So, you used to have flawless, even skin. Then, one day, all of a sudden, a patch appears, darker than the rest. What is this? Should you be worried? And how to get rid of it naturally?
Don’t worry, we have a skin care tip that will safely (and naturally) smooth out that tone and remove the dark spot.
Firstly, what causes dark spots?
Dark spots appear on the skin for a variety of reasons. The most common of these is hyperpigmentation, a process by which the melanin in the skin increases, often resulting from sun exposure over time.
Because these spots generally appear in greater frequency with age, they’re sometimes referred to as age spots. They often appear on the face, hands, shoulders, and arms—as these areas tend to undergo higher sun exposure than other parts of the body.
Other factors that can contribute to the appearance of dark spots include pregnancy, hormone imbalance, acne scars, certain medications, vitamin deficiencies, lack of sleep, stress, and scarring left from skin blemishes.
Do you need to remove them?
In the majority of cases, removing dark spots is optional and based on ascetic preference. They are typically non harmful, but if you have one that appears abnormal, you may want to have it checked out by a dermatologist to be sure. When it comes to the normal patches that appear slightly darker than the rest of the skin, there are a number of cosmetic procedures and options for removal that can be pricey, time-intensive, and even result in skin sensitivities and other issues down the road.
How to remove dark spots naturally
No need to fret, though, as there are also simpler, more cost-effective, and safer skin care tips, including those using all-natural products you probably already have in your kitchen! A favorite diy scrub that can remove dark spots involves mixing just two ingredients:
- – Milk
- – Brown rice powder
To make the scrub, first make a coarse powder with the brown rice in a blender.
Next, combine with enough milk to cover the rice powder.
No need to use a lot of milk, as you’ll want to maintain a coarse consistency. A good ratio is 1:1, but there’s no exact formula. And you don’t need to use a lot, just enough to cover the area you want to treat. For example, if you’re only using the scrub for your face, a tablespoon or two of each ingredient is plenty.
Once you’ve combined the milk and rice powder, scrub it onto your face and/or anywhere else you have dark spots. Leave the scrub on your skin for 5 minutes, and then wash it off.
And that’s it! You can repeat this every day, once or twice a day.
Why this works
Particularly if your spots have recently appeared, they may be contained within the top few layers of skin. Exfoliation with the coarse rice powder removes the top layer of skin, bringing new, fresh skin cells to the surface. So not only will your dark spots diminish over time, but you will also be left with glowing skin!
A wonderful side effect of exfoliation with this scrub is it will help to even out skin blemishes and reduce acne scars.
In addition, milk helps to lighten the skin by promoting the shedding of pigmented skin cells.
And voila! Dark spots, removed.
Want more?
Hopped on board the diy face scrub train? Check out other skin care tips, including scrubs you can make with easy-to-find ingredients here.
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