Darkening of the skin can be caused due to extreme sun exposure, certain medications, an illness, dry skin conditions, stress, genetics, and even maintaining a poor diet.
It’s something none of us want, always trying to find effective ways on how to lighten skin naturally. Having fair, clear skin is a sign of beauty – as seen by many cultures.
Yet, those with fair skin are constantly trying to find ways to add some color and those with added color are trying to find ways to lighten skin naturally.
So if you have dark and dull skin wanting to add a youthful glow to your skin, avoid using over-the-counter products with chemicals which are not only costly, but can potentially damage your skin even more.
Instead, opt for natural remedies which are gentle on the skin and do what they’re supposed to do…naturally.
First things first, before applying any home-made remedies, there are three things to keep in mind when wanting to improve your skin:
1. Prevention
Prevention really is better than trying to find a cure, so always ensure you use a sunblock which blocks UVA & UVB sun rays. Regardless of whether or not it’s cloudy or an open, clear day, there’s never a time when applying sunblock is a bad idea.
Not only will it prevent your skin from darkening, you’ll save it from being irreversibly damaged.
2. Care
Depending on your skin type, it’s necessary to exfoliate at least once a week. This will rid your skin of any dead skin cells and brighten your face – which is exactly what you’re after.
Remember, your skin is the largest organ on/in your body, so it’s absolutely necessary to take good care of it – starting with trying out preventative measures to stop darkening in its tracks.
3. Maintenance
Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! I can’t emphasize this enough. Having dry skin is one contributing factor to darkening of the skin so moisturizing is one way of maintaining lightened skin.
Try the following 10 ingredients to add to your maintenance regime. They may not all work as well as you’d like, each having different goals. However, it’s worth a try if you want to know how to lighten your skin naturally:
Try these 10 tips on how to lighten skin naturally in under 2-weeks:
1. Use honey as a daily face wash
Honey has amazing benefits, not only for whitening your skin but to add moisture where moisture is due. If you have sensitive skin, it’s also a great alternative to traditional face washes – containing antibacterial properties to prevent further damage.
Apply honey to your face before your evening shower (similar to that of a face mask) and since off after a few minutes. It may be sticky, but it’s definitely worth it! Besides, you don’t have to worry about the consequences of ingesting any in the process. It’ll only do you good.
2. Rub lemon on your face
Vitamin C encourages new cell growth whilst lemons themselves act as a natural bleaching agent – costing a fraction of an over-the-counter face bleach. Dip a cotton ball in a little bit of lemon juice and dab onto your skin.
Ensure you have no open wounds on your face as this will cause pain and irritation. Apply for at least an hour and then wash off with lukewarm water. Remember to stay indoors while you have the lemon juice on your face as it can cause added sensitivity.
3. Mask it with yogurt
Yogurt is not healthy for your gut, it contains lactic acids to aid in your bleaching quest. It’s advised to use plain yogurt which is as natural as you can get, mixed with one tablespoon of honey.
Apply this mixture on your face and leave on for a few minutes – treating it as a face mask. You can’t go any more natural than this when you’re trying to figure out how to lighten your face naturally.
4. Apply a gram flour paste
Things can get sticky when mixing a gram flour paste, however, if you’re serious about wanting to lighten your face naturally, then this is definitely the way to go. Mix a little bit of water along with your gram flour to form a paste.
Apply to your skin and leave on for a few minutes or until it dries. You can apply the paste to every part of your body if you wish, just remember to wash it off with lukewarm water after the fact.
5. Eat your daily dose of papaya
Eating papaya is not only healthy, it has the potential to lighten your skin naturally. Clean the papaya out, cut a few pieces off to consume and slice the rest of it into smaller pieces in order for you to turn it into a paste.
Add a tiny bit of lemon juice and apply to your skin for 20-30 minutes. Wash off with lukewarm water.
6. Add cucumber slices
Cucumber is a safe alternative for all skin types due to its calming effect to the skin. Purchase a cucumber and slice it into enough pieces for you to cover your whole face or sections of skin that you’d like to lighten.
Cucumber binds collagen together which gives it a firm texture as well as a lightening appearance. Try it! You have nothing to lose.
7. Extract Aloe Vera gel
Aloe Vera is one of nature’s true miracles – offering plenty of health benefits for both ingesting and applying to the skin. If you have an Aloe Vera plant, cut a leaf in half and squeeze the gel onto your face.
Leave the substance on for roughly 30-minutes and wash off with lukewarm water. It rebuilds damaged skin cells and alleviates hyperpigmentation.
8. Massage with almond oil
If you’re looking for a way to both get rid of wrinkles and lighten your skin naturally, then almond oil is the answer. It contains unsaturated fatty acids and minerals to lighten your skin and creates a gentle glow.
Simply massage warm almond oil onto your skin and repeat the process for two weeks – three times per week. Before you know it you’ll look beautifully youthful.
9. Apply warm milk
A with yogurt, milk also contains lactic acid which aids in the skin lightening process. It also alleviates skin dryness and reduces skin pigmentation.
It’s also a great remedy to alleviate sunburnt or irritated skin, so milk away. Gently massage lukewarm milk into your skin for a few minutes at a time, repeating this process twice a day for two weeks. While you’re at it, pour yourself a glass of milk and enjoy!
10. Add layers of tomato pulp
Tomatoes are naturally acidic – meaning they’re not only healthy to eat, but will balance out your skin’s pH levels. It’s a great substance to add if you suffer from oil-prone skin or acne – containing antioxidant properties to fight free radicals.
Purchase a bag of ripe tomatoes and apply the pulp to your skin. Once dry, add another layer of tomato pulp and let it dry. It’s advised to repeat this process for 20-minutes and rinse off with lukewarm water. It’s one of the most cost-effective ways on how to lighten your skin naturally.
Remember, regardless of your skin color, the whole idea behind wanting to find out how to lighten your skin naturally is to accentuate your natural beauty.
Getting rid of unwanted blemishes and dark spots can be done in a safe, yet effective way without over-spending on expensive chemicals which can damage your skin if used incorrectly.
Do it for that reason and that reason only. We’re all beautiful in our own way with our own unique qualities – never needing a complete transformation to fit into what society expects us to look like.
So if finding out how to lighten your skin naturally is something that’ll bring out the best in you, then why not go with what works…naturally.
I think its great but i didn’t try it because I dont have available lemon and honey what can I substitute to it?
This was really helpful. Thanks for all these beautiful, healthy tips that really helped me to achieve back my glowing, young, bright face.