Read this in Hindi.
Prolonged exposure to bright sunlight or polluted air, ageing or hormonal fluctuations may cause patchy skin darkening, making your skin look unhealthy. While cosmetic treatment is a probable option, it is generally not recommended, except in a few extreme cases; by the regular use of a few simple home remedies, you can deal with darkened skin in the comfort of your home. Eat these 10 fruits and vegetables for glowing skin.
Lemon juice
One of the simplest and safest bleaching agents you will ever find – lemon! Lemon juice can work wonders for darkened skin. The ascorbic acid or vitamin C present in lime juice acts as an antioxidant and helps lighten the colour of the skin.
Steps:
- Squeeze the juice from half a lemon and apply this with a cotton ball onto the area where the skin has darkened.
- Or you could even directly rub a cut lemon over the affected area, allow the juice to stick to the skin.
- Leave on for at least an hour and then wash with water.
- Avoid complete exposure to sunlight when you have applied lemon juice onto your skin or your skin will only get darker than before.
You can also combine lemon juice with turmeric powder or tomato juice.
Steps:
- Mix about 3 teaspoons of lemon juice with 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
- Apply this paste and leave it on for half an hour; then wash with water.
- Or make a puree from 2 medium-sized tomatoes and mix this with 4 tablespoons of lemon juice
- Apply this to darkened skin for about 20 minutes.
Get rid of dark inner thighs with these home remedies.
Milk
Milk contains a compound called lactic acid and this has been found to help with lightening the colour of skin.
Steps:
- Use a cotton ball to apply a little raw milk to the darkened skin
- Allow it to dry and leave it on overnight; wash the next morning with warm water.
Also read about how raw milk is an easy remedy for glowing skin.
Yogurt
Since it is made of milk, yogurt also contains lactic acid which has bleaching properties.
Steps:
- Add a few drops of lemon juice and 1 spoon of oatmeal
- Add yogurt to this mix to make a thick paste, apply this paste to darkened skin.
- Keep it on for 15 – 20 minutes and wash off with tap water.
According to Ayurveda, regular application of buttermilk (the thin liquid left behind after removing the cream from milk in the form of butter) on darkened skin can help keep the skin cool and refresh it. Curd also has other beauty benefits.
Oranges
Just like lemon juice, orange juice too has bleaching properties and can be used to lighten skin tone. Orange has many other beauty and health benefits too.
Steps:
- Add two tablespoons of orange juice to a pinch of powdered turmeric.
- Apply this paste onto the skin before going to bed and wash it off the next morning.
Honey
Honey contains enzymes that help to make the skin soft and glowing. If you have sensitive skin and want to try honey on your face, make sure you try it out elsewhere – say on the arm – and check how your body reacts to it before applying it to your face. Know how you can use honey for your skin.
Steps:
- Combine honey with an equal quantity of lemon juice and milk powder
- To this, add a little paste of soaked almonds.
- Apply this paste to the affected area and let it dry.
- Wash off with warm water.
Here are some kitchen scraps you could use for home made face packs.
Aloe vera
The gel from the aloe plant can help to reduce the skin tone. Aloe vera gel has many health and beauty benefits too.
Steps:
- Cut the outer layers of the aloe leaf, squeeze out the thick jelly-like substance
- Apply this gel to the area of darkened skin.
- Leave it on for 30 minutes and then wash off with tap water.
Although these home remedies are effective, they take longer than cosmetic bleaching products to act. So, it may seem as if you have been trying the remedy for days together but there are no noticeable results. Most of these remedies will take regular use for a month or two to show effects and therefore, it is vital to have patience when you use home remedies to get rid of skin darkening. Here are some useful home remedies to help remove tan.
Did you know even homemade food can cause food poisoning? Click here to find out how!
Image source: Getty Images