Good News — Your Skin Loves Sugar

It's hard to associate sugar and skin care in a positive light, since the sweet stuff is typically blamed for many facial issues. You've heard the old (and very false) tale about chocolate breaking you out, right? Well, it turns out brown sugar is actually not all that bad for your skin — you just have to use it the right way. Luckily, Tosowoong's Black Sugar Scrub takes out the guesswork.

Before I launch into how drastically this stuff has transformed my skin (truly, it has), let's talk sugar and its benefits: Brown sugar is what you want to go for. It's naturally softer than white because it's coated in molasses, which is naturally hygroscopic (a fancy word for saying it retains water). That's why brown sugar clumps and gets stiff when improperly stored. Since it's a humectant, it needs moisture in the air to stay soft. Cut off the air supply, and you're looking at some lumps — and not the lovely lady kind.

Brown sugar is also a natural source of glycolic acid. Glycolic is good for a few reasons — it helps fix your skin's texture and it attracts water, which adds even more moisture. Plus, it's an exfoliant. Pair that with the fact that brown sugar itself is a natural, physical exfoliant, and you've got a recipe for glowing skin.

But, why is Tosowoong's scrub better than some good 'ol fashioned brown sugar and elbow grease? The tub doubles down on moisture, and adds sunflower seed oil, a natural emollient, to help your skin slurp up every last bit of hydration. This is especially useful when the temperature keeps changing (ahem, like right now) and your skin doesn't know how to keep up.

A couple of weeks ago, I was suffering from foundation flake. You know, that moment where you check your face mid-day and your base products have become textured and gross? Yeah — that was happening a lot. So, I pulled Tosowoong's Black Sugar Scrub out of the closet and gave it a shot. The difference was immediate — my face was moisturized and baby-soft, and it stayed like that for days. The scrub has now made it into bi-weekly beauty regimen — and my skin has never looked better.

So, go on. Give your skin a sugar rush. And, while you're at it, eat that chocolate bar. You deserve it.

Tosowoong Black Sugar Facial Scrub, $12.90, available at Amazon.