How to Get Lighter Skin: Talking About Handy Home Remedies

Home remedies for all sorts of ailments and conditions have become something of a fad – and for good reason. These days experience tells us not to rely too heavily on technology, to use less and less processed chemical products and to keep off over-processed foodstuffs, etc. – to go organic. And where your problem may be how to get lighter skin, home remedies in fact make a lot of sense. Most of the chemicals that are now trusted in skin whitening creams, whether for the face, body, or the underarm whitening creams all come from natural plant sources – glycolic acid from sugarcane, alpha arbutin from mulberry or blueberry, Kojic acid from malting rice, and licorice extract, etc.

In addition, chemicals that work similarly to these, although they may not be as potent, can usually be found from the contents of your refrigerator! Take papaya for an example.

The active ingredient in papaya is an enzyme called papain, which in action works pretty much like glycolic acid, in that it exfoliates the surface of the skin. Exfoliating means stripping the skin of the dead tissue that tends to accumulate on it over time, as cells die and get replaced by new ones. Left to itself the skin has a way of getting rid of that dead stuff that tends to darken your complexion, but that takes time.

We’ll see how you can use papaya to lighten your skin but first, for you out there looking for ways how to get lighter skin, here are other natural products from your refrigerator that you could use:

• Yogurt: If you like yogurt then it will please you to know that the lactic acid it contains is in fact used in some skin brightening creams on sale in the stores. So why not use the genuine item itself?
• Lemon Juice: A freshly peeled lemon contains a high concentration of citric acid, which in action is again similar to glycolic acid and Kojic acid, etc. All these natural acids have skin bleaching properties. To moderate the acidity of the lemon juice you could mix it with honey.
• A mixture of tomato extract, turmeric and milk, or oatmeal, cucumber and potato with olive oil or almond oil are also claimed to work. In fact since most plant sources contain some acid or other the number of plant products that have a bleaching effect on human skin in simply enormous.

For underarm whitening of course some of these lightening treatments may not be particularly appealing or effective, but in any case these home remedies should be used in addition to a skin whitening cream for maximum effect, especially when you seek faster results.

Here is how you use papaya to brighten skin tone: You slice a sizable piece off the papaya and peel off most of the flesh until you are left with very little of it close to the skin. This area will have a higher concentration of papain. Rub your face or the area you want to brighten with this inner part of the skin and allow the application to dry on the area. Then wash with cold water and wipe the area dry. If you are using a skin whitening cream you may apply it now, but preferably you should apply the two treatments alternately. Repeat as needed daily for several weeks.

Lemon juice is best used mixed with honey, especially on sensitive skins. Mix it to the right consistency (or until it feels like an ointment on your fingers). Apply the formulation to the face or body and leave it on for 15-20 minutes. You then apply a second home-made product, cucumber juice mixed with honey. Leave this second application to dry for 10-15 minutes and wash it off.

Home-made remedies as these mentioned here do work, and are safe to use, but they will not give fast results. A combination treatment that includes the use of a skin whitening cream is preferable. Better still, you should adopt habits that have been proven to improve skin tone; habits like drinking sufficient quantities of water regularly, using sunscreen if your lifestyle exposes you to lots of sunshine, eating lots of fruit and nuts to boost your levels of Vitamins A, C and E, and washing regularly, followed with application of moisturizer if you are prone to dry skin.

The latest approach to the problem of dark skin is the use of skin lightening vitamins. Natural methods of course are to be preferred, especially in cases where the use of chemicals can have unforeseen side effects, for example when you want to whiten dark underarms pregnancy.

Still asking how to get lighter skin? Read my other posts….

Glycolic Acid Cream and how to use it for underarm skin whitening

Fade Out Cream one of the creams I have used before foe lightening sensitive areas

Underarm Whitening Cream for a detailed look at skin lightening solutions for dark armpits