There is a legitimate reason why your skin may feel a little off after an all-night bender or a greasy backyard BBQ party. You are, in fact, what you eat. While a couple of delicious indulgences won’t make you age overnight, a poor diet can greatly accelerate the skin’s natural aging process. Here are a few foods that might actually be making you look older:

Sugary Sweets

If your diet is rich in sugary snacks, it might cause signs of premature aging due to something called glycation. When you consume more sugar than your cells can handle, the excess molecules latch on to proteins and result in “advanced glycation end products,” causing fine lines and wrinkles, and damaging your skin’s natural plumpness.

Alcohol

Your liver’s health is directly linked to the health of your skin. When your liver is properly functioning, toxins that can negatively impact your skin are expelled naturally through your body. Drinking tons of alcohol can result in toxins building up in your liver, causing skin sallowness, fine lines, and acne.

Alcohol also dramatically dehydrates you and is bad for your sleep, which also causes premature aging signs and symptoms.

Charred Meat 

While a huge, juicy burgermight sound appealing, it could be wreaking havoc on your skin. Black char on your meat can contain pro-inflammatory hydrocarbons, which can affect your skin’s collagen.

Salt

If you consume a lot of salty foods, including canned or sodium-preserved foods, it might cause you to retain water, resulting in a puffy and bloated look.

Healthy skin is created from the inside out. That doesn’t mean that anti-wrinkle serums and all natural skin care won’t help, but a healthy diet is essential for gorgeous, radiant, and youthful skin.