“How to get lighter skin?, How to whiten my skin?, How to brighten my skin naturally and permanently?”.
These few questions sum up the struggle of a lot of dark-toned women out there. For these women, regardless of their age or ethnicity, achieving a fair, glowing and radiant skin is their ultimate challenge.
To achieve this feat of ever-glowing and flawless skin, they are even ready to spend shit loads of money regardless of whether it would actually help them in lightening their dark skin or not.
While achieving that holy grail of brightening skin is though a little difficult but not impossible at all. All you need is to make a well-informed choice ( just wait for a few seconds !) that does not suck your time and money.
So are you ready to learn the secrets of getting lighter skin to flaunt your luxury face out in the people? Then don’t miss out on what is written below.
Option 1: Professional treatments for skin lightening
The very first option open to get rid of that you are to go for some professional treatment procedures.
They primarily work by doing away with your dark pigmented skin through a variety of upper skin removal tool which allows the new, fresh and brighter skin layer to come up to replace it.
They have a few common cons like, of course, they are a little expensive and can only be performed by an expert skin specialist. But if you are willing to go for them, then they are obvious options.
Following types of professional treatment for skin lightening can help.
1. Chemical peels for skin lightening
As the name indicates, Chemical peels work to remove that darkly pigmented skin by making use of an acid solution applied directly on the skin surface which then strips/peels away that dark skin surface and new, light and bright skin bring up as a natural response.
However, it can sometimes lead to a mild burning sensation lasting for a couple of minutes which is perfectly treatable with a cool compress or an OTC pain killer but this little pain is ever worth in the end.
2. Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion works on the same principles of removing the upper dark skin surface to bring up the newer, healthy, and bright skin surface.
It employs a special applicator with an abrasive tip followed by a suction to strip away the upper skin surface which then gives way to healthier, and lighter skin from underneath it.
This procedure can last for up to an hour and does not cause any serious pain and that’s why you needn’t take an anesthetic. However, you might feel your skin being pinkish and tight but don’t worry, it’s just temporary.
Option 2: OTC treatments
Some over-the-counter (OTC) cream prescription treatments for lightening that dark skin is another option you have at your disposal.
Unlike the professional procedures, they require a skin specialist to oversee and can be used by yourself just after buying them from your nearby pharma store. Obviously, there are relatively cheaper options if you can’t afford those professional expensive procedures.
The following are the best ingredients to look out for in OTC lightening skin creams.
1. Topical retinoids
OTC topical retinoids are one of the most effective treatments for dealing with dark skin.
Essentially, a derivative of vitamin A, recent research has shown them to be effective against any sort of skin darkness/blemishes by stimulating skin cell turnover which brings forth newer, healthier and brighter skin up.
Common topical retinoids that can be bought from the market are benzoyl peroxide, glycolic acid, and hydroxy acids.
However, some side effects are:
- Dry skin
- Joint pain
- High cholesterol levels
- Temporary hair fall
With that being said, most people can tolerate these side effects and you should not give up your regular anti-blemishes treatment until you don’t see a real problem for quite some time.
How to use topical retinoids?
- First, properly clean up your skin and leave it to dry for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, simply squeeze out a pea-sized topical retinoid cream and use your fingers to spread over the affected area.
You can use topical retinoids daily safely.
2. Hydroquinone bleaching
Hydroquinone is another otc available bleaching agent that can help you fade away dark, pigmented skin to reveal a relatively brighter, lighter skin surface.
How Does It Work?
Essentially it suppresses the number of melanocytes – the very cells responsible for producing melanin which gives your skin on your whole body. The lesser the number of melanocytes, the lesser the amount of melanin produced, hence less dark your skin.
How to use it?
- First, wear on a pair of latex gloves
- Now squeeze out the pea-sized hydroquinone bleaching cream on your gloved finger and rub gently on your sunspot area.
- Follow the prescription guidelines to use it effectively.
3. Kojic acid
OTC cream containing kojic acid – an acid made from fermented rice when used before bed has been found to lighten the dark/pigmented skin.
How to use it?
- About an hour before you go to bed, first clean up your face to prepare it for night cream application.
- Now, squeeze out the night cream containing kojic acid and lather it directly on the skin using your fingers.
- Be patient and keep using it regularly for 8-12 weeks if you want to see results as these products take time to express results.
If you have sensitive skin, using it won’t help as it can cause irritation, redness, and inflammation. As soon as you notice these symptoms, stop using the cream and find a better-suited alternative.
4. Retinoids
Also known as vitamin A is available both as a topical or oral drug, they can help your dar, pigmented skin by improving the shedding and growing of skin cells.
However, they also can be a serious problem for pregnant women as they can lead to serious birth defects and should never be used during this time period.
Other side effects are
- Dry skin
- Joint pain
- High cholesterol levels
- Temporary hair fall
With that being said, most people can tolerate these side effects and you should not give up your regular dark, pigmented treatment until you don’t see a real problem for quite some time.
5. Arbutin
Also known as ‘Arbutin – bearberry extract’, is a natural skin lightening and brightening ingredient found in a number of skin lightening products.
Working on the same principle as hydroquinone, arbutin suppresses the production of melanocytes – the cells responsible for producing dark pigment melanin.
As a result, your skin appears bright and relatively pigments-free, and being a purely natural ingredient, there are no serious side effects.
Other great benefits of arbutin are.
- Minimizing age spots
- Minimizing acne scars
- Minimizes freckles and dirt spots
- Sun protection
- Slows down the sign of aging.
6. AHAs & BHAs – chemical exfoliation
Alpha hydroxy acids and Beta Hydroxy Acids are other common over-the-counter chemical exfoliation agents for dealing with dark and pigmented skin.
These chemical peeling agents, when used regularly, can help you brighten your skin by sloughing away dark, dead skin surface cells to pave way for the newer, brighter, and relatively pigment-free skin surface. These skin peeling characteristics make them ideal for anti-aging and anti-acne/blackheads benefits too.
Glycolic acid is the most popular AHA, salicylic acid is the most popular BHA for chemical exfoliation. Benzoyl peroxide is another good chemical exfoliating/peeling agent.
Side Effects of Skin lighteners
While OTC skin lighteners can definitely make a difference to your dark pigmented appearance but that does not mean they are entirely safe.
In fact, just like other chemical ingredients, they do have certain side effects which you need to take into account before you lather that lightening cream/product on your dark skin.
The following are some of the commonly associated risks with skin lightening agents.
- They can contain mercury which can cause serious health issues to your kidneys and nerves. In fact, according to a study, about every 4th skin lightening product being manufactured in Asia and shipped to the U.S has mercury in it.
- Extended usage of skin lighteners can lead to premature aging and wrinkles.
- Applying skin lighteners while being in the sun for prolonged periods of time can contribute to skin cancer. So, instead of these lightening ingredients solely, use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with it.
- Some skin lightening ingredients having steroids in them can lead to serious skin complications like skin thinning, acne, and poor wound healing.
- Hydroquinone can often lead to ochronosis – a skin condition in which your skin suffers from unwanted and untreatable skin discoloration.
- A number of bleaching ingredients found in a lot of skin lightening products can cause severe irritation and serious allergic reaction.
Skin lighteners precautions
You need to take the following precautionary measures to minimize the potential side effects of skin lighteners.
- Always follow the advice of your skin expert or strictly adhere to the product manual.
- Always avoid mercury and its namesakes like calomel, mercuric, mercurous, or Mercurio.
- Always check for hydroquinone to not exceed more than 2% of the whole chemical lightening product.
Home remedies: How to lighten skin naturally and permanently?
Given the potential risks attached to OTC skin lightening products and the uncertainty (of effectiveness) factor attached to them, you might want to have a go at some natural skin lightening agents.
And the best part about them is that they don’t need much time and effort. All you need is to open your pantry and fridge and start using them for your dark, pigmented skin advantage.
The following are some of the best natural remedies to lighten up your skin.
1. Lemon – a powerful skin lightener
Lemon is one of the most popular natural skin lightening, bleaching used worldwide. But why is it so? What is so special about lemon?
Simple lemon remedy for skin lightening
Why lemon is a great natural skin lightener?
- Lemon juice has some of the excellent bleaching properties which make it an old remedy for whitening/lightening up sun spotted dark/brown skin. That’s why you would find it a common ingredient in skin lightening creams.
- Also, being acidic in nature, lemon juice has powerful anti-fungal properties which effectively eliminates other common issues like dandruff.
- Moreover, being a rich source of vitamin C and citric acid and strong exfoliating properties, lemon juice is a perfect remedy for cleansing any scalp buildup, dirt and dead skin cells to maintain a super healthy scalp that keeps any potential dandruff away.
- Finally, lemon juice is a rich source of hair-friendly vitamins and minerals which never let your skin deteriorate to keep your overall skin calm, soothing and irritation-free.
What do you need?
- Just a lemon
- Few cotton balls
How to use it for skin lightening?
- Simply squeeze out the lemon juice out of fresh lemon and rub on the skin area for a few minutes.
- Now, leave it on for about half an hour. After that, simply rinse it off your skin.
- Finally, simply pat dry and use a good moisturizer after it.
2. Lemon juice as a face mask
How to use it?
- Mix together about 1 tbsp of lemon juice, about 1 tbsp of tomato juice, about 1 tbsp of cucumber juice and 1tbsp of sandalwood and make a thick uniform paste.
- Now, simply lather this paste onto your skin and let it rest for 20-25 minutes before you rinse this off with lukewarm water and use a good moisturizer after it.
3. Lemon juice as an exfoliating mask
- Simply mix about 2-3 tbsp of brown sugar with 1-2 tbsp of lemon juice. Stir well to make a smooth consistency.
- Now, gently scrub this on your skin for 5-10 minutes before you rinse it away with lukewarm water and apply a moisturizer after it.
4. Lemon juice with coconut oil
What do you need?
- About 2-3 tbsps of coconut oil
- About 1-2 tbsps of lemon juice
How to make this remedy for?
- Mix both coconut oil and lemon juice in equal proportions and mix them well to get a homogenous mixture.
- Using your fingers tips, gently and thoroughly massage all over your scalp and leave it to dry for 25-30 minutes.
- After about half an hour, wash it off with lukewarm water and use a good shampoo.
- Apply this treatment for at least twice a week while you are having dandruff and after that, you can normally use it.
Why does this remedy work for skin lightening?
Coconut oil is a great moisturizer but a very good anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial too which is such a great solution for dar, dry, irritated skin.
A study conducted in 2014 found it to be a great alternative for petroleum jelly for effective dry skin treatment and providing the skin with effective hydration for dry skin.
Similarly, a 2016 research found coconut oil of having amazing emollient characteristics which are essentially moisturizer filling up empty gaps in the skin making it appear more radiant, smooth, supple.
Couple these powerful benefits of lemon juice with coconut oil and you have a wonderful natural skin-lightening remedy at your disposal.
5. Honey for lighter skin
Since honey is rich in alpha-hydroxy acids and other bioactive compounds that help reduce the signs of excessive pigmentation on your skin, thereby reducing the appearance of dark spots.
What you need?
- 1 teaspoon of honey
- 1 ripe lemon
What you need to do?
- First squeeze the juice of a ripe lemon into a bowl.
- Now to this, add honey and mix well.
- Now using a brush, apply it to your face and neck.
- Finally wash off with plain water.
How often to do it?
Repeat this two times a week for best results.
Caution Please: Since lemon juice can cause a stinging or a burning sensation on your skin, it is always wise to do a patch test before trying this remedy.
6. Aloe Vera for lighter skin
Aloe vera contains aloin, a bioactive compound that has an inhibitory effect on melanin synthesis. This may help lighten your skin tone and impart a natural radiance to it.
What you need?
- 1 tablespoon of fresh aloe vera gel
- 1 teaspoon of brown sugar
What you have to do?
- First extract the gel from the aloe vera leaf.
- Now add brown sugar to the gel and mix well.
- Now you can apply this to your face and neck.
- Finally rinse your face thoroughly with water.
How often should you do it?
Repeat two times a week.
7. Yogurt for lighter skin
Yogurt is very commonly used as a remedy to eliminate excessive pigmentation. That is primarily because it is rich in a bioactive compound that can effectively reduce dark spots and other signs of pigmentation.
What you need?
- 1/2 cup of fresh yogurt
- 2 teaspoons of honey
What you need to do?
- Add the honey to half a cup of yogurt.
- Apply this face pack to your neck and face.
- You must leave it on for about 20 minutes before rinsing it off thoroughly with water.
How often should you do it?
Do this at least two times a week to see a visible change.
8. Cucumber for lighter skin
Cucumber, your lunch’s salad favorite, is a rich source of cucurbitacin D and 23, 24-dihydro cucurbitacin D. These compounds can reduce melanin synthesis and possibly reverse the effects of pigmentation.
What you need?
Freshly extracted aloe vera gel
What you need to do?
- Firstly simply slice a cucumber and blend it.
- Now prepare a fine paste by adding some aloe vera gel to it.
- Now apply this paste to your face and neck.
- finally leave the pack on for 15-20 minutes and wash off with plain water.
How often should you do it?
You may do this once a week.
9. Turmeric for lighter skin
Curcumin, a major component of turmeric is found effective in preventing the appearance of signs of aging, such as blemishes and spots. Moreover, It also imparts a natural glow to your skin.
What you need?
1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
Honey
Fresh yogurt
What you have to do?
- Prepare a face pack by mixing the ingredients mentioned above.
- Apply the face pack and leave it on until it dries.
- Rinse your face thoroughly with lukewarm water.
How often should you do it?
Use this face pack once a week safely.
Best peel-off face masks for skin brightening
The following are some of the best peel-off face mask home remedies for getting that brighter and glowing complexion.
1. Glycerin & milk peel face mask for bright skin
Glycerin is your go-to choice for a great moisturizer but more than an excellent moisturizer, it is a great skin nourisher and exfoliator that makes the skin soft, smooth and youthful thereby imparting it glow.
Milk, on the other hand, has a plethora of other skin health benefits too like it is a great anti-bacterial and an excellent exfoliator that can reveal lighten your dark, pigmented skin.
The combination of these amazing properties of milk works to provide the best of both worlds for your skin health by protecting your skin from ugly facial scars and giving its deserving brighter glow too by providing natural exfoliation.
Ingredients
How to make this mask?
- First, properly warm up milk and put it in a clean bowl
- Now, add both glycerin and gelatin in it and shake well to get a smooth mixture and then let this smooth mixture to cool down a bit.
- When it has cooled down to the applicable level, gently apply this paste on your face or other desired area in layers and leave it to dry out naturally.
- Finally, after 10-15 minutes, gently peel off this mask and clean up your face for a leftover mask before you properly clean up your face with slightly lukewarm water.
Using this peel-off face mask regularly for a couple of weeks would surely reveal a smooth, soft, even-textured and blemishes free skin but you have to be patient and hopeful.
2. Rosewater and pineapple juice face mask for bright skin
Build up of extra oil on your skin surface is a very common reason for the dark and dullness of skin. For that, a recipe like rose water is an effective remedy.
Rosewater, thanks to its amazing astringent properties cleans up any oil build up on your skin and restores the natural bright glow and texture of your skin. Similarly, pineapple is an excellent moisturizer and deep hydrating antioxidant agent that restores the fresh, lighter and youthful look.
Ingredients
- About 2 tbsp of rose water
- About 4 tbsp of pineapple juice
- Gelatin about 1 tbsp
How to make this mask?
- First, add both pineapple and rose water in a bowl and uniformly mix them.
- Now, heat up this paste for about a minute to allow the further dissolution of each other and then add the required amount of Gelatin in it and let is dissolved completely.
- When the mixture has considerably cooled down, start applying it gently on your face and cover it up with a thick cloth but don’t forget to protect your eyes and mouth, etc.
- Let this mixture naturally dry upon your face for about 20-30 minutes before peeling it off followed by washing off your face with slightly lukewarm water and apply good moisture, right after it.
Use this mask at least once a week to get your glow and complexion back better than ever. More importantly, you would see a significant improvement in the irregular distribution of oil on your face.
3. Green Tea & Aloe Vera Face face Mask for bright skin
Green tea and Aloe vera is another powerful combination for getting that otherworld lightening glow as both have amazing skin benefiting properties.
While Green tea is a super antioxidant which helps retain your skin moisture which directly helps to make your skin clearer, softer and smoother.
On the other hand, Aloe vera is a proven natural skin remedy. A past study spanning over more than 3 months found that taking a daily aloe vera gel supplement can stimulate the production of collagen to significantly improve the radiance of your past.
Ingredients
- Green tea about half a cup, properly brewed
- Aloe Vera Gel, about 2 tbsps
- Gelatin about 2-3 tbsps
How to prepare this mask recipe?
- Add both green tea and Aloe Vera gel and let it warm up a little to enhance their mixture capability.
- Now add the gelatin in the mixture and shake well to let it dissolve completely and let this mixture cool down before it is applicable on your face.
- Cover up your face and let it be for about 15-20 minutes before you peel it off gently and washing your face with slightly warm water to remove any leftover mask imprint on your face.
- Finally, after washing your face, use a good moisturizer and toner to further supplement your face cleansing efforts with this mask.
Use this mask regularly to see a clear difference in your skin glow in a quick time. Irregular and improper usage of this mask is unlikely to yield those promising results that this mask promise.
4. Orange Juice and Gelatin Face Mask for bright skin
Orange juice is another common beauty ingredient in a lot of products and this is for a very good reason.
Being rich in Vitamin C and D, it is a great antioxidant that helps maintain the healthy and young look of your skin by fighting off any skin-damaging free radicals while serving a very good moisturizer too.
Moreover, this also helps in clearing off any acne scars, blemishes, and shrinking oily pores to reveal lightning, refreshed, youthful and radiant complexion of your face.
Ingredients
- Orange juice about 5 tbsps
- Gelatin about 1-2 tbsps
How to make this mask recipe?
- Take about a half a cup of orange juice in a clean bowl and warm it up.
- When it has adequate been warmed up, add the gelatin in it and stir the mixture well to dissolve gelatin smoothly and completely until it gives a homogeneous mixture.
- Let the mixture cool down to applicable levels and then gently apply it over your face and let it as it for about 10-20 minutes
- After this much time, peel it off gently and wash your face with slightly lukewarm water to remove any leftover impurities of the mask and immediately apply good moisture to boost your results.
Keep doing this face mask regularly twice a week to see visible results for your skin complexion. Irregular application is unlikely to produce desirable results.
5. Cucumber, & Gelatin face mask for bright skin
Cucumber has great antibacterial properties which makes it very powerful against the root cause of skin pigments, acne scars, and pimples. Moreover, it is probably one of the best moisturizing agents in the world which deeply hydrates your skin and is especially great for dry skin people.
Finally, the green tea included in this peel-off face mask is another bonus for your skin as it has amazing calming and gentle effects for your acne-prone skin as it is a great antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent.
The gelatin in the peel-off face mask helps in easy removal of the mask while helping against acne blackheads too to clear off skin to reveal a lighter and glowing complexion.
Ingredients:
- 1 small piece of cucumber
- Half a cup of green tea brewed
- Gelatin about 2-3 sachets
How to make this peel-off face mask recipe?
- First finely peel off the piece of cucumber and grind it properly to get a smooth paste.
- Now, take the juice of cucumber out of the grinder and collect it a separate bowl and then heat it up for about 2 minutes, until it becomes lukewarm.
- Now, add the sachets of gelatin and finely mix this mixture.
- Now, take this mixture and add it to the green tea bowl and mix these three ingredients well.
- Now, apply this uniform mixture on your face with the help of a good brush and let it dry it on your face for about 20-25 minutes.
- Finally, remove the mask gently with upward motions and wash your face with slightly lukewarm water and use good moisture, if available to effectively reap the moisturizing and skin healing effects of cucumber and green tea
6. Oatmeal, Honey and Yogurt face Mask for bright skin
This is another powerful combination for effective treatment of acne scars and blemishes/pigments to reveal a bright face complexion and it is for a reason.
Yogurt is a great natural exfoliator that cleans up any dead cells or dirt causing acne or blackheads and making your skin lighter, smoother and softer. Similarly, Honey has powerful antibacterial characteristics that are very crucial for keeping any sort of pigments/pimples or acne away.
Lastly, the Oatmeal is an ideal exfoliating agent that you would find in a lot of face beauty products like face masks and scrubs. All these three ingredients combine to provide a powerful natural skin lightening treatment.
Ingredients
- Oatmeal about 1tbsp
- Milk about 2-3 tbsp
- Honey just 1tbsp
- Yogurt about 2 tbsp
How to make this recipe?
- Take your regular portion of oatmeal and add milk to it and heat up this mixture to let it dilute to be able to involve other ingredients.
- Now, add the mentioned quantity of yogurt and honey into it and mix the resulting mixture well to get a smooth paste for your face and leave it to cool itself for a reasonable period of time.
- Lastly, past the resulting mixture on the desired face area and cover it up with a good wet cloth like a face towel and let this dry on your face but make sure you don’t choke up your nose and eyes during application.
- After about 30-40 minutes, peel away this mask gently and clean the leftover traces with cotton scabs before washing your face with slightly lukewarm water and applying a good moisturizer.
7. Charcoal & activated charcoal face masks for bright skin
I am sure you would have seen those satisfying images of charcoal masks removing blackheads, whiteheads and acne scars on the internet.
This is not just hype but a fact that charcoal and activated charcoal masks are powerful skin remedies for stubborn skin problems like blackheads, acne, pimples, etc.
They are popular and successful for a number of reasons as they fall true to their promise of effectively extracting any sort of dirt and impurities from the pores which result in relatively lighter and glowing skin.
8. Uptake your antioxidants intake (vitamin C)
Antioxidants rich in Vitamin C, found in lots of fruits & vegetables can help your dark, pigmented skin by stimulating the regeneration of new collagen skin tissues and could effectively protect against sun damage.
A study found that topical application of vitamin C in the form of a gel helped participants to minimize the appearance of blemishes, wrinkles and sun damage on their faces by providing hydration, decreasing inflammation and enhancing collagen production.
Foods rich in vitamin C antioxidants are
- Kale
- Kiwi
- Broccoli
- Lemon
- Lychees
- Papayas
- Strawberries
- Oranges
- Parsleys
- Thymes
- Guavas
- Chili peppers
Or alternatively, you can take some good vitamin C supplements capsules.
9. Eat a lot of skin-friendly minerals
Just like some vitamins, minerals as micronutrients in foods can protect against dark/pigmented skin and other skin damage to improve your natural glow and radiance.
Especially, Zinc & selenium are of particular importance over skin health. Using them as a topical cream containing them has been found to protect against wrinkles, sun damage and harmful surroundings.
Foods rich in zinc are.
- oysters
- beans
- almonds
- oatmeal
- peas
- cheese
Foods rich in selenium are
- sunflower seeds
- yogurt
- spinach
- oatmeal
- bananas
Best skincare tips to lighten skin
Lightening up your skin is not a one day-done-and-done dusted job.
While on and off otc treatments and home remedies are effective in themselves, without sticking to best skincare tips for 24/7-365 days, you would never be able to finally get out of that dark/pigmented-skin complex.
The following are the best skin care tips that can fulfill your dream of lighter, brighter and glowing skin.
1. Drink a lot of water
Drink a lot of water as it would help you get closer to your dream of bright skin by flushing out a lot of harmful toxins out of your body to improve the quality of blood which in turn benefits your skin to improve its appearance.
The cooling effects of water would not only counter the peeling and pain caused by the skin burns but would also aid in the natural exfoliation process of your skin to improve its appearance.
A study in 2018 suggests that drinking a lot of water can improve your skin dryness and can improve your overall skin hydration from inside out which has other immense health benefits.
2. Start doing regular gym
This is also important for improving the look of your skin. Hitting the gym daily and doing cardio daily for 20-30 minutes can increase the flow of blood with oxygen and other important nutrients.
This all the hard work would manifest in the form of clearer, brighter and glowing skin while improving your overall physique. Just try to do two or three workouts a week and you are nearer to your dream skin.
3. Ditch soda & low-quality carbs
Simply do away with all sorts of carbonated drinks a lot of low quality, easy carb cookies. While you might like sugar scrub for your skin exfoliation job, but taking it in excess is simply going to badly mess with your looks.
A sugar-rich diet leads to glycation which badly damages collagen and elastin – the most important skin proteins, which further takes you away from your brighter & glowing skin goal.
4. Hold fast the sunscreen 24/7-365 days
Make a habit to always wear sunscreen no matter what as even if you are not in the sunshade, there are still harmful UVB & UVB rays reaching out to cause structural changes and ugly discoloration to your skin.
If you want to realize your goal of clear and glowing skin, then don’t forget to wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 30.
5. Exfoliate regularly & gently
Regular skin exfoliation is extremely important for getting a brighter complexion. Regular exfoliation helps to remove away dead, dark skin cells to improve cell turnover rate by stimulating collagen and elastin production.
Just a 1-2 times of exfoliation session per week would do enough to maintain a glowing look of your skin surface.
6. Always keep your skin adequately moisturized
Keeping your skin adequately moisturized 24/7 is the most basic and best thing you can do for getting that lighter and brighter complexion. Particularly, don’t forget to moisturize both in the morning and before you go to sleep, especially after every exfoliation session.
You can also make use of a good humidifier to keep your surroundings full of adequate moisture.
7. Try to buy double-edge beauty ingredients
Look out for skincare ingredients that can act both as anti-agers and brighteners. This would save both time and money.
For example, Retinoids (vitamin A derivatives), although they are primarily known as anti-blemishes are very good anti-aging brightening agents too.
Moreover, research has also found them to protect from sun damage to prevent the breakdown of collagen – skin texture maintenance protein while stimulating its production on the other hand to bestow a radiant, glowing look to your face.
8. Give your skin a regular steamy touch
Giving your skin 1-2 times a weekly steamy touch would help you open your pores, gets the oxygen, blood, and nutrients flowing while complementing your body in sweating out toxins and clearing up pores of grime and debris.
These all benefits manifest themselves in the form of healthy, clearer and brighter skin.
9. Try out a liquid highlighter
For a dark, pigmented skin an oil-free liquid iridescent highlighter can help. Whether you mix it with your foundation, face lotion, or body lotion or use it alone, it can quickly help you lighten up your bones, your cheeks area and your whole body from head-to-toe.
10. Shun smoking
If you are really serious about getting that brighter complexion on your face than you have to quit smoking at the earliest.
Research evidence
Smoking like in the form of cigarettes can damage your skin building blocks, collagen and elastin to cause premature aging wrinkles and fine lines.
A study conducted on identical twins found that sibs who smoked were likely to have about 40% more wrinkles and thin skin as compared to non-smoking sibs.
FAQs
Q: How can I lighten my skin?
Ans: You can lighten up your skin with the following treatments.
Professional treatments:
Microdermabrasion
Chemical peeling
OTC treatments:
Topical retinoids (vitamin A derivative)
Hydroquinone
Kojic acid
Arbutin
AHAs & BHAs
Home remedies:
Lemon
Cucumber
Honey
Coconut milk
Tomato
Orange
Aloe vera
Green tea
Yogurt
Q: What can you eat to make your skin lighter?
Ans: You can do the following treatments to make your skin lighter
Professional treatments:
Microdermabrasion
Chemical peeling
OTC treatments:
Topical retinoids (vitamin A derivative)
Hydroquinone
Kojic acid
Arbutin
AHAs & BHAs
Home remedies:
Lemon
Cucumber
Honey
Coconut milk
Tomato
Orange
Aloe vera
Green tea
Yogurt
Q: Can sunscreen lighten your skin?
Ans: Yes, a sunscreen containing ‘Hydroquinone’ in it can both lighten your skin to make it brighter & glowing while offering those sun protection benefits.
Q: Can coconut oil lighten your skin?
An: Yes, coconut oil can lighten your skin. It is rich in vitamin A and vitamin E, both powerful antioxidants that have anti-aging properties. Moreover, its ability to deeply hydrate and improve collagen production greatly improves the radiance and glow of your skin.
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