Naturally Whiten Skin at Home
If you’d like your skin to be paler, using natural items can lighten it a few shades without the harsh side effects that come with chemical whitening products. The simple practice of staying out of the sun will also keep your skin from getting darker. There’s no magic potion that will lighten your skin more than a shade or two, so keep your expectations realistic — and most importantly, remember that dark skin is beautiful too.
Contents
Steps
Using Natural Lighteners
- Apply a lemon juice solution. Lemon juice has been used for thousands of years as a natural skin lightener. It contains acids that lightly bleach the skin and exfoliate the top layer of darker skin cells. Since pure lemon juice can be irritating to skin, make a lemon juice solution by mixing one part lemon juice to one part water. Take a cotton ball and spread the solution on your skin. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then wash it off with warm water.
- Limit your application of lemon juice solution to just two to three times per week. Applying it more often could lead to skin irritation. Apply a moisturizer after rinsing off the lemon juice because the juice can dry out your skin.
- You should begin to see results after three to four weeks of using the solution several times per week. While lemon juice doesn’t provide instant lightening effects, it’s the most effective natural solution available.
- Use caution if you ever attempt to put any kind of citrus juice on your face. Phytophotodermatitis can be caused by a reaction between UV light and photosynthesizing chemicals found in citrus fruits. While it's fine to use lemon juice on your skin, you need to wash it off thoroughly before going out in the sun.
- Try a lemon milk soak. For a soothing full-body lightening treatment, start by drawing a bath of warm water. Pour in a cup of full-fat milk and squeeze the juice of an entire lemon into the tub. Swirl the mixture around so that the milk and lemon are evenly distributed in the tub. Soak in the bath for 20 minutes, then rinse yourself off with clean water.
- The milk in this soak has enzymes that gently lighten the skin. It also moisturizes the skin, offsetting the drying properties of the lemon juice.
- Try a milk soak once a week, and you should see results after a month or so.
- Make a yogurt honey mask. Like milk, yogurt contains enzymes that can gently lighten skin. Honey has moisturizing and antibacterial properties. Together, the two ingredients make a nourishing mask. Mix one part honey and one part yogurt, then spread the mixture on your face and body. Allow it to sit for 15 minutes, then rinse it away with warm water.
- Be sure to use plain, unsweetened yogurt. Sugary or flavored yogurt will get too sticky.
- In place of honey, try mashing up an avocado or using aloe instead. Both ingredients have a wonderful moisturizing effect.
- Try a lightening paste. For more concentrated benefits, try making a thick paste using natural ingredients that help lighten the skin. Spread a paste on your freshly washed face, leave it in place for 15 minutes, then rinse it away with warm water. Here are two recipes for natural lightening pastes:
- Gram flour paste. Pour ¼ cup of gram flour into a bowl. Add enough lemon juice or milk to make a thick paste.
- Turmeric paste. Pour 1 tablespoon of turmeric into a bowl. Add enough lemon juice or milk to make a thick paste.
Knowing What to Avoid
- Never use bleach or other dangerous chemicals on your skin. There are a few dangerous myths going around regarding using bleach, ammonia, and other household cleaning products on your skin to try to lighten it. These chemicals are extremely harmful to skin, and they can do long-term damage. Damaged skin actually looks darker, so using these chemicals will end up doing the opposite of what you want. Avoid them.
- Accept Yourself. No matter what your skin color might be, it’s beautiful just the way it is. It’s fine to use safe items like lemon juice to lighten your skin a little, but don’t seek to completely change your skin color from its natural state. Instead of trying to have a different skin color, accept yourself for who you are. If you were born with dark skin, embrace your beauty, and don’t let anyone tell you to change.
- Many women across the world hold themselves to beauty standards that prize light skin over darker skin. Many other women go to great lengths to get darker skin, paying for tanning beds and risking skin cancer to get a few shades darker. Doesn’t make a lot of sense, does it?
- When it comes to having beautiful skin, the most important thing you can do is keep your skin healthy. It’s your body’s largest organ, and it deserves a high level of care. Eat well, stay hydrated, and exfoliate and moisturize your skin to keep it looking vibrant and healthy.
Changing Habits for Brighter Skin
- Exfoliate your skin. The buildup of dead skin cells on the surface of your skin can make the skin appear a little dull. To brighten your skin, it’s important to exfoliate regularly. One excellent way to exfoliate the skin is to use a body scrub composed of sugar or salt. In the bath or shower, wet your skin and rub the scrub in a gentle circular motion over your entire body. In this way you can “polish” your skin until it has a healthy gleam.
- To exfoliate your face, use a gentler facial scrub. Ground up oatmeal or almonds have good exfoliating properties that won’t damage your fragile facial skin.
- Using a dry brush to brush the dead skin cells from your body is another good exfoliating method Find a brush made from natural fibers, and brush your body before you get into the bath or shower.
- Keep it moisturized. Keeping your skin moisturized will prevent dead skin cells from building up and sloughing off so quickly. For brighter skin, use a daily moisturizer after you get out of the bath or shower. Choose a creamy moisturizer that doesn’t contain alcohol, since alcohol can actually dry out your skin.
- Coconut oil is another great moisturizer that keeps skin looking glowing and youthful. Spread coconut oil on your arms and legs after getting out of the shower. Wait ten minutes for it to absorb into your skin before you put your clothes on.
- Jojoba oil also has moisturizing properties and is great for the skin. Olive oil or almond oil can also work wonders.
- Limit your sun exposure. It’s hard to stay out of the sun every day, but exposure to the sun darkens your skin. You don’t have to stay cooped up inside, though — just spend some time preparing your skin for sun exposure before you go out for the day. To keep your skin from getting too tanned, take the following measures:
- Use sunscreen with a high SPF. 30 SPF or high is best, since lower SPF sunscreen still allows the sun’s rays to tan your skin. Reapply it throughout the day as necessary.
- Wear a wide-brimmed hat. This will keep the sun out of your face and off of your neck and shoulders.
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants. During the summer, choose cool, swishy fabrics so you won’t get too hot.
- Be careful not to stay out of the sun completely. Your body depends on some sun exposure to produce vitamin D, which is essential to bone health and other vital functions.
Tips
- You can also apply tomato puree on your face and leave it for 20 minutes.
- Do not avoid the sun completely. Sunlight has harmful ultraviolet waves, but it also helps the body make Vitamin D.
- Applying this mixture every alternate night can dramatically lighten your skin tone. Do not forget to completely protect your skin from direct sun exposure during the day to prevent further darkening of skin.
- Drink lots of water! Wear sunblock.
- Apply a paste of apple cider vinegar and wheat flour twice a week.It will surely help to lighten your skin.
- Take a small container. Take 1 tablespoon gram flour into container. Mix some curd into the gram flour. Apply it into face (and any other body part) , leave it for 15-20 minutes and rinse it with cold water.
Warnings
- Individuals with sensitive skin should be careful not to use too much lemon juice, as it can be drying.
