5 Ingredients to lighten your skin safely and naturally

DIY Beauty: 5 Ingredients to lighten your skin safely and naturally

Angela Goh

27 Apr 2016

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Yogurt
Cleopatra, the original queen of beauty, was said to regularly take milk baths to achieve a glowing complexion. Take it a step further with your own beauty routine by applying yogurt to your skin. Yogurt has many nutrients and proteins that are good for the skin, as well as lactic acid, which has gentle bleaching properties.
Application tips: Gently rub plain yogurt (don’t use flavoured or sweetened yogurt) onto your skin and leave to sit for a few minutes before rinsing with water. By doing this once a day for 2 to 3 weeks, you will begin to notice a significant change in your skin’s radiance.
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Oatmeal
Fine oatmeal is a perfect skin exfoliator that is very effective at sloughing off dead skin cells and revealing a brighter complexion. By applying an oatmeal mask on your face and neck, you can be sure to gain a healthier glow.
Application tips: Mix finely ground oatmeal powder with a few tablespoons of lemon juice to make a paste. Use this as a scrub on your face and neck and leave it to dry. Wash off with warm water or gently clean off the mask with a wet cloth. Do this once or twice a week to achieve best results.
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Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has many uses and is known to help with a variety of skin problems. If you suffer from dark spots on your face or other parts of your body, the solution can help to dry out and fade the spots.
Application tips: Undiluted apple cider vinegar can be too strong for your skin, so always mix it with an equal amount of water. You may also mix some honey with it to create a paste. Apply the solution to your dark spots and leave it on until it dries completely. Wash off thoroughly. Repeat this process once a day for a month to see results.
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Gram flour
Also known as garbanzo bean flour or besan, gram flour is a popular ingredient for lightening the skin’s complexion. It contains a cocktail of nutrients that can help maintain the radiance and health of skin.
Application tips: Mix some gram flour with a little water to create a thick paste. Apply this paste on the parts of your body that you want to lighten – face, hands, legs. Leave the paste on until it dries, then wash off with lukewarm water.
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Aloe vera gel
Aloe vera is a miracle plant that can heal all sorts of ailments and provide relief to burns and sunburns. Aloe vera is also very good at restoring your skin’s original colour and reduce hyperpigmentation.
Application tips: Generously apply fresh aloe gel on your skin and leave on to dry for about half and hour before rinsing off with warm water. Do this twice a day for about two weeks.

Exposure to the sun causing some ugly dark spots and discolouration? Try some natural ways to lighten and brighten your skin.

Suffering from unsightly dark spots and annoying brown patches on your skin? It might be time to slough off those dead skin cells and renew your complexion. There are plenty of products out there that are good at whitening and brightening your skin, but sometimes they might be too harsh because of additives and strong chemicals. Give your skin a break by using a few natural ingredients found in your kitchen to achieve a brighter glow.

Ingredients such as plain yogurt and gram flour can help to lighten the skin and reduce the duration of lingering dark spots. It can be difficult to stick to a regular routine of creating your own natural DIY pastes and masks, but it might be worth a try to see how these ingredients can benefit your delicate skin. Head up to the gallery to check out 5 of the best ingredients that will help you achieve a lighter complexion.

Angela Goh

Photos: Getty Images

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