7 Effective Skin Brightening and Lightening Solutions

Today, our life has become so busy that we get little time to take care of our skin. With time, our skin gets exposed to pollution and harmful toxins that damages it. Also, other factors like stress and improper diet routines contribute to the damage. This cause premature aging and makes the skin look older than it actually is. So, what to do in this case?

Well, we simply can’t ignore skin care because our skin has its own needs. No one likes to look older than he/she actually is. There are various cosmetics available in the market that can fulfill the beauty needs of the skin. But, as we all know, every cosmetic has some side-effect and is expensive too. So, what can we do now? Well, what if there is something that can fulfill the beauty needs of your skin while helping it recover from all the damages, without costing a lot of money? Is it possible?

The answer is yes, there are some home remedies that can make your skin look brighter and give it a natural shine, without spending too much money. There are various natural skin masks and scrubs that can cleanse and exfoliate your skin, bringing out the natural glow. Also, these are easy to make at home.

These home remedies are listed below:

1. Milk, Honey and Lemon Juice Mask

All the three components, i.e., lemon juice, milk and honey, are essential for skin health. The key component of milk that makes it beneficial for skin is lactic acid which is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). It is very effective in the removal of dead cells from the skin and give it a bright glow.

Also, honey is rich in antioxidants and has natural anti-bacterial properties which can be effective to reduce signs of aging. Moreover, lemon juice enhances the function of the skin mask as it is a rich source of vitamin C and reduces the production of melanin which is responsible for skin tanning.

Ingredients:

Milk- 1 tablespoon
Lemon juice- 1 tablespoon
Honey- 1 teaspoon

How to use:

• Mix well all the ingredients together to make a paste.
• Cleanse the face with water and apply the paste on it for at least 20 minutes.
• Wash the face with warm water.

Apply this face mask on skin on alternate days before going to sleep for effective results. Also, this mask is appropriate for all skin types, however, if applying this on face causes a burning sensation, it is advised to wash it clean quickly and apply some ice on face.

2. Yogurt and Dried Orange Mask

Orange and yogurt are common household ingredients. They have a large number of skin benefits. Yogurt is a milk product and contains lactic acid AHA which is beneficial for the removal of dead skin layers. Also, orange is a rich source of vitamin C and is loaded with essential antioxidants that can be beneficial for reducing the signs of aging and helps in the treatment of skin pigmentation.

Ingredients:

Yogurt (unflavored)- 1 tablespoon
A few slices of orange

How to use:

• Dry the slices of orange in the sun for a few days till they become a bit crispy.
• Grind the dried-up slices to form a powder.
• Mix one tablespoon of this powder with the yogurt to form a smooth paste.
• Cleanse the face and apply this paste on it for about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Wash the face with warm water.

Appropriate for all skin types, use this face pack every alternate day for effective skin benefits.

3. Gram Flour and Rose Water Face Mask

Gram flour has natural anti-microbial properties that safeguards the skin from infections. Also, it helps in exfoliating the skin and giving a refreshed look. Meanwhile, rosewater helps in moisturizing the skin and giving it a natural glow.

Ingredients:

Gram flour- 2 tablespoons
Rose water- 2 to 3 teaspoons

How to use:

• Mix the ingredients well to make a smooth paste.
• Apply the paste on the face for 20-30 minutes and then wash it clean with warm water.

This face pack is effective for people with dry skin. However, in case of oily skin, it is advised to use yogurt in place of rose water. Yogurt with its lactic acid component can help in exfoliating the dead skin layer and bringing out natural glow on the face.

4. Sandalwood Powder

Sandalwood can be very effective for skin brightening, as it can suppress the function of tyrosinase, an enzyme that promotes the production of melanin. By doing so, it helps in reducing skin darkening, thus bringing natural glow to the skin. It is mixed along with milk and almond powder that can provide essential nutrition to the skin and helps in cleansing, making it healthier.

Ingredients:

Sandalwood powder- 1 tablespoon
Almond powder- 1 tablespoon
Milk

How to use:

• Mix almond and sandalwood powders in milk until they form a smooth paste.
• Make sure that the mixture isn’t very thick or thin and is easily applicable on face.
• Cleanse the face with lukewarm water and apply the paste on it for at least 20 minutes.

This skin mask is effective for all the skin types. It can be used two-three times a week to give a radiant look to the skin. Also, if you are first time user, before applying sandalwood on face, make sure that you aren’t allergic to it. To test for allergy, you can simply apply a patch of sandalwood powder on the forearm for a day and check whether it causes irritation to the skin.

Also, if your face feels dry after washing of the paste, it is advised to use skin moisturizers to treat it.

5. Papaya and Honey Face Mask

Papaya contains various enzymes which makes it very essential element for your skin care. An enzyme called papain found in papaya can be extremely beneficial for skin helping in the treatment of acne. It also contains alpha hydroxy acids that can help in cleansing the skin and removing dead skin layer to bring out the natural glow of skin.

When the skin benefits of papaya combine with the antibacterial properties of honey, they become an effective solution to make the skin brighter.

Ingredients:

Papaya (pieces)- ½ cup
Honey- 1 teaspoon

How to use:

• Mash the papaya pieces in a bowl to form a thick and smooth paste.
• Add honey to the mashed papaya paste and mix thoroughly.
• Apply the final paste on the face and let it stay on the face for at least 20 minutes.
• Wash the face with warm water.
• Now, wash it again with cold water and pat with towel to dry it.

This face pack is effective for people with normal skin or an oily skin. However, some people are allergic to papain enzyme found in papaya, thus it is advised that if you are allergic to papaya or any of its products, don’t use this face mask. If not allergic, use this every night and give your face and young and shiny glow.

6. Aloe Vera and Rice Flour Scrub

Aloe vera is a vital ingredient of various skin care cosmetics because of its variety of skin benefits. It is loaded with antioxidants and helps in the treatment of various skin problems such as acne, psoriasis, and eczema. Also, the other ingredient of mask, i.e., rice flour has anti-inflammatory properties and can help in cleansing the impurities and dead skin cells from the face.

Ingredients:

Aloe vera- 1 leaf
Rice flour- 2 tablespoons

How to use:

• Make a gentle cut on the aloe leaf to extract gel.
• Dip the gel secreting side of the leaf into rice flour and then gently rub it on the face in a circular motion.
• Scrub for a few minutes and later wash it off with warm water. Further, use cold water to clean the face again.
• Wipe the face with a towel.

This face scrub is beneficial for all skin types. Use it on alternate days, before going to sleep and the results will be visible after some days. Just remember that you have to rub the scrub gently over the face to avoid any kind of damage to it.

7. Baking Soda Scrub

Baking soda is a natural skin exfoliator and has natural anti-bacterial properties. This makes it an excellent scrub that can help in removing dead skin cells from the face and kill skin damaging bacteria to bring out the hidden glow of the face.

Ingredients:

Baking soda- 1 to 2 tablespoons
Water

How to use:

• Mix baking soda in water to make a smooth paste.
• Apply the paste on the face and scrub gently for a few minutes.
• Wash the face and moisturize it to avoid dryness.

This scrub is effective for approximately all skin types except for sensitive skin. Just use this scrub every day for a week and the results will soon be visible. You can also add a few drops of lemon juice to the face pack for better results.