So, what do you actually do when you find dark spots on your face? Besides sulking, I mean. Because no matter how much bleach you assault your face with, those pesky discolored marks simply refuse to leave you alone. And going in for one of the dermatological treatments mentioned above is not a viable option for everyone. Well, do I have some great news for you!
What if I told you that instead of heading to your nearest drugstore or dermatologist’s clinic, the only place you need to head to is your kitchen? I don’t blame you if you don’t believe me because it does sound too good to be true. But, the honest truth is, your kitchen is full of ingredients that work wonders for dark spot removal. And I am here to tell you exactly what you will need and how to use it. So read on to find out all the secrets to get rid of those pesky little buggers and restore your selfie-ready perfection!
1. Lemon Juice
When life gives you lemons, by all means, make lemonade. But also use them to get rid of your dark spots! Immeasurable research done over many years has proved that the citric acid and vitamin C present in lemon make it the perfect bleaching agent, which is exactly what you need to lighten your dark spots (books). There are a variety of ways in which you can use this incredible ingredient, depending on the sensitivity of your skin.
Method 1 – Lemon Juice And Water
Lemon juice, by itself, is a great way to remove dark spots. However, in its concentrated form, it can be pretty harsh on your skin. So, using water to dilute the solution is a good idea, especially if you have sensitive skin.
What You Need
1 lemon
Filtered water
Cotton balls
How To Use
Squeeze the juice of a lemon into a clean bowl.
Add equal parts clean, filtered water to the lemon juice.
Use a cotton ball to apply lemon juice/water solution all over your face.
Leave it on for 20 minutes, and then wash off with water. Do not use soap.
How Often?
Every alternate day.
Method 2 – Lemon Juice And Yogurt Face Mask
The bleaching effect of the lemon juice and the cleansing property of yogurt create the combined result of lightening your dark spots and brightening your skin. Who doesn’t want to kill two birds with one stone, right?
What You Need
1 lemon
1 tbsp fresh yogurt
How To Use
Squeeze the juice of a lemon into a clean bowl.
Add 1 tablespoon of yogurt to it and mix well.
Apply the paste all over your face and leave it on for 30 minutes.
Wash off with clean water.
How Often?
Twice a week.
Method 3 – Lemon Juice And Sugar Face Scrub
The exfoliating benefits of sugar and the bleaching effect of lemon juice combined can make the perfect scrub to get rid of all your dead skin and give your face a refreshed glow.
What You Need
How To Use
Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a clean bowl.
Add a teaspoon of sugar to the lemon juice and mix well (you can also add a teaspoon of coconut oil to the mixture if you have dry skin).
Rub the mixture between your fingers and scrub all over your face using circular motions, giving special attention to the dark spots.
Keep scrubbing for two minutes.
Wash off with clean water and pat dry your face.
How Often?
Once a week.
WARNING
Do not apply any home remedies containing lemon juice around or under your eyes as the skin in those areas is highly sensitive.
Do not go out into the sunlight during or right after using a lemon juice home remedy as it makes your skin highly sensitive and can cause sunburns.
Tips
Use only freshly squeezed lemon juice as the packaged variety contains preservatives that can harm your skin.
If you have sensitive skin, you could add honey or rose water to any of the above mixtures to make them gentler on your skin.
2. Vitamin E Oil
Many dermatologists swear by the benefits of vitamin E oil to reduce the appearance of a variety of skin discoloration problems, especially dark spots. This is why it is one of the vital ingredients found in many skin care products. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that targets free radicals that are responsible for aging and discoloration and helps to repair damaged cells (ncbi). Moreover, vitamin E oil does not need to be mixed with any other ingredients to make it viable for applying directly on your skin. Hence, it is a convenient and cost-effective option for dark spot removal.
Method 1 – Bottled Vitamin E Oil
What You Need
A bottle of vitamin E oil
How To Use
Apply a few drops of vitamin E oil directly on the dark spots and rub it into your skin with clean fingers.
How Often?
Daily, before going to sleep.
Method 2 – Vitamin E Capsules
What You Need
1 vitamin E capsule
A needle/safety pin
How To Use
Poke a hole in the vitamin E capsule with the help of a needle or a safety pin.
Squeeze the oil out of the capsule onto your fingers.
Apply it directly to your dark spots and rub it in.
How Often?
Daily, before going to sleep.
WARNING
Some people could be allergic to vitamin E oil and develop contact dermatitis if they come in contact with it. Do a patch test on your forearm before trying out any of the home remedies mentioned above.
Since vitamin E comes in a heavy formulation, it could cause your skin to break out if your skin is acne prone.
Tips
Since vitamin E comes in the form of a thick oil and requires you to not wash it off, it could make your face look oily throughout the day. Hence, it is best to apply it at night, in place of a moisturizer.
Add foods rich in vitamin E like almonds, peanuts, wheat germ oil, sunflower seeds, and dried apricots to your daily diet to make use of its many benefits.
3. Potato
Ah, potato – the wonderful vegetable that gives us the simple joys in life, such as French fries, potato chips, hash brown, and tater tots. Besides giving us gastric happiness, potatoes can also do wonders for our skin. Starch and sugar – the key components of potato – work their combined exfoliating magic to remove dead skin cells and aid the growth of new ones. Vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium, zinc, and phosphorus – minerals that rejuvenate the collagen production in your skin – are also found in this root vegetable. All in all, a potato is a storehouse of numerous minerals that work together to provide many skin care benefits. There are many different ways to use potatoes to remove dark spots.
Method 1 – Potato Slices
Let’s start off with the easiest one. You do not need anything except a potato and a knife for this one. Don’t you just love me for making your life so easy right now?
What You Need
How To Use
Slice up a potato into thin slices with a knife.
Apply a tiny bit of water to the potato slices to make them wet and place them on the areas with dark spots.
Leave the potato slices on for 10 minutes.
How Often?
Daily.
Method 2 – Potato And Lemon Juice
The combined bleaching properties of potatoes and lemon juice, owing to their rich vitamin C content, make this an excellent home remedy for dark spot removal and skin brightening.
What You Need
1 potato
1 cup hot water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
A knife
Cotton balls
How To Use
Slice up a potato into thin slices and soak them in a cup of boiling hot water.
Leave the potato slices to soak for half an hour.
Remove the potato slices and add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the water that is left behind.
Refrigerate the potato water and lemon juice mixture for an hour.
Apply the cold mixture directly to the dark spots using a cotton ball.
Wash off with clean water after 20 minutes.
How Often?
Twice a day, every day.
Method 3 – Potato And Honey
The extensive skin care benefits of honey work wonders when combined with potato. They make an excellent face mask that can eliminate those dark spots right off your face.
What You Need
1 potato
1 teaspoon of honey
A grater
How To Use
Grate the potato to a fine texture.
Add a teaspoon of honey to the grated potato (if the mixture is too dry, you can add more honey or a little bit of water to it).
Apply the mixture as a face mask and leave it on for 15 minutes.
Wash off with clean water.
How Often?
Every alternate day.
WARNING
If you experience any redness or irritation after applying potato on your skin, wash off the face mask and discontinue use immediately.
Tips
You can slice or grate up 3-4 potatoes at a time and refrigerate them in an airtight container. That way, you will not have to cut a fresh potato every day and the refrigerated potatoes will have a nice cooling effect on your skin.
4. Buttermilk
Buttermilk is the sour liquid left behind after butter has been churned out of the milk. Remember when I told you at the beginning of this article that a superficial chemical peel uses alpha hydroxyl acids? Basically, the lactic acid found in buttermilk is also a type of alpha hydroxyl acid. It helps remove dead skin cells from your face and lightens dark spots . So, instead of spending a ton of money on a dermatologist to get a professional chemical peel to remove your dark spots, you can just spend a couple of dollars on a carton of buttermilk to get the same results.
Method 1 – Raw Buttermilk
The easiest and cheapest way to use buttermilk is to use it as it is, without mixing anything in it.
What You Need
How To Use
Pour a little buttermilk into a small bowl.
Using a cotton ball, apply the buttermilk directly onto your dark spots.
Leave it on for 20 minutes and wash off with clean water.
How Often?
Daily.
Method 2 – Buttermilk And Tomato Juice
Buttermilk and tomato both have bleaching properties that can give you quicker results in your quest to get a dark spot-free face.
What You Need
4 teaspoons of buttermilk
2 teaspoons of tomato juice
How To Use
In a clean bowl, add the buttermilk and tomato juice and mix thoroughly.
Apply the mixture all over your face and leave it on for half an hour.
Wash off with clean water.
How Often?
Daily.
WARNING
Do not apply any of the aforementioned buttermilk home remedies around and under your eyes as the skin there is highly sensitive and the lactic acid in the buttermilk can cause irritation.
Tips
You can use milk or yogurt in place of buttermilk if it is difficult for you to find it, as they contain lactic acid as well.
5. Aloe Vera
I think we have all been told an infinite number of times by innumerable people how aloe vera is the best thing that happened to their skin. But there’s a reason all these people and skin care companies make such grandiose claims about aloe vera. It contains 90% of the amino acids found in our body, in addition to vitamins A, B, C, and E. All these, along with the beta-carotene also found in this miracle plant, lead to this plant having miraculous anti-aging and skin nourishing properties. Besides providing quick depigmentation, removing dark spots, and treating sunburn, this wonder plant also has analgesic (pain relief) and antiseptic properties. And to cap it all off, aloe vera also works as an excellent moisturizer. Phew! That is way too much goodness packed into one spiky little plant. Anyway, here are our favorite ways to use aloe vera for dark spots removal.
Method 1 – Aloe Vera Gel
Aloe vera gel, taken straight from the leaves, is the best way to get rid of those black spots and any other discoloration.
What You Need
An aloe vera leaf
A knife
How To Use
Using a knife, slice away the outer layers of an aloe vera leaf.
Squeeze the gel onto your fingers and apply it directly to your dark spots.
Leave the gel on for 20 minutes, then wash off with clean water.
How Often?
Daily.
Method 2 – Aloe Vera Gel, Sugar, And Lemon Juice
Sugar acts as an exfoliator to scrape away dead skin cells and the dual bleaching properties of aloe vera and lemon juice work wonders to eliminate your skin of dark
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