While you are probably aware that sugar can be used as an ingredient in the kitchen (and a functional one at that!), you may not be familiar with all the uses for sugar beyond the mixing bowl. Did you know that real sugar is also used in the production of medication, can slow the setting of cement and glue, and can extend the life of your fresh cut flowers? It’s true! Sugar has many uses that go beyond sweetness and beyond food. Here are a few others you may not know about.

In cosmetics, sugar is valued for its exfoliating and moisturizing properties. Want to keep your lipstick lasting longer? Sprinkle a little bit of sugar on your lips after applying, wait a few minutes and then lick off the sugar – that’s it. The sugar draws moisture from the lipstick, helping to extend the color. Sugar cane extracts are also used in moisturizers and face masks.

Do you hate when your coffee or spice grinder gets dirty and smelly? Sugar can help with that. Pour ¼ cup of sugar into the grinder and let it run for a few minutes. The sugar will break down and clean out all the excess oils that have built up in the machine over time. When done, simply dump out the sugar and wipe clean.

But sugar’s many uses go way beyond being a helpful household resource. Co-products of sugar production, like bagasse from sugar cane or pulp from sugar beets, are used in a wide range of products. Bagasse (the plant fibers left after the extraction of juice from sugar cane) is used to make bioplastics used in a wide range of rigid and flexible materials including food and drink packaging, airplane parts and even Legos. Sugar beet pulp (the remaining plant materials after extraction of sugar from sugar beets) is often used as feed for livestock.

One co-product of sugar production you might be more familiar with is molasses. Molasses is extracted from both sugar beets and sugar cane. Cane molasses is what we find in our food supply while beet molasses is used for other purposes and can be used to remove or prevent icing of roads during winter and as a supplement in animal feed.

Click here to find more surprising uses of sugar.