Every year we get the same question, can I indulge in Halloween candy? The answer is different for everyone, but the truth of the matter is that in most cases a few pieces of Halloween candy will not impact the health of your skin very much. Where you may run into problems is if you overindulge your sweet tooth. Too much chocolate and sugary candies can lead to bad news for your skin and set you back a few days or even a few weeks on your journey to healthy and youthful looking skin. However, if you're being diligent about your skincare routine and you do not eat handfuls of Halloween candy, you should be fine.
All the self-discipline in the world will be put to the test over the next few days when Halloween candy is everywhere. Your kids will have leftover Halloween candy. The stores will have the price discounted. You may find a bowl of it in your office lunch room. Sometimes even dentist offices collect candy and put it out to "spread the wealth" of all the candy that kids have collected. You have to be a truly self-disciplined person in order to resist all the temptations that will be around over the next few weeks.
What if you didn't have to resist completely and you could take some steps to indulge, while also keeping your body and mind on track to a healthier you? Take the steps below to allow yourself a little sugar rush without getting off track from your healthy lifestyle.
- Limit your sugar intake. To do this, you're going to want to dig around in those bowls of candy to find the dark chocolates among the group. Dark chocolate often has less sugar then the average types of Halloween candy and if you absolutely must indulge in candy, dark chocolate is a good way to get your fix without overdoing it and causing your skin to breakout.
- Avoid a blood sugar spike. One of the things you can do to combat the spike in your blood sugar that would result from eating such a high level of sugar, like handfuls of candy, is to offset that sugar spike with something fibrous to slow down your digestion. If you're not allergic, most varieties of nuts will do the trick for you. If you're eating Halloween candy, grab a handful of nuts too and your digestion will be slowed enough to offset the blood sugar spike and limit the affects of your treats.
- Hydration is critical. You already know that keeping your skin hydrated is a vital component to a successful skincare routine, but when you're eating candy that could lead to breakouts or dry skin, hydration becomes significantly more important. Make sure you're drinking lots of water before, during and after you are eating the Halloween candy and it will offset much of the negative impacts that the extra sugar will have on your skin.
There's something youthful and exuberant about Halloween and trick or treating, but the candy that comes with it can be anything but youthful and exuberant for your skin if you're not careful. We're not suggesting you have to avoid Halloween candy all together, but if you take some of the steps outlined above along with a strong skincare routine you will limit any potential side effects that a Halloween candy fest will have on your skin.
