot of sugar. However, another point of contention is the presence of synthetic food dyes, such as RED 40, FD&C BLUE #2, and YELLOW 6. They can cause hyperactivity in kids, trigger allergic reactions, and possibly cause cancer. It also has an EWG score of 8.


Snickers

Basically the same as KitKats, but it has a little bit less sugar and includes ingredients that can contribute amounts of unhealthy artificial trans fats, namely Palm Oil. Its EWG score is also 8.


Skittles

The worst one by far, with an EWG score of 10! They have significantly more sugar than the other ones, being mostly composed of it. They also have synthetic food dyes, are ultra-processed, and have genetically engineered ingredients.


Chupa Chups Lollipops

I chose specifically this brand of lollipops just because, according to Google, they're the #1 brand in the world. Anyways, they have an EWG score of 8 and follow the same pattern of high sugar levels. Further, they also have artificial flavors and contain food acids, which can lead to tooth enamel erosion (a condition where the tooth’s protective outer layer, called enamel, slowly wears away due to acid exposure).


Haribo and Black Forest Gummy Bears

Both have an EWG score of 6, the lowest score compared to the other candies in this list.

Haribo has less sugar than all of the other candies mentioned so far, but it does include synthetic food dyes, genetically engineered ingredients, and ingredients that derive from wheat, which is considered a major food allergen. Black Forest Gummies contain even less sugar than Haribo and have fewer synthetic food dyes. But they do have the already frequently mentioned genetically modified ingredients and are ultra-processed.


Healthier Options

I know that, especially when it comes to Halloween, you don't necessarily get to choose your candy; rather, it is given to you. But for future reference, here are some better-for-you sweets and their benefits:

  • Dark chocolate: generally has less sugar than milk chocolate and is high in antioxidants and minerals

  • Fresh fruit: pretty self-explanatory. Their natural sugars are accompanied by important nutrients for health, such as fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals.

  • Dried fruit: they retain most of the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants found in fresh fruit. They also provide quick energy and have a long shelf life.

  • And of course, those specific candy brands that claim to be healthier, such as Smart Sweets (EWG score of 5), Zolli Pops (EWG score of 6), or Joyride (has the lowest EWG score so far with a 4.5).


Final Thoughts

Candy and sweets are a big part of our lives, especially around Halloween. While it’s fun to indulge, it’s important to be aware of how too much sugar can affect our skin. Now, this doesn’t mean you need to completely cut sugar from your life, but rather enjoy it in moderation. Staying hydrated, eating a balanced diet, and being mindful of what we consume are just some simple ways of maintaining our skin healthy.


A jar filled with cubes of sugar and a pile next to it of sugar cubes.

Sources

What even is Sugar?

Sugar and the Skin

Skin

Skin Conditions

Aging

Halloween Candy Breakdown

Healthier Options


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-by Leilani W.
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