Freckles appear early in life, increase in number during summer months and fade in winter. After the age of 40-45 they disappear, but who wants to wait?
Age spots are similar to freckles. They appear later in life and can occur in any skin type.
If you know why the discoloration occurs and take measures to prevent and treat it, you can have an even skin tone at any age.
What To Do
If you want to avoid skin discoloration, the first and the most important thing you need to do is to avoid sun exposure and wear sunscreen. This way your body will not need to produce more melanin (melanin is produced by the body in response to sun exposure).
Since melanin is accumulated in the upper layer of the skin, you might want to consider skin lightening and peeling. There are different products that can be used for this purpose:
Hydroquinone has been a very popular treatment, however it can irritate the skin.
Kojic acid, discovered in Japan in 1989, is a natural product derived from fungi. It is gentle on the skin and very effective in treating skin discoloration. Penetrating upper skin layers, it inhibits the formation of the pigment.
Alpha hydroxy acids help to shed the old cells faster, therefore they will be helpful as well. By removing the outer skin cells, which are usually darker, you will make your freckles or age spots lighter and less visible. If you decide to use any of the above products, extra sun protection is imperative. If necessary, apply an SPF cream several times a day. By using skin lighteners and peels, you affect the upper darker layer. Lower layers are lighter, with less melanin present. If you don't protect your skin, it will launch its own defense mechanism producing more melanin. This will result in darker and more intensive discoloration which can be even harder to get rid of.
Please remember that skin discoloration require consistent treatment. Once you stop using lighteners and protection, the dark patches will be back. But keeping up with your skin regiment is not difficult: all you need is a gentle yet effective lightener and a moisturizer with complete UV protection - against both UVB and UVA rays.
Natural Remedies
Wash your face with sour milk. Lactic acid will provide gentle peeling effect without irritating or drying your skin.
Lemon juice is a time-proven freckle fighting remedy. It is not necessary to rub your skin with a piece of lemon. Applying the juice with your fingers will do the job.
Fruit and vegetable masks (apricots, strawberries, cucumbers, red currant).
Sour cream mask. Do not rinse this mask completely, just remove gently with a facial tissue, then apply a moisturizer. For oily skin - use lemon juice before applying the mask.
Natural parsley juice (or parsley infusion) mixed with equal amounts of lemon juice, orange juice, and red currant juice under your favorite cream will help you keep your freckles invisible.
Increase your Vitamin C intake! It makes your skin less sensitive to the sun. Foods rich in vitamin C include citrus fruits, apples, green onions, black and red currant, rosehip tea.
Start the day with a hot shower... but before you get out switch to cold water for about fifteen seconds. Then turn up the heat a little, and down again to repeat the process for about two minutes. Why would I want to do that?! I hear you cry! This is a simple hydrotherapy technique which revitalizes the skin by stimulating the flow of blood through the body. It is both invigorating and highly beneficial to the skin. So even though you may not really enjoy the process, just think of the all the good its doing you!
Use a good moisturizer. Choose a highly protective day cream which contains zinc oxide, and provides SPF30 protection to form a barrier against the elements. Creamier, water-in-oil emulsions are best. And dont forget about your lips. Chapped lips are often the most noticeable problem for a lady in the winter. Use a highly moisturizing lip balm which provides a protective barrier, with vitamin E for good elasticity.
Exfoliate at least twice a week. This will remove dead cells and allow the skin to absorb extra moisture. The oil which we all complain about in the Summer is no longer being produced because of cooler winter temperatures and central heating. Therefore the skin looses the water which should be retained in the lower dermis of the skin. This can lead to premature aging of the skin and fine lines, whilst your skin can appear puffy and grey. Nice!
Drink a glass of hot water with lemon. This Chinese herbal remedy is a sure-fire method of energizing your body. It will de-tox your entire system, including the liver and gall bladder. This means that your body will be able to clean the blood faster to get rid of toxins responsible for bad skin.
Simply sleep! Money cant buy the benefits of a good nights rest. Your oxygen levels will drop if you dont get enough sleep, meaning that your cells will not be renewed as quickly. This is when degenerative skin aging sets in. Try to get seven, if not eight or nine hours of rest a night to achieve absolutely painless benefits. Its ideal!
When you talk about home remedies for acne and pimple, your mind reverts to the natural ways of living. Wrong living is bound to give you wrong results. Natural growth of the human body and the resultant hormonal changes cause acne. Improper skin care and wrong food habits add fuel to the fire and worsen the conditions of acne.
The great assurance about home remedies is that they are harmless and will not cause you any side effects. For every type of disease, a cure is provided by the Nature. Only you need to make self-assessment for what is good for you and what not. Some of the tried and trusted methods, since time immemorial, are: 1.Take raw milk and grind nutmeg with it. This paste has genuine acne healing qualities. The cure is complete and no marks or scars are left on your face. 2.Make a mixture of one teaspoon cinnamon powder and an equal quantity of lemon juice. and apply it softly on your face, especially the pimple affected area. You will get good results. 3.Take three table spoons of pure honey and mix it with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder. Apply it on the pimples and let the paste remain there overnight. Wash it next morning with lukewarm water. Continue this operation for two weeks. Pimples will vanish for ever. 4.Dry the orange peel and make its paste. Daub the paste on the pimples. You will have lots of relief in the acne and pimples condition. 5.Garlic is a well known remedy for pimples. Crush garlic and apply fresh juice on and around the pimples. Regular application will solve the problem of pimples once for all,. No scars will be left on your face. 6.Lime juice is used with many other combinations. Mix it with groundnut oil. This is a good treatment for blackheads and pimples. 7.Mint juice does much more. The fresh juice applied overnight, takes care of stings, scabies,eczema and other skin infections. 8.Wrinkles on your face may be inevitable at the old age, but why should you have them now? Make the paste of fresh fenugreek leaves and daub it on your face . Let it remain there for about 15 minutes. Wash the face with warm water. Along with wrinkles this will treat your pimples and blackheads. 9.If you have a sharp attack of pimples and if they are swelling, apply the juice of raw papaya for good results.
10.Now, one evergreen remedy for pimples. Mix rose water and lime juice in equal quantities. Apply profusely on the affected area. With lukewarm water wash it off, after 30 minutes. Pimples are bound to disappear and your skin will glow.
All home remedies for acne are enhanced by proper vitamin and mineral supplementation. Drink lots of water. Drinking water will prevent most of your skin problems. For a simple calculation divide your body weight in half and drink at the least that many ounces of water a day. Exercise regularly. Some form of aerobic exercise will bring oxygen to your cells and give you a healthy skin.
blackheads & Acne Home remedies
1. Put toothpaste on your pimple before you go to bed, should help reduce swelling overnight. Make sure it is the paste not the gel. One of the most popular acne home remedies.
2. Wash your face twice a day in warm salty water. This should leave your face oil free without aggravating the acne.
3. Apply a paste of fresh methi (fenugreek) leaves over the face every night for 10-15 minutes and washed with warm water. This will prevent acne, pimples, blackheads, and wrinkles.
4. Place strawberry leaves on the acne, the alkalinity helps to reduce the swelling.
5. Extract juice of one lemon and mix with equal quantity of rose water. Apply this mixture on the face and let it stay for about half an hour. Wash the face with fresh water. About 15 days application helps cure acne, pimples and reduces blemishes and scars.
6. Another method is to massage the face with the skin of lemon before washing with lukewarm water.
7. Apply fresh mint juice over the face every night for the treatment of acne, pimples, insect stings, eczema, scabies, & other skin infections.
8. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. At least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables should be included in your diet. All acne home remedies should include a healthy diet.
9. A couple of garlic cloves, crushed and dabbed on the face 1-2 times a day. One of the smellier acne home remedies!
10. Home face wash for acne: Mix together 1 or 2mls each of the following: witch hazel, tea-tree and sweet fennel essential oils, adding essential oil of geranium for women and essential oil of rosewood for men. Mix with 300mls of water. Shake before use, as the oils will float on top of the water during storage. Dab affected areas with cotton wool two or three times a day. The oils will clean and unclog giving antibiotic-like protection to the skin.
11. Apply fresh lemon juice on the affected area overnight. Wash off with warm water next morning.
12. Use 2-3 tsp. dried basil leaves to 1 cup boiling water. Steep 10-20 minutes. Cool, and apply with cotton ball.
13. Grind orange peel with some water to a paste and apply on affected parts. One of the best acne home remedies.
14. Clean face with cotton wool dipped in rose water 2-3 times a day.
15. Mix 1 teaspoon lemon juice in 1 teaspoon finely ground cinnamon powder and apply on affected areas frequently.
16. Nettle Tea is another solution, this tea has a herb that has some curing power and really helps work wonders on skin problems. Drink four cups a day to get the full benefit of one of the most powerful acne home remedies.
17. Aloe Vera juice applied twice a day can greatly speed up the healing of acne lesions.
18. Another lotion that uses bee propolis extract may also be effective. Mix eight ounces of water and 11 drops of bee propolis extract. One of the acne home remedies which has been proven effective with many people.
19. Some herbal acne home remedies…
Burdock leaf tea.
Lavender essential oil (mix 1:10 with water)
Tincture of calendula flowers.
Tea tree essential oil (mix 1:10 with water)
Liquefy cabbage leaves with witch hazel, strain and add two drops of lemon oil. Use as a lotion.
20. Ice down the acne before bed, by morning it should be noticeably less swollen. Works best on larger pimples that have not yet formed a head.
21. Take vitamin B5 and zinc supplements daily to strengthen the skin’s resistance to acne.
22. Mix mint juice with turmeric powder and apply on affected area. Leave for 15-30 minutes and wash off with lukewarm water.
23. Mix some vinegar and salt in a bowl. Pour a little bit in your hand and rub it on the pimples. Soak a face towel in it and dab it on the bumps. Leave it on for 15-20 minutes and rinse it off.
24. Blend cucumber and make a paste. Apply this as a mask on your face and leave it for 1/2 hour and then rinse. This refreshes your skin and prevents acne.
25. Mix corn flour with egg white and apply on your face. Let is dry completely for 1/2 hour. Dip your hands in warm water and massage your face and wash off. This when repeated regularly gives you a smooth skin.
26. Mix sandalwood paste with rosewater and apply on the face. Rinse off after 30 minutes.
27. Essential oil face mask for acne: Use a mask base powder, such as fuller’s earth or kaolin powder. Use distilled or filtered water to make a paste. Mix 1 heaped teaspoon of base powder to 3 drops of essential oil. Add approximately 2 tablespoons of the water in, to make a fluid yet balanced paste. Essential oils to add in the mask either separately or try smaller amounts together; cypress oil 1 drop, lemon oil 2 drops, sage oil 1 drop.
28. Mix the paste of tender neem leaves with turmeric and apply of affected area. An eastern approach to acne home remedies.
29. Grind some nutmeg with milk and apply on affected area. Pimples disappear like magic without leaving a mark.
30. Make a mixture of lime juice and rose water. Apply on face and leave it for 15-20 minutes. Rinse off with lukewarm water.
31. Make a paste by mixing 3 tablespoons of honey and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it next morning with warm water. Repeat for two weeks, pimples will disappear forever.
32. Rub fresh garlic on and around pimples. Pimples will disappear without a mark with regular applications.
33. Mix 1 tsps groundnut oil with 1 tspn fresh lime juice to prevent formation of blackheads and pimples .
34. Ground drumstick pods and leaves and mix mixed with fresh lime juice, and apply on pimples. This is also good for blackheads and dark spots.
35. First wash face and then dab acne with cotton balls soaked in vinegar.
36. Mix groundnut oil with an equal amount of fresh lime juice and apply on face. leave for 10-15 minutes and wash. It may be applied daily to prevent formation of blackheads, acne and pimples.
37. Apply juice of raw papaya (including the skin and seed) on swelling acne, pimples.
38. Apply fresh lime juice mixed to a glass of boiled milk as a face wash for acne, pimples, blackheads, and cracked skin.
39. Apply ripe Tomatoes pulp on acne, pimples and kept up to 1 hour, then wash.
40. Make a paste of roasted & powdered pomegranate skin with fresh lime juice and apply over acne, boils, pimple, blackheads and whiteheads.
41. Apply grated potatoes as poultice to treat skin blemishes, wrinkles, boils, pimples, blackheads, whiteheads , etc.
42. Make a paste of ground radish seeds with water and apply on face to remove blackheads.
43. Apply a paste of ground sea-same seeds with water as poultice for inflammation of the skin due to allergies, skin rashes, and pimples.
44. Large pores on facial skin can be treated with paste of sandalwood powder with masoor dal.
45. Use an oatmeal or almond mask thoroughly to cleanse your face. Mix either oatmeal or almond powder with enough rose water to make a soft paste that spreads easily on the skin. Rub it on your skin with your fingertips, paying special attention the problem areas. Leave to dry for about 15 minutes and then rinse off with cold water. This is very good in getting rid of blackheads.
46. A solution made out of one and a half cups of hot water and half a tablespoon of boric powder is an ideal remedy for blackheads, Saturate a face napkin in this hot solution and press on to the skin, repeat twice. Extract blackheads carefully with a blackhead remover and sterilized cotton wool. Pat on an astringent.
