How to Lighten Skin Naturally

A flawless complexion is one of the aspects of your appearance that will get you immediate attention and lots of appreciation. No matter how skilful you are in applying makeup, nothing beats even-toned, healthy skin. While contemporary beauty norms have evolved from the previous bias against dark skin, still a naturally glowing skin is universally sought after. So if you want to achieve a lighter skin naturally, here are a few ways you can go about it.

Keep the sun at bay

Exposure to direct sunlight is one of the main causes why skin loses its natural glow. This is because the sun is the source of ultraviolet rays, types of which cause skin darkening along with other problems like dryness, fine lines, wrinkles and uneven skin tone. So whenever you go out particularly during the day time from nine in the morning to around four in the evening, make sure your skin is adequately protected against the sunlight. There are two ways you can go about this – using physical means of protection like sunglasses to safeguard the fine skin around your eyes, a scarf which you can wrap around most of your face or even a largish baseball cap which will keep some part of your face in shade. However the most effective way to block out the rays of the sun from damaging and darkening your skin is to use an umbrella or a parasol even though it becomes slightly ungainly, both in handling and appearance. The second option is to use a sunscreen or a sunblock, if you have to be out for a long time. There are numerous kinds of sunscreens out in the market and you should preferably go for ones with 20 SPF or more. If you want to go completely you can use cucumber juice or almond oil which have some protective function against the sun but are not as effective as zinc oxide which is the main constituent of bottled sunscreens.

The sun though is not an out-and-out villain; in fact sun’s rays are important for the manufacture of vitamin D in our body, the deficiency of which can lead to retarded muscle and bone development. However for this the best time to soak in the sun is during the morning hours. The harsh rays of the afternoon sun can not only cause the skin to darken but have also been found to raise the risk of skin cancer.

Home-made remedies to lighten skin

If despite your best efforts to protect your skin from the sun, you find it darkening your complexion, you can make use of natural remedies to lighten your skin tone. Most of these home remedies work by including an ingredient with mild acidic action; for instance juice of lemons and tomatoes as well as yoghurt helps lighten skin tone with their acidic properties. You can prepare face packs with any one of these ingredients and then adding a base like sandalwood powder or orange peel powder. However while preparing face packs from natural ingredients, you need to keep your skin type in mind; for instance if you have oily skin, you can make a lightening pack from finely ground orange peel powder, a pinch of ground turmeric and a few drops of lemon juice. However if your skin is already dry, large doses of acidic ingredients will strip away precious moisture; in such cases you can make a skin lightening pack of yoghurt mixed with honey and sandalwood powder. cucumber juice and green coconut water are also believed to offer a mild bleaching action and which you can try if you have sensitive skin. One tablespoon each of tomato juice, gram flour, raw milk and ground turmeric is a hugely effective skin bleach made from natural ingredients. However never forget to try out a preparation on a small area of skin first since this will help you to avoid products to which you are allergic.



Take care of problem areas

Sometimes it is not enough to use skin-lightening preparations in a diffuse sort of way. Certain areas like the elbows, ankles or knees may be particularly discolored and need more intensive treatment. If you want natural remedies to treat these areas, you can make a scrub by applying one tablespoon granulated sugar on each half of a lemon; then rub the affected area with each hemisphere until all the sugar has melted away or approximately for ten minutes. Rinse it off with cold milk and then water. Doing this regularly will help to lighten skin naturally in the problem areas but this preparation is usually too strong to be used on the face.

Have a balanced diet

Finally no matter what you apply on your skin, there is no alternative to nourishing it from within. Consuming the right foods will impart a glow to your skin that even the best natural ingredients or makeup will find it hard to replicate. Ensure that your diet includes ample amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables. Foods which are red, green, purple and orange in color like bell peppers, tomatoes, berries, spinach, pumpkin are particularly good for your skin. The more colorful the fruits and vegetables you eat, the higher your intake of anti-oxidants which combat harmful free radicals responsible for the damaging effects of aging, pollution, sunlight on the skin. Thus the vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants in your diet are essential for a healthy skin, without  which a beautiful, glowing skin is well nigh impossible.

Stay well hydrated

Over the day, your body loses water as a result of various activities which not only include going out to work or shop but also physical exertion due to domestic chores, working out in the gym and even drinking beverages like coffee and soda. It is important to replenish this lost moisture from within so that you don’t get dehydrated and end up with dry, patchy-looking skin. While contemporary nutritionists debunk the earlier theory about drinking seven liters of water each day, you still need to have enough water to keep your body well hydrated and your skin supple and healthy.