How Sugar Can Benefit Your Grooming Routine
The surprising side effects of the sweet stuff.
By Katie Chang
After undergoing a spiffy, top-to-bottom $48 million renovation, the storied Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort—also the largest resort in the U.S. Virgin Islands—now holds bragging rights to even more ways to decompress and escape city stressors. While the world-class restaurants and unique recreational offerings (like night kayaking and paddle boarding) will ease even the most frazzled into a deep state of calm, it’s the swanky Lazule Sea Spa that’s really an oasis within a, well, oasis.
Surprisingly, though, the most booked treatment by guys here isn’t a deep-tissue massage or a classic gentleman’s facial. It’s the Lazule Signature Sugar Glow With Vichy, a 50-minute service that involves a full-body local sugar scrub followed by a Vichy Shower—you lie down while several shower heads massage and spray you squeaky-clean—it exfoliates, moisturizes, and relaxes all at once.
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Sure, we all know that sugar, when ingested, isn’t the healthiest thing for you. But when it’s applied to the skin, as it is in the Sugar Glow treatment? Well, that’s a whole different story. Here, Lazule Spa aesthetician Dawn Colson breaks down why sugar rocks and how to enjoy its benefits at home with two simple ingredients you’ll find in your kitchen.
It Hydrates
"Salt actually depletes moisture from the skin and dries it out," Colson says, "so sugar is naturally a better option." In addition, sugar has humectant properties, which means it attracts and binds moisture to the skin. So not only does it help you stay hydrated longer, sugar also locks moisture into skin at a deeper level.
It Exfoliates
By packing a one-two punch by combining both physical and chemical exfoliation, sugar sloughs away rough, dull skin while “allowing newer cell skins to reproduce” through glycolic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in sugar. “It’s a perfect antiaging ingredient because it also helps minimize the appearance of wrinkles and sun spots.”
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It’s Gentle
Unlike salt or nut and shell particles—which are “too harsh and can irritate the skin and cause microscopic tears”—sugar particles (especially brown sugar) are smaller and finer. In fact, brown sugar is so gentle (but still effective) it can also be used on the face as a scrub. Plus, “it melts quickly and easily in warm water.”
It’s Affordable
Sugar is a staple in most of our kitchen cupboards and an ingredient that’s well within reach, literally and in terms of price. But if you can’t make it down to St. Thomas for the spa treatment, Colson says it’s easy to reap the benefits of sugar at home. Here’s how: Mix 1/2 cup of coconut oil with 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Then, on dry skin in the shower, massage in the mixture with circular motions. Pay extra attention to dry zones like elbows, ankles, knees, and feet and rinse off with warm water. The best part? No body lotion necessary.
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photo: Getty Images
