Picture this: It’s a lovely December morning, there’s a wonderful nip in the air, and the cool breeze is reinvigorating. It is the perfect winter day, and you’ve got the perfect sweater with a cute matching hat to go with it. You can’t wait to step outside and face the world, but as you’re checking yourself out in the mirror before you leave, what’s that you see? Are those dark spots? Oh no!
Luckily for you, dark spots are not the disaster that they are made out to be. In fact, there are several home remedies that you can follow that will make your dark spots disappear, and will let you enjoy wintertime spot-free.
There is a common misconception among people that dark spots are caused exclusively due to exposure to the sun. While it is true that UV rays are one of the major contributors to the formation of dark spots, there is a whole plethora of things that could be causing your dark spots.
Dark spots are basically the excess secretion of melanin on the skin. This can be brought about by a variety of reason not limited to sun exposure. Dark spots can also be tied to hormonal imbalances, vitamin deficiencies, lack of sleep, age, and too much stress.
There are also certain types of medication which may cause the skin to develop dark spots. The usual suspects are sulphonamides and estrogens.
Certain parts of the body are more prone to pigmentation as well, such as the face, the backs of the palms, shoulders, back and arms.
So just because the sun is taking it a little easy during the winter months, it doesn’t mean you should relax your skincare routine. Luckily, there are a few easy ways that you can deal with your dark spots in the wintertime.
1. Lemon Juice
The quickest and easiest fix available is lemon juice. It contains citric acid which acts as a great bleaching agent for the skin. Applying fresh lemon juice to the affected area and leaving it for five to seven minutes a few times every day gives great results. Due to its bleaching properties, lemon juice helps even out the skin tone and gets rid of pigmentation.
Note: Do not use lemon juice if your skin is prone to sores and lesions. Also avoid heading out into the sun after applying lemon juice as it makes the skin photosensitive.
2. Aloe Vera
No article related to skin care would be complete without Aloe Vera. It is basically a wonder drug when it comes to treating ailments of the skin, and dark spots are not an exception. Aloe had fantastic healing properties, and it promotes the growth of new skin cells to aid in the reduction of dark spots. All you have to do is extract the gel from an aloe leaf and apply to the affected area. Gently massage if desired. Let it sit for twenty minutes, then rinse. This process should be carried out once or twice daily till the desired effect is achieved. A clean cloth soaked in warm water might make it easier to clean up, as aloe tends to get a bit messy.
3. Almonds
Almonds are rich in vitamin e, antioxidants and healthy fats, this making them the perfect candidates to help achieve smooth, flawless skin. There is an easy to make almond paste that can help you deal with your dark spots
- Soak a handful of almonds in milk over night
- Peel the skin and grind the almonds
- Add 1 tsp sandalwood powder and ½ tsp honey to the ground almonds
- Mix to make a fine paste
Apply the paste to your skin, leave for 30 minutes, and rinse. Use this paste once or twice weekly to improve complexion and get rid of dark spots.
4. Sandalwood
Sandalwood is another staple of the skincare community. Its fragrant, natural oils are great for clearing up the skin and giving it a natural glow. Make a paste with 1 tbsp sandalwood powder, 1 tbsp glycerine and 3 tbsp rose water. If rose water is unavailable, it can be substituted with milk or honey. Apply this paste to the skin and let it sit for a few minutes. Following this remedy daily will make the dark spots disappear in no time. As an added bonus, the oils present in the sandalwood also make your skin super soft, and help in maintenance of the skin during wintertime.
In addition, this is the perfect season to use the Pond's White Beauty Winter Anti-spot Moisturiser. It works as a skin lightening treatment along with a cold cream—just what you need for the winter.
5. Onion Juice
The last, and perhaps most quirky, entry on our list is onion juice. It can easily be made with a blender or juicer, and can be applied directly to the skin, or you can add honey to it in a 1:2 ratio as well if so desired. If you have oily skin, adding vinegar to the onion juice can help too.
Written by Cassandra Pereira on Dec 28, 2017