Our diet plays a crucial role in maintaining youthful, healthy skin, but not all beverages are skin-friendly. Certain drinks, especially those high in sugar and caffeine can trigger inflammation and dehydration, two major culprits in accelerating the skin’s aging process.
Inflammatory drinks can damage collagen and elastin—proteins essential for skin firmness and elasticity—leading to wrinkles, dullness, and a loss of vibrancy.
Additionally, dehydration caused by these drinks reduces the skin’s natural moisture barrier, making it appear dry and aged.
@robertwbloveAVOID These Three Drinks, because they can make your skin look older. #drinks #skin #aging #antiaging #wrinkles #soda #sugar #alcohol #robertlove #robertwblove original sound – Robert Love
Robert Love, a neuroscientist who has over 2.3M followers on TikTok, recently shared three inflammatory beverages that can “make your skin older.” These “damaging” and “dehydrating” drinks include soda, alcohol, and diet soda. Read on to get all his insights.
1. Soda
The first one on the list is a no-brainer: soda.
Most sodas are packed with sugar, which can lead to a process called glycation. Glycation damages collagen and elastin, the proteins responsible for keeping the skin firm and youthful. This can accelerate the appearance of wrinkles and sagging skin.
“Soda is high in sugar but low in fiber. What happens is that it spikes your insulin and spikes your blood glucose. This can increase inflammation, [which is] one of the primary causes of aging, including aging of the skin,” Love notes.
2. Alcohol
Alcohol is known to deplete the skin’s natural moisture, making it appear dull, dry, and prone to fine lines. It can also impair the body’s ability to produce collagen.
“Alcohol is damaging to your brain, to your body, and to your skin as well. It increases inflammation, which is damaging to your skin,” Loves says, adding that it’s also dehydrating, which can cause further damage. Additionally, he notes that “alcohol can impair sleep." When you don’t sleep well, that increases skin wrinkles as well.
3. Diet Soda
Don't be fooled by the word diet.
Like regular soda, diet soda contains caffeine and other diuretic ingredients, which can dehydrate the skin. Dehydrated skin appears dull, flaky, and more prone to fine lines and wrinkles.
“Research shows that diet sodas increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is associated with increased risk of inflammation,” he notes.
“Also, a lot of these artificial sweeteners can impair your gut bacteria. When you impair your gut bacteria, that can increase inflammation," he states.
Healthier alternatives
Wondering what you should drink instead for youthful, plump, and hydrated skin? Love recommends fluoride-free water, organic matcha or coffee, and lastly, for those that can’t ditch the soda, he recommends looking for soda sweetened with stevia or monk fruit sugar.
