Many of us are obsessed with healthy and beautiful skin, and rightfully so. It is almost like the visual side of your résumé as beauty could take you places. Just ask Lori Harvey.
Of course, we know you wouldn't spare a grain of effort in evening your skin tone and eliminating those dark spots that have invaded your beautiful skin.
These darker patches are most due to hyperpigmentation. But what really is this condition?
Basically, your pigmentation is your skin color. The sad "hyper" prefix comes in when your skin produces more melanin than normal. Consequently, your skin tone becomes uneven, with some areas appearing darker than their surrounding.
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Hyperpigmentation can come in the form of Melasma (hormonally triggered), sunspots, or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (where the skin is inflamed).
No doubt, hyperpigmentation can distort your looks, and this can be disheartening, do doubt. But you wouldn't need to mortgage your home to afford treatment for hyperpigmentation.
In this piece, we will explore readily available home remedies to relieve you of this nightmare.
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Cheap and accessible, apple cider vinegar is a reliable source of acetic acid, which lightens pigmentation. Apple cider vinegar is obtained from apples by fermentation.
Being a liquid, apple cider vinegar is topically applied. So here is the deal. This substance has an acidic pH with the potential of balancing the external skin layer's pH.
More than that, the acetic acid contained in vinegar boasts keratolytic and antibacterial properties. Apple cider vinegar's exfoliative property has a lot to do with its malic acid content.
Malic acid reduces the prevalence of dark spots, thanks to its capacity to reduce melanin production. This means lesser pigmentation in the areas apple cider vinegar is applied.
However, apple cider vinegar's strong acidic content necessitates diluting it with water first before applying it to prevent chemical burns. The recommended dilution ratio is four parts water to one part apple cider vinegar.
After diluting, you can apply the solution to the darkened patches on your skin. Leave it for at most 3 minutes before rinsing it off with lukewarm water.
How regularly? To get optimal results, you should repeat this procedure twice every day.
Tumeric
Tumeric has a historic reputation for healing in India and Central America. Fundamentally, turmeric is the root of the Curcuma plant, with the latter a member of the ginger family. For decades, it has played a crucial role in skincare as well as in traditional Ayurvedic medication.
Tumeric has proven to suppress melanin production, which can help combat hyperpigmentation. Turmeric has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacities that brighten dark spots on the skin, even treating wrinkles and fine lines.
An insightful study revealed that turmeric-based cream reduced hyperpigmentation in participants up to 14% after 28 days of application.
Dark spots – as associated with hyperpigmentation – are best treated with turmeric face masks. These masks are prepared by adding turmeric extract (or powder as the case may be) to a thickening agent, arriving at a paste.
Precisely for hyperpigmentation, you can mix your turmeric with either yogurt or honey. You can also introduce some drops of lemon juice if you wish for enhanced lightning. Take note that such lemon addition is best suited to people whose skins are not extremely sensitive.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a darling when it comes to skincare. Its effectiveness (regarding lightening dark spots) is uncommon among natural ingredients.
Studies have shown Vitamin C works in reducing melanin production while boosting collagen production. Overall, this enhances cellular health.
You can either go with retinol or AHA peels to take off your skin surface's damaged layers. A topical application of Vitamin C speeds up the therapeutic effect as the skin directly absorbs the vitamins, increasing nutrient bioavailability. You should see reasonable results within 14 days.
Green Tea Extract
Research has shown that green tea extract helps in reducing excessive skin pigmentation when topically applied. Green tea bags are believed to help in this process.
Trying this out is simple. All you need is to steep your green tea bag in boiled water for at most 5 minutes. Great! Now take off the tea bag, and allow it to cool fairly to avoid skin burns.
Cooled, you can rub the tea bag over the dark patches on your skin. You can do this twice every day until you start seeing noticeable results.
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera contains a compound called aloesin. Aloesin has demonstrated effectiveness in healing hyperpigmentation by reducing melanin production.
In a study using hyperpigmented human skin produced in the laboratory, aloesin effectively reduced melanin production.
Aloe vera can be applied to the hyperpigmented areas in the form of a gel. This sticky and dense gel is prepared from the plant leaves.
To achieve the best results, you should aim for older aloe vera plants as they have higher prospects of containing increased aloesin content. The leaves you choose should be free of damage, especially mold.
Ideally, the roots should be smooth with a consistent greenness across their length. Cut the selected leaves off the stem, wash, and dry them.
After this, you can scrape the gel off the leaves with a knife. Now rub a layer of that gel on the affected skin areas. You can repeat this regimen several times daily till you start seeing results.
So there are some ready home remedies for treating skin hyperpigmentation. They are cheap and easy to prepare, yet work so well. Tell you what, we can't wait to see you rock your charming skin again.
