If your skin suddenly looks dull, tired, or more lined than usual, your diet could be playing a bigger role than your skincare routine. Dermatologists increasingly point to internal factors—like blood sugar spikes, inflammation, and hydration—as major drivers of how skin ages. And for Doris Day, MD, making a few intentional changes to what she eats (and avoids) has made a noticeable difference in how her skin looks in her 60s.
Say Bye To Wrinkles And Fine Lines — This LED Mask Is The Skin Rejuvenation Game-Changer You Need!
The Foods Derms Avoid For Better Skin
Rather than following a strict or unrealistic regimen, Dr. Day focuses on consistency and moderation. One of her biggest changes has been cutting back significantly on alcohol and refined carbs/sugars (such as bread served at restaurants). “I’ve given up alcohol for the most part. Not all alcohol, but 99% of alcohol, which means I may have a drink a month and then it’s only tequila,” she shared. Since alcohol can dehydrate the skin and trigger inflammation—both of which contribute to fine lines and dullness—reducing intake can help the skin appear more plump and balanced over time.
Still, she’s quick to point out that skincare and nutrition don’t have to be all-or-nothing. “When you give something up, you don’t necessarily have to be a purist about it. You can be practical,” she explained. “That means you can enjoy life, be somewhat flexible, but know that your general routine is avoiding those things.” In other words, long-term habits matter more than perfection.
Instead of focusing only on what she’s cut out, Dr. Day is equally intentional about what she adds in. “What I do instead is I’ll have foods that make me happy,” she said, emphasizing that enjoyment is still part of the equation. One of her key strategies is how she structures her meals—starting with savory, protein-rich foods.
“I’ll start each meal with something savory and something high in protein. This will blunt a glucose spike, which blunts inflammation, blunts insulin flow, and helps your body manage the foods you eat better,” she explained. This approach targets one of the lesser-known causes of skin aging: blood sugar fluctuations. When glucose spikes rapidly, it can trigger a process called glycation, which damages collagen and elastin—leading to wrinkles and loss of firmness.
What’s particularly interesting is that Dr. Day says even the order in which you eat your food can make a difference. “Even just changing the order in which you eat foods can make a huge difference in how your skin looks and ages,” she noted. By leading with protein and savory items before carbs or sweets, you help stabilize your body’s response, reducing inflammation that can show up directly on the skin.
The bottom line
While these habits benefit overall health, Dr. Day is candid about her main motivation: “It’s good for the rest of your body too, but I really just care about the skin.”
Her routine underscores a simple but powerful idea—healthy, youthful-looking skin isn’t just built with serums and creams. By minimizing inflammatory triggers like alcohol and being more strategic about how you eat, you can support smoother, brighter skin from the inside out—at any age.
