Your diet plays a role in every area of your overall wellbeing, from your physical fitness to your mental health—and it can even have major effects on the quality of your skin. Maintaining a well-balanced diet is essential to keeping your skin looking healthy and youthful. That’s why you should avoid certain salty, processed foods at all costs if you want to curb signs of aging like wrinkles and dryness.
To discover some of the worst foods that will lead to aging when eaten frequently, we asked experts Dr. Simran Sethi, MD, MBA; Dr. Rudolf Probst, MD; dermatologist Elaine F. Kung, MD; and nutritionist Jay Cowin of ASYSTEM to weigh in. They pointed out three options you should steer clear of to maintain your natural glow.
Potato Chips
As delicious as they may be, munching on a bag of potato chips likely isn't the best thing if you want to avoid aging skin. This popular snack and can lead to dryness and wrinkles. "Potato chips are notoriously high in salt which will dehydrate skin," Sethi says. All of that salt will dehydrate your whole body, but you'll likely notice the first signs on your face. "The skin is the largest organ in our body and is the first organ to show symptoms of dehydration which presents as dry skin," she explains.
Potato chips can cause other signs of aging, as well. Probst says that since they're "full of refined carbs," they can cause your skin to become "inflamed, causing wrinkles and sagging skin." Yikes!
Instant Noodles
There's another unfortunately delicious, convenient food you should cut out of your diet if you're worried about dry skin and wrinkles. Kung says instant noodles are loaded with sodium, which can take a real toll on your skin's health.
"Scientific studies have demonstrated that high salt intake has been shown to impair dermal tissue remodeling, inflammation in the skin, and increase hormonal vasoreactivity," Kung warns. "Therefore, salt may have implications in wound healing and aging." That means if you want to consume this meal on a regular basis, you may as well say goodbye to a healthy complexion.
MSG is another ingredient in this food that can have serious consequences on your skin. Kung says it's "well known to induce flushing of the skin, which can worsen conditions like acne rosacea," she says. Oh no! But those noodles taste so good! Guess we'll have to make a few sacrifices.
Processed Meat
Cowin says processed meats should also be avoided, noting that options like "bacon, sausage, and ham are high in sodium chloride and nitrates, two ingredients that can ruin someone's skin and health when consumed too much."
When you consume high amounts of salt by eating foods like this, he says your skin may swell, making wrinkles more pronounced. Additionally, sodium chloride can "draw out water from the skin, making it look dry and irritated." Cowin notes that this "increases the chances of wrinkles and worsens skin conditions like eczema."
Additionally, nitrates, which are commonly added to these foods in order to preserve them, can "cause [skin] to age prematurely by damaging collagen and elastin, leading to saggy skin and wrinkles." Say it ain't so! We supposed it's best to lay off the hot dogs while grilling out this summer, then.
At the end of the day, any high-sodium diet can lead to unwanted signs of aging on your skin, and cutting out one particular food won't ever solve all of your problems. Your best bet is always to maintain a balanced diet, keep your salt consumption low, and hydrate as much as possible. When in doubt, speak to a dermatologist. They'll know what's best for your personal skincare needs.
