What is Glycation?

Glycation isn’t just a scientific term—it’s happening every time we indulge in sugary coffee drinks, ice creams, candy, and even our favorite cocktails. This skin disruption starts the moment sugar enters the body. As the old saying goes: you are what you eat.

Let’s dive a bit deeper. Glycation occurs when excess sugar molecules in the bloodstream bind to proteins like collagen and elastin, forming Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs). This process—known as the Maillard reaction—essentially caramelizes skin proteins, leading to:
 🔥 Sagging (hello, literal sugar hangover)
 🔥 Inflammation & oxidative stress
 🔥 Deep, rigid wrinkles (the horror!)
 🔥 Impaired wound healing
 🔥 Weakened skin barrier

And the real kicker? Glycation doesn’t just age the skin—it disrupts fibroblasts, the cells responsible for collagen and elastin production. This means that once glycation starts, the skin’s natural ability to repair itself slows down dramatically.

Why Aren’t We Talking About It More?

Despite its significant impact, glycation often gets misclassified as natural aging, sun damage, or dehydration. Because it presents as a loss of elasticity, deep lines, and a yellowish skin tone (sometimes called "caramelization"), many estheticians might not recognize it for what it truly is.

Signs of Glycation in the Treatment Room

If you’re seeing these signs, glycation could be the culprit:

 ✅ Loss of elasticity & firmness
 ✅ Deep, rigid wrinkles that don’t respond to traditional anti-aging treatments
 ✅ A yellow or sallow skin tone
 ✅ Rough or hardened skin texture
 ✅ Delayed wound healing
 ✅ Crosshatch wrinkle formations

A simple way to visualize it? Think of how your hands get pruny after a long bath—creating valleys and ridges on the skin. Now, picture that happening at a cellular level on your client’s face. Boom, glycation!

How to Address Glycation in Skincare Homecare

While we can’t reverse glycation completely, we can help slow its progression and minimize its effects through lifestyle changes and targeted skincare solutions.

🔹 Educate & Empower Clients

●     Teach clients about how glycation affects the skin.

●     Educate how ingredients work in synergy within effective formulations to counter, repair and prevent skin glycation.

🔹 Must-Have Glycation-Fighting Ingredients & Products

1️⃣ L-Lysine HCL + Pyrus Malus (Apple Extract) → ClearChoice AGE’s Repair Cream

●     L-Lysine HCL: Essential for improving skin structure & wound repair.

●     Pyrus Malus (Apple Extract): A powerhouse of antioxidants that scavenges free radicals before they can wreak havoc on collagen.

●     AGE’s Repair Cream is specifically formulated to combat multiple levels of aging and protect against the destructive effects of glycation.

2️⃣ Copper Gluconate + Superoxide Dismutase → ClearChoice CopperICE Pads

●     Copper Gluconate: Stimulates fibroblasts for healthy collagen production.

●     Superoxide Dismutase (SOD): A key antioxidant that protects against free radical damage.

●     CopperICE Pads work to restore and strengthen the skin while reducing glycation-induced oxidative stress.

3️⃣ Polygonum Aviculare (Knotgrass) + Ferulic Acid → ClearChoice CopperICE Cream

●     Polygonum Aviculare (Knotgrass Extract): Shields the skin from infrared radiation, preventing further breakdown of collagen.

●     Ferulic Acid: A potent antioxidant that helps prevent collagen breakdown.

●     CopperICE Cream provides essential repair & protection from glycation damage.

4️⃣ Peptides + Retinol → ClearChoice DN•A Pads

●     L-Lysine HCL + Tripeptide-9 + Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3: Essential for collagen induction & skin strengthening.

●     Retinol: A must-have for cell turnover & glycation prevention.

●     DN.A Pads help pre-treat the skin before advanced treatments, ensuring optimal results.

Incorporating an Anti-Glycation Treatment Protocol

Understanding glycation is just the beginning—taking proactive steps in the treatment room is where real change happens. Below is a specialized anti-glycation protocol featuring the Lumi Renewal Masque, formulated with papain enzyme, lactic acid, and azelaic acid to nourish, exfoliate, and shield the skin. This treatment is designed to cleanse, resurface, and protect while targeting the visible signs of glycation for a healthier, more radiant complexion, incorporating some of ClearChoice's top anti-glycation products.