When it comes to achieving clear, glowing skin, we often focus on the latest skincare products—serums, moisturizers, and exfoliants. But here’s the truth: your skin’s health is heavily influenced by what’s happening inside your body.
The food you eat and the sweeteners you choose can either support your skin or sabotage it. If you’ve been battling breakouts or inflammation, sugar and certain sugar substitutes could be the hidden culprits.
That’s why we’re obsessed with monk fruit. (We even added it to our Magnesium & Inositol Sleep Supplement, PILLOWTIME-MAG). This natural, zero-calorie sweetener is not only a game-changer for your overall wellness, but it’s also the ultimate acne-safe choice. Unlike stevia and erythritol, monk fruit supports hormone health, protects your gut, and delivers sweetness without bitterness.
Here’s why this little green melon is revolutionizing the world of sweeteners, and why it deserves a permanent spot in your pantry.
What is Monk Fruit?
Monk fruit, also known as luo han guo, is a small green melon native to southern China. Used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine, it’s recently gained fame as a natural, calorie-free sweetener.
The secret to monk fruit’s sweetness lies in compounds called mogrosides, which are metabolized differently than sugar. This means monk fruit won’t spike your blood sugar levels, cause inflammation, or disrupt hormones—all factors that make it a skin-friendly powerhouse.
Monk fruit is 150-200 times sweeter than sugar, meaning you can enjoy its sweetness in tiny amounts, and it won’t cause the bitter aftertaste often associated with stevia or the digestive issues linked to erythritol.
Monk Fruit vs. Stevia: Why Monk Fruit is the Better Choice
Stevia has been marketed as a “natural” sugar alternative for years, but its impact on health, especially skin health, isn’t as rosy as it seems:
1. Hormonal Disruption
Some research suggests that stevia may act as endocrine disruptors, interfering with hormones that play a crucial role in skin health. Hormonal imbalances are one of the leading causes of breakouts, so anything that disrupts your endocrine system can easily trigger acne flare-ups.
At CLEARSTEM, we’ve seen this firsthand in our community: stevia has a sneaky way of stirring up breakouts and wreaking havoc on skin clarity. It’s frustrating, especially for those working hard to maintain a healthy routine.
Even more concerning, some studies suggest stevia may impact fertility, making it a less-than-ideal choice for long-term use.
2. Taste Issues
Let’s be real, stevia doesn’t taste great. Its bitterness can overwhelm recipes, leaving many people searching for a better alternative. Unlike stevia, monk fruit delivers pure sweetness without bitterness and plays well in everything from coffee to baked goods.
Why Monk Fruit Outshines Erythritol
Erythritol is another popular sugar substitute, often combined with monk fruit in commercial products. But it’s not without its issues:
1. Digestive Upset
Erythritol can cause bloating, gas, and overall gut discomfort. For those with sensitive stomachs, it can trigger a cascade of digestive issues that impact your overall wellness—and your skin.
The gut-skin connection is real. When your gut is unhappy, your skin often reflects it through breakouts, irritation, or dullness.
2. Hidden Fillers
Many erythritol-based sweeteners contain additional fillers like dextrose or artificial additives, which can contribute to inflammation and disrupt your skin’s delicate balance.
Pure monk fruit sweetener avoids all of these pitfalls. It’s gut-friendly, clean, and works harmoniously with your body to support clear, healthy skin. Remember that bio-individuality is always at play; everyone’s body is unique, so focus on what works best for you.
How Monk Fruit Benefits Skin Health
While monk fruit isn’t a magical skin-clearing ingredient, it’s acne-safe, meaning it won’t contribute to the breakouts, inflammation, or gut issues that sugar, stevia, and erythritol often cause. Here’s why it stands out:
1. Blood Sugar Stability = Balanced Skin
High-glycemic sweeteners like sugar cause insulin spikes, leading to inflammation, excess oil production, and acne. Monk fruit’s mogrosides stabilize blood sugar, keeping your skin calm and breakout-free. [3]
2. Gut-Friendly, Skin-Friendly
Your gut and skin are deeply connected; what happens in one affects the other. Disruptions in your gut microbiome can manifest as breakouts, dullness, and irritation. Monk fruit supports a healthy microbiome, unlike artificial sweeteners or erythritol, which can harm gut bacteria. And a happy gut often equals happy, clear skin.
3. Antioxidant Power
Monk fruit’s mogrosides are rich in antioxidants, which neutralize free radicals and reduce oxidative stress. This helps protect against premature aging, redness, and dullness.
How to Incorporate Monk Fruit into Your Routine
The beauty of monk fruit sweetener is its versatility. Here’s how you can incorporate it into your daily life for a clear-skin-friendly boost:
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In Beverages: Add it to coffee, tea, or smoothies for a guilt-free sweet touch.
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In Baking: Swap sugar for monk fruit in cookies, cakes, or muffins. PRO TIP: Start with recipes that already use sugar alternatives for the best texture!
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In Sauces & Dressings: Use it in homemade salad dressings, marinades, or sauces for a hint of sweetness without the sugar crash.
PRO TIP: Look for pure monk fruit sweeteners without fillers like erythritol or dextrose to keep things as clean as possible.
Why CLEARSTEM Loves Monk Fruit
If breakouts have been stealing your glow and sugar seems to be the culprit, monk fruit might just be your skin’s new best friend. At CLEARSTEM, we’re passionate about creating products and routines that work with your body, not against it. Monk fruit embodies this philosophy perfectly.
This zero-calorie sweetener is a key ingredient in PILLOWTIME-MAG, our acne-safe, skin-friendly supplement that supports deeper, more restorative sleep while benefitting hormones and skin health.* By choosing monk fruit over sugar, we’ve crafted PILLOWTIME-MAG to help your skin heal and renew every night by promoting relaxation and getting your body into its deepest repair mode: amazing sleep.*
If you are already using non-comedogenic products in your skincare routine, great! Monk fruit is like the dietary equivalent of upgrading your glow game. It complements your skincare efforts by keeping inflammation, hormone disruption, and gut imbalances, some of the root causes of acne, out of the picture.
PRO TIP: Use our Pore-Clogging Ingredients Checker to keep acne-causing ingredients out of your product lineup.
Glow Naturally with Monk Fruit
Achieving clear, radiant skin doesn’t have to mean giving up sweetness in your life. Sometimes, the simplest swaps, like replacing stevia or erythritol with monk fruit, can make a difference.
Monk fruit is a sweetener that’s easy on your skin, kind to your gut, and free from the side effects of other sugar substitutes. Ready to see the difference it can make? Explore PILLOWTIME-MAG, featuring monk fruit as a key ingredient, and discover how sweet beauty sleep can be.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Sources:
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Monk Fruit: “All-Natural Process,” “Food & Beverage,” “What Is Monk Fruit?”
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What to Know About Monk Fruit Sugar - WebMD
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Is Monk Fruit a Healthy Sweetener? - Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials
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Shannon M, Rehfeld A, Frizzell C, et al. In vitro bioassay investigations of the endocrine disrupting potential of steviol glycosides and their metabolite steviol, components of the natural sweetener Stevia. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2016;427:65-72. doi:10.1016/j.mce.2016.03.005
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Food for Healthy Skin: Monk Fruit - Dr. TWL Pharmacy
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Storey D, Lee A, Bornet F, Brouns F. Gastrointestinal tolerance of erythritol and xylitol ingested in a liquid. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007;61(3):349-354. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602532
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Monk Fruit vs Stevia: The Battle of the Sugar Substitutes, https://pyureorganic.com/blogs/news/difference-between-monk-fruit-vs-stevia
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“The Role of Diet in Acne: A Review,” NCBI.
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Everything you need to know about monk fruit sweeteners. (2019, April 25). Food Insight.
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“Antioxidant Properties of Mogrosides in Monk Fruit,” PubMed.
