Eating These 3 Foods Could Be Ruining Your Skin, Warn Dermatologists

Good skin starts from within and what you eat can influence how your skin ages, how inflamed it gets, and how quickly wrinkles form. According to Hyderabad-based dermatologist Dr. Pooja Reddy, certain everyday foods seriously damage your skin’s collagen and accelerate aging from the inside out. In a recent Instagram video, she highlighted the three worst foods people commonly consume that can compromise skin health and overall wellbeing.

1. Foods With High Fructose Corn Syrup

The first culprit on Dr. Reddy’s list is high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) , a synthetic sweetener found in many sodas, packaged juices, biscuits, sauces, and processed snacks. Unlike regular sugar, HFCS is metabolised differently and spikes levels of harmful compounds called Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs). These compounds bind to skin proteins like collagen and elastin, making skin stiff and prone to wrinkles. Over time, this can accelerate premature skin ageing and even affect liver health.

AGEs are known to cause oxidative stress and inflammation, contributing not only to fine lines and sagging skin but also to deeper structural damage beneath the skin’s surface. Reducing HFCS intake is a practical first step toward maintaining skin suppleness and slowing aging.

2. Repeatedly Heated Refined Oils

The second food category Dr. Reddy warns about is refined oils that are repeatedly heated. This happens most often in street food stalls and restaurants that reuse the same oil to deep-fry snacks like samosas, pakoras, and other fried favourites. When oil is heated repeatedly, its structure breaks down. Vitamin E, a critical antioxidant, gets destroyed, leaving oxidised fats behind.

These oxidised fats trigger internal inflammation, which can show up on the skin as dullness, redness, and accelerated breakdown of skin’s structural proteins. Chronic inflammation is a known contributor to slower skin repair, increased aging, and even accelerated onset of conditions like eczema.

3. Crispy Fried Foods and Acrylamide Formation

Third on the list is crispy fried foods such as French fries, chips, and other deep-fried snacks. When starchy foods are cooked at high temperatures, they can form acrylamide, a harmful chemical created during the process of browning and crisping. Acrylamide itself is linked to increased production of AGEs and oxidative stress in the body.

According to Dr. Reddy, the darker and crispier the fried item, the higher the levels of these harmful compounds. Over time, this can contribute to collagen damage and quicker formation of fine lines, wrinkles, and loss of skin elasticity.

Diet and Skin Health: What This Means for You

While skin care routines often focus on external products, cleansers, serums, and moisturisers, what you eat plays a fundamental role in skin health. Many diet and skin experts agree that processed sugars, inflammatory foods, and heavily fried foods contribute to skin problems ranging from acne to premature aging.

Taking a holistic approach means balancing what you apply topically and what you consume internally. Simple dietary shifts such as reducing sugary beverages, fried snacks, and ultra-processed foods can support clearer, healthier skin over time.

As Dr. Reddy succinctly put it: “Avoid these three foods before blaming your skincare.”