Can’t get rid of those dark patches on your skin? Don’t worry, they’re not dirt. Often, skin produces extra melanin in response to large amounts of friction. If you’re constantly bumping elbows on the office desk or scraping your knees on the running track, your chances of developing dark spots are higher. Dark spots on skin may also be caused by having too dry skin.
Fortunately, you don’t have to bear with dark spots forever, especially if you start treatment early on. It might take a while, but restoring your skin back to its natural color tone isn’t entirely impossible. Here are a couple of tips that should help lighten your skin where it counts.
Use natural extracts
Commercial products might have their merit, but there’s always the possibility of chemicals in them darkening the skin even further or worse compromising your health. Argan oil is an excellent example of a natural extract; daily application on dark spots may lend results after a couple of weeks.
Other extracts such as coconut oil and aloe vera gel could also work wonders on skin. Virgin coconut oil is preferred, and can be bought at pharmacies. Aloe vera gel, on the other hand, can be taken directly from the leaf itself. Simply crush the fat portion of the leaf and scoop the thick gel inside.
Moisturise!
One of the reasons that skin darkens is because it lacks adequate hydration. Moisturising is also one of the best and most effective treatments against dark skin spots. Use cocoa or shea butter to moisturise skin at least twice or thrice a day. Freshly cut lemon slices applied to dark skin spots also help lighten them, mostly because of its high acidic content. Argan oil as well is an effective moisturizer and is easily applied to skin. The oil can be more effective than most commercial moisturisers because it contains essential fatty acids, Vitamin E and Sterols which help lock in moisture to the skin.
Exfoliate regularly
Perhaps your dark spots are simply a result of dead skin cell build-up. So grab a body scrub with sugar crystals and rub into skin until the crystals have all dissolved. Try not to exfoliate too much in your zeal for lightening those dark skin spots, as you might wind up breaking skin integrity and wounding yourself. Use a gentle, circular motion to rub on knees and elbows. It’s often best to apply moisturiser after a good exfoliating session. Don’t forget to rinse thoroughly with water to remove any debris completely.
Other measures
With these measures, you might not even have to consider skin bleaching, often a last recourse when all else has failed. Stick to natural methods of lightening dark skin spots. Ultimately, your goal is to keep your skin healthy.
