Your Diet
If you want to keep your skin healthy and young, the old saying that you are what you eat is definitely true. Eating too much sugar and high-glycemic foods doesn't just impact your weight—it could make you look older, too. "Through a damaging process called glycation, sugar molecules attach to the proteins in your skin (including collagen), causing them to become stiff and malformed," says Roshini Rajapaksa, M.D., a gastroenterologist, balanced health advocate, and co-founder of TULA. "This results in a loss of facial elasticity, as well as contours, puffiness, and fine lines. Refined sugar and other simple carbohydrates also trigger inflammation throughout the body by causing insulin levels to skyrocket. Inflammation produces enzymes that break down collagen and elastin, which leads to sagging and wrinkles." So cut down on refined sugar and simple carbohydrates—your skin will thank you!