The color of your skin depends on various factors. Dark skin tone are mainly caused by the pigment called melanin. which is produced in the skin cells known as melanocytes. If you have darker skin, it means your melanocytes produces more melanin. But sometimes, darker skin is not your natural skin color. It can be caused by harsh weather or overexposure to sun, environmental pollution, poor lifestyle choices, medical condition, stress, and prolonged use of chemical-based cosmetic products. If your dark skin is not due to genetic reasons,it is not a totally bad idea to want to lighten your skin. If done properly, you are only restoring the natural skin tone. But the market is now flooded with skin-lightening creams and lotions, and some of these products have harmful, harsh chemicals that can damage your skin and even lead to deadly skin diseases. Some of these products are also very expensive.
You can actually save yourself some time and money by using natural remedies that will effectively brighten and lighten your skin complexion without any side effects. However, they do take time and patience to achieve your desired goal. Check out the natural ingredients you can use to lighten your complexion:
1. Oranges
Vitamin C is the most important ingredient in skin care. Orange contains vitamin C, it also have have bleaching properties that can lighten your skin tone. Regular consumption of either fresh orange or juice can greatly improve the overall texture of your skin and it's suppleness.
Procedure:
1. Make a paste of two tablespoons of orange juice and a pinch of
powdered turmeric. Apply the paste on your face, hands, leg and neck before going to bed. Wash off after 20 to 30 minutes. Do this daily until you get a bright skin tone than before.
2. This second method is by using the orange peel; Grind dried orange peels into powder. Mix 1 tablespoon of the powdered peels with 1 tablespoon of plain not flavored yogurt, to make a paste. Apply the paste on the face, neck and other dark areas of the skin. Leave it to sit for about 20 minutes and then rinse it with water. Repeat the same process for about 2 – 3 times a week. This process helps to lighten up the spots and other marks on the face, to get rid of the dark patches on the skin and also to have even skin tone all over the body.
2. Pawpaw
Pawpaw is regularly used in various beauty treatments and can also be used to lighten skin complexion. It contains natural bleaching properties and the general cleansing properties of pawpaw will cleanse the skin of impurities that could be causing it to darken, thereby making your skin glow with health. Eat Pawpaw as a fruit.
Procedure:
1. Rub the inner part of a pawpaw on your face, leave it on to dry. Then wash your face with cold water and pat it dry. Do this on a daily basis, it will give your skin a nice glow.
2. Make a mixture of ripe pawpaw and mix it with one cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Massage the mixture all over your face and neck. Leave it on for at least 30 minutes. Then wash it off with cold water. Do this at least once a week
3. Milk
Milk is a rich source of calcium. Calcium helps to regulate the normal
color of the skin, along with many important functions in our body. It
stimulate melanocytes, the skin cells that produces melanin pigment. Thereby acting an effective barrier to help prevent the skin from losing moisture. This prevents skin from going dry which can also affect your skin and make it darker. Lactic acid in milk also helps to reduce the skin pigmentation making your skin lighter in complexion.
Procedure :
1. Wqrm 1 cup of either cow or goat milk (make sure it's not hot). Then get a clean cloth and soak it in the warm milk. Take out the cloth and wring it to discard the excessive milk from the cloth. The cloth has to be fully soaked in warm milk but it should not drip. Gently rub your skin with this cloth for few minutes till the cloth gets dried. Soak it again in the milk and repeat the process for 3-5 times continuously. Do this daily, preferably after taking bath. Then follow it twice a week instead of daily after a couple of weeks
4. Aloe Vera Gel
Hyperpigmentation is one of the main causes of uneven skin tone. Aloe vera can make hyperpigmentation less severe and restore your skin’s original color. The cooling effect of aloe vera also helps rebuild damaged tissue,and regenerate new cells which is important for healthy skin.
Procedure :
1. Squeeze out the thick, jelly-like substance. Apply the gel thoroughly on your skin. Leave it on for about 30 minutes, and then wash off with water. Do this at least twice daily for two weeks. You can use aloe vera gel if you don't have the plant
5. Yogurt
Just like milk, yogurt a by-product of milk, has many nutrients that are good for the skin. It contains lactic acid that has natural skin lightening properties. This acid is the most gentle alphahydroxy acids (AHAs). Alpha hydroxy acids act as exfoliants by contributing in rapid shedding of dead skin cells on the surface. This leads to cell renewal which removes dullness from your skin. The lactic acid also suppress the production of melanin.
Procedure:
1. Gently rub plain yogurt onto your skin. Leave it on for a few minutes and then wash it off with lukewarm water. Do this once daily for several weeks,
2. Mix one tablespoon of fresh yogurt with 1-2 tablespoon of honey. Apply this mixture to your skin. Leave it for on 10-15 minutes and then wash off with water. Repeat daily.
3. Add a little lemon juice and some oatmeal to yogurt to make a thick paste, and apply it as a face mask. Leave it there for 15-20 minutes before washing off with water. This help keep your skin supple and moisturized.
These remedies are suitable for all skin types.
6. Turmeric
Turmeric helps build up the kind of melanin content to maintain an even
skin tone thereby improving skin complexion. It also has antiseptic and antioxidant properties that are good for the skin overall health,
Procedure :
1. Make a mixture of 2 teaspoons gram flour, 1-2 teaspoon of turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Apply this mask on face and neck. Leave it on for 20 to 25 minutes or until it is dry. Scrub off the dried mask and then rinse your skin with lukewarm water
2. Mix turmeric powder and milk cream to make a thick paste. Apply the paste on your skin. Allow it to dry and then wash it off with lukewarm water. Do this regularly.
7. Cucumber
Supple and firm skin often has an even and light skin tone. Cucumber binds collagen and ensures that your skin is firm as well as supple. It also has a cooling effect on your skin.
Procedure:
1. Place cucumber slices directly on the dark skin areas in need of lightening treatment. Leave them on for a few minutes. Remove them. Then rinse your skin with lukewarm water.
2. Grate a cucumber and mix it with honey to make a spot-reducing mask. Apply the mask on your face and neck. Leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes and then rinse it off with cold water. Do this twice daily.
3. Mix 1 teaspoon each of lemon juice and cucumber juice. Apply it on your face. Leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes or until it dries. Wash it off with
water. Do this once daily.
8. Oatmeal
Oatmeal helps exfoliate the skin, leaving it supple and soft by getting rid of old skin cells and leading to growth of new skin cells to improve your skin tone.
Procedure :
1. Apply a mixture of oatmeal with tomato juice on your face. Leave it on for 20 minutes. Rinse off with cold water. While rinsing, rub it gently so that the oatmeal can scrub off the dead skin cells. Do this on a daily basis.
2. Mix one teaspoon of oatmeal powder, a pinch of turmeric and a few drops of lemon juice to make a thick paste. Apply the paste on your face and let it dry. Rinse off the dry mask with warm water. Do this once daily.
9. Tomatoes
Tomatoes have natural whitening property that help to lighten up your skin. It is rich in vitamin C and also has astringent property that makes it a best remedy for treating dark skin, especially for people who suffer from acne prone or oily skin.
Procedure:
1. Grate a small tomato to extract its pulp. Then take this pulp into your hands. Apply this on all over the skin where you have dark discoloration on the skin. Allow it to dry completely. Then apply another coating of this
pulp on the same applied skin. Do the same process of reapplying the pulp on the skin for about 15 to 25 minutes. Massage the applied area gently for a minute or two after completing the reapplication process. Rinse off with water. Do this daily.
10. Rice Powder
Women from Asian countries are familiar with the rice powder for skin lightening as they have long used rice water and rice powder to tone and whiten their skin. Rice is a rich source of para aminobenzoic acid (PABA) which acts as a natural sunscreen. Consumption of PABA, raises the level of Vitamin C in your body. Rice also has ferulic acid, an antioxidant, which when added to Vitamin C and E, provides you excellentprotection against sun. It also has anti aging effects on skin.
Procedure :
1. Grind the rice to get its fine powder. Add enough milk to the powder to make a paste. You can use water if you are allergic to milk. Apply this rice powder paste to your face and neck. Leave for 20-30 minutes. Rinse off with warm water. Repeat 2-3 times a week.
11. Honey
Honey acts as a moisturizing agent and also works as a skin lightening agent. Honey has antibacterial properties that can help fade age spots and acne scars. Honey help remove dead skin cells, making your skin to appear brighter and fresher than before.
Procedure :
1. Apply pure honey to your face. Leave it on for a few minutes. Then wash it off with lukewarm water.
2. Combine 1 teaspoon of honey and lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of powdered milk, and 1 teaspoon of almond oil. To make a skin-lightening mask. Mix well and apply it gently on the skin. Leave it on for 10 to15 minutes and then wash it off with cold water. Do this every day.
12. Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is a natural astringent. Its astringent property will tighten your pores reducing the sebum secretion. It also has natural bleaching properties due to it's acidic property. The high amount of vitamin C in them encourages new cell production so that you get rid of all dullness
and have bright skin. Lemons also have antioxidants that are very good for skin complexion. Never go out in sun after applying lemon juice to your skin. It lead to more discoloration of skin. Lemon juice makes your skin ultra sensitive to sunrays. Also do not use lemon juice if you have open wounds or cuts on your skin.
Procedure :
1. Squeeze the juice out of a lemon. Dip a cotton ball in the lemon juice. Apply it directly on your face. Leave it on for 20-30 minutes. wash off with water. Repeat daily.
2. Cut a lemon in half. Rub directly over the affected skin and allow the
juice to stick to the skin. Then leave the juice on your face for another
10-15 minutes before washing it off.
3. For oily skin. Mix 1 teaspoon of lemon juice with 2 teaspoons of rosewater and 1 teaspoon of Fuller’s earth. Make a paste by mixing them and apply
to your face. Leave for 15-20 minutes and then wash off.
4. For dry skin. Mix 1 teaspoon each of lemon juice, honey and olive oil. Apply to your skin. Massage gently for a couple of minutes. Then leave this on your skin for 10-15 minutes. Wash off with lukewarm water.
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