As we head into 2026, skincare isn’t just about creams and serums—it starts from the inside out. Experts warn that certain ultra-processed foods can actively deplete collagen, the protein that keeps skin firm and youthful, accelerating wrinkles and aging. Avoiding these culprits can help protect your skin’s elasticity and maintain a radiant, youthful glow. Here are three collagen-depleting foods you should skip to keep your skin looking its best.
Struggling With Sleep? This Rechargeable Sound Machine Is A Total Game-Changer
1. Potato Chips
Many kinds of potato chips have super high salt content. Dr. Simran Sethi, MD, founder of RenewMD and skin by Dr. Simran Sethi, notes that these foods will never help hydrate your skin (and this can contribute to faster wrinkling along with cracking and peeling). "Due to osmotic pressure, salt draws water out of cells, including skin cells, leading to dry skin,” Sethi explains.
Instead of salt, she suggests to try "seasoning foods with lemon, black or red pepper and dried herbs." Sethi adds that "over time, the body will stop craving higher levels of salt while remaining more hydrated."
2. Instant Noodles
Dr. Elaine F. Kung says that instant noodles are also loaded with sodium, which can also dehydrate your skin (leading to premature aging if eaten in excess along with similar foods). "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, she goes on, "salt may have implications in wound healing and aging." MSG is another ingredient in this food that can mean a more inflamed complexion. Ultimately, Kung says it's "well known to induce flushing of the skin, which can worsen conditions like acne rosacea."
3. Refined Carbs
Refined carbs can be found in many popular processed foods, so it's easy to obtain many of them in your diet without noticing. Eating this type of food, Dr. Nadir Qazi, DO, board-certified physician, cosmetic dermatology surgeon, and owner of Qazi Cosmetic Clinic explains, can "stimulate sebum production."
Sebum is the "oily, waxy substance your skin naturally produces to moisturize and protect your skin," he notes. Too much sebum can "cause the skin to look oily, make your pores look more prominent, and even trap dead skin inside your pores, leading to acne and blackheads," he adds.
Highly refined carbohydrates, like those found in pastries and white bread, are "too easy for our bodies to digest, creating a chain reaction like dominos," Qazi says. When refined carbs are digested, "they cause significant insulin spikes." He says that the spikes cause our bodies to release androgens and produce more oily skin and wrinkles.
