Are dark spots bothering you? And you are wondering where to go to lighten or eliminate those dark spots on your face? If you’ve had too much sun exposure then you can most likely blame that for those dark spots, known as hyperpigmentation.

Usually, these spots appear on your face, legs, and arms. They can also appear as a result of excessive exposure to sunlight. They are usually harmless, but in some cases, they may be a sign of an underlying skin condition.

This article lists the natural ways as well as DIY beauty natural treatments and masks for removing dark spots.

But, make sure you always conduct a patch test for sensitivity before applying these homemade natural remedies on your entire face. You can expect to see results within 4-6 weeks.

Before we proceed, it will interest you to know that in the video below, we have visually explained one simple and natural way (Diy) to effectively clear dark spots and you’ll certainly love it.

What Causes Dark Spots On The Face And Body?

Dark spots occur when your skin produces excess melanin, which gives your skin its color. Melanin is a pigment produced by your body that gives your hair, eyes, and skin color.

The thing is that, it’s not just external factors that cause those frustrating dark spots on your face and body. There are other factors that can lead to increased melanin production which include:

• Aging: Age spots are the result of an excess production of skin pigment. Dermatologist don’t always know why age spots develop. Skin aging, sun exposure, or other forms of ultraviolet (UV) light exposure, such as tanning beds, are all possible causes.
• Pimples: As a pimple heals, your body sometimes produces cells with too much melanin in them to replace the damaged skin. This results in post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, which we sometimes just call a dark spot.
• Pregnancy: Melasma causes dark splotchy spots in pregnant women. These spots most commonly appear on your forehead and cheeks and are a result of increased pigmentation. When you become pregnant your body produces more hormones, which causes an increase in pigmentation.
• Prescription Medication: Medications like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), psychotropic drugs, or tetracyclines can lead to increased melanin production. This can result in dark spots.
• Hormonal Imbalances: Hormonal influences are the main cause of a particular kind of hyperpigmentation known as melasma or chloasma. It is common especially among women, and is thought to occur when the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone stimulate the excess production of melanin when skin is exposed to sunlight.

But the good news for you is that there are so many ways to get rid of dark spots (hyperpigmentation) including:

• Strict Sun Protection
• Topical medications like Retin-A, chemical peels, manual exfoliation, glycolic acid pads, microdermabrasion, laser treatment, a great concealer, and more.

There are several natural home remedies that can help eliminate your dark spots. It can be categorized into different types, depending on how they are caused.

Types Of Dark Spots

Lentigines – It is caused by excess sun exposure and are more common in old age (over 60 years).

Melasma – This is caused by hormonal fluctuations, and is more notable during pregnancy or menopause.

Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation – This is caused by skin conditions like acne, burns, etc. Sometimes, pimples and acne can also cause spots on your skin. Usually, these spots are formed when sebum gets oxidized, and they do not show skin damage.

Dark spots may take sometime to fade or disappear. And, in some cases, you may have to consult your dermatologist.

Here are a few natural home remedies (diy) to lighten or eliminate your dark spots that you can make from everyday ingredients found in your home.

How to Remove Dark Spots on Face And Body

1. Lemons

The juice extract from Lemon is a perfect natural bleaching agent that can effectively fade age spots. Lemon is loaded with Vitamin C, which can help in lightening dark spots on the skin.

What To Do

• Cut a slice of lemon and gently apply on the affected area for 10 minutes, morning and evening.
• If you have sensitive skin combine 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of water or rose water in a glass bowl.
• Dip your cotton pad and apply it to the skin. Rinse with lukewarm water and finish off with your favorite serum and moisturizer. You’ll see a difference in lightness within two months.

2. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid, which research shows may lighten pigmentation.

What To Do

Recipe 1

• Mix equal quantities of apple cider vinegar and water in a bowl. Stir well and apply on the dark spots.
• You can also trying mix a few drops of lemon juice with the vinegar.

Recipe 2

• Combine 3 tablespoon of orange juice and ½ tablespoon of vinegar.
• Rinse with lukewarm water and finish off with your favorite serum and moisturizer.

3. Parsley

Parsley is rich in chlorophyll, vitamin C & vitamin K – when it’s applied on the skin, it reduces puffiness and lightens the skin, therefore less bluish dark dark.

What To Do

• Combine 1 cup chopped parsley, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 tablespoon yogurt in a glass bowl. Mix well.
• Apply mask to face, neck and chest for 15 minutes then rinse.
• Rinse with lukewarm water and finish off with your favorite serum and moisturizer.
• Repeat twice a week.

4. Castor Oil

The antioxidants in castor oil prevent the skin from getting affected by free radicals. They also help in shrinking blood vessels and reducing fluid retention, which in turn helps in getting rid of dark spots.

What To Do

• Rub a little oil with cotton pad on the dark spots in the morning and in the evening.

5. Horseradish

Horseradish treats skin discolorations. When age spots and skin discoloration occur, horseradish helps lighten the skin in a natural way.

What To Do

Recipe 1

• Apply horseradish paste on the skin for 15 minutes.
• Rinse with lukewarm water and finish off with your favorite serum and moisturizer.
• Repeat 2 to 3 times a week.

Recipe 2

• If you want a more aggressive remedy combine one piece of grated horseradish 4-5 inches long and ½ a cup of apple cider vinegar in a glass jar.
• Mix well and leave for 2 weeks, shaking the mixture once a day.
• After two weeks, apply to your dark spots three times a day for one month.
• Place in the refrigerator.

6. Aloe Vera Gel

Scientific evidence suggests that applying aloe vera to your skin may help reduce the appearance of hyperpigmented areas, though it won’t completely get rid of these darker spots.

What To Do

• Apply aloe vera juice or natural aloe vera gel directly to the dark spots for 30 minutes in the morning and evening.
• Rinse with lukewarm water and finish off with your favorite serum and moisturizer.

7. Sandalwood

Sandalwood is a popular beauty remedy that has anti-inflammatory properties that help in reducing blemishes and treating acne. It is used in many fairness face packs.

What To Do

• • Combine 1 teaspoon sandalwood powder, 1 teaspoon orange zest, and orange juice as needed.
  • Mix ingredients together in a bowl. Add enough orange juice until you get a smooth paste.
  • Apply to your face and neck.
  • Leave on for 15 minutes.
  • Rinse with lukewarm water and finish off with your favorite serum and moisturizer.
  • Repeat 1 to 2 times a week.

8. Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen Peroxide helps by reducing the color saturation of acne scars, age spots and blemishes.

What To Do

• Combine 1 teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide and 1 teaspoon of milk in a glass bowl.
• Dip cotton pad in the bowl and apply to dark spots.
• Leave on for 15 minutes.
• Rinse with lukewarm water and finish off with your favorite serum and moisturizer.

9. Papaya

Papaya is a natural bleaching agent and helps correct skin discolouration. It thus also removes under eye dark circles.

Papaya has nutrients to promote healthier skin. You can lighten skin spots and remove skin tan by using papaya on your skin.

Be it acne spots or dark elbow and knees, using papaya is a great remedy for darkened skin spots. It will tone your skin and improve your complexion.

What To Do

• Peel and remove the seeds from a green papaya.
• Next, use a blender or food processor until it forms into a paste.
• Leave on your face and neck for 20-30 minutes in the morning and before going to bed.
• Rinse with lukewarm water and finish off with your favorite serum and moisturizer.

10. Buttermilk

It is rich in lactic acid which helps in removing dead skin from your face, body and lightens your dark spots. It may come as a surprise to you, but buttermilk is actually a powerful remedy for removing dead skin and lightening your dark spots.

What To Do

Recipe 1

• Apply buttermilk to dark spots and leave on for 15-20 minutes.
• Rinse with lukewarm water and finish off with your favorite serum and moisturizer.

Recipe 2

• If you have oily skin or suffering from acne add a little lemon or lime juice.
• Rinse with lukewarm water and finish off with your favorite serum and moisturizer.

11. Garbanzo Beans

Garbanzo also know as chickpeas, is rich in magnesium, molybdenum, and Vitamin B that helps in exfoliating and detoxifying the skin, along with repairing the damage done by the sun. This results in a reduction of dark spots permanently.

What To Do

• Combine a can of mashed chickpeas and 1/3 of water.
• Apply paste to dark spots.
• Rinse with lukewarm water and finish off with your favorite serum and moisturizer.
• Repeat daily.

12. Turmeric

Turmeric can effectively
remove dark spots due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

What To Do

• Combine 2 tablespoon rice water, 2 tablespoon flour, and 1 teaspoon turmeric in a glass bowl. Mix well.
• Dip cotton pad on the bowl and dab on to dark spots.
• Leave on for 20 minutes.
• Rinse with lukewarm water and finish off with your favorite serum and moisturizer.

It is vital that you take a conservative approach with these DIY homemade beauty remedies.

Apply a small amount to your face and leave it on for a short amount of time, then work your way up to larger amounts and longer times until your skin can handle it.

If you feel any discomfort, stinging, or a burning sensation rinse off the mixture immediately with lukewarm water.

While you are using these natural remedies to diminish dark spots do your very best to limit your sun exposure. Remember that a good sunscreen is a must even in the winter.

13. Orange Peel

Orange peel contains hesperidin, a potent flavonoid, which has skin-lightening effects. This may help eliminate the dark spots on your skin.

What To Do

• You will need half a teaspoon of dried orange peel powder, water, and a cotton pad.
• Mix a few drops of water with the dried orange peel powder. Apply the mixture to the affected areas using a cotton swab. Leave it on for 20-30 minutes and rinse with water. You may do this once daily.

The above remedies will undoubtedly work well in lightening or eliminating those dark spots on your face. However, if you want to speed up the process, you can use any of the remedies listed in this article. But isn’t prevention always better than the remedy?

Prevention Tips

• Always wear sunscreen with SPF 40 or above before stepping out in the sun. Reapply every four hours in case of continued sun exposure.
• Wear sunglasses or a wide-brimmed hat to protect your face from the harmful sun rays.
• Treat inflammatory skin conditions like acne, eczema, or psoriasis immediately to prevent the development of dark spots on the skin.
• Avoid going out between 10 AM and 4 PM, when the sun rays are the most intense.

These prevention tips can complement the remedies and give you better results. Dark spots are usually harmless and fade on their own, but in some cases, they may be a sign of an underlying skin condition.

How Does A Dermatologist Remove Dark Spots?

A dermatologist may recommend one of the following treatments options for dark spots on the skin:

Chemical peels: which involve the application of a chemical solution to the skin to exfoliate the surface layer, thereby helping lighten the dark spots.

Microdermabrasion: which removes the outermost layer of the skin using a special device to promote collagen growth and reduce dark spots.

Laser therapy: which uses laser rays to target melanin deposition and fade dark spots.

Conclusion

Bear in mind that, natural remedies take time, and the effectiveness of the remedy depends on the cause of the dark spots and the severity of the condition. However, if you do not notice any improvement in your condition, seek immediate medical help.