No mater how misguided, dark skin is seen as a blur on beauty, especially in cultures where fair skin is highly prized. While it is true that one's skin color and tone is dictated by hereditary factors, the skin can also change color due to other reasons. Hyper-pigmentation refers to a natural process in which the skin produces excessive pigments or melanin leading to dark patches in the affected areas. Sometimes certain skin conditions such as lichen simplex chronicus also cause the skin to become dark and patchy. The most common reason for the skin becoming darker, especially the skin of the arms, hands and feet is prolonged exposure to the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun. While you can not change the color of your skin or make it lighter overnight, there are several simple home remedies that you can use to gradually lighten the color of your skin.
A paste prepared by mixing 1 tbsp of gram flour, 2 tbsp of raw milk and a couple of drops of lemon juice can be applied on the affected areas of the skin and left to dry for 15 to 20 minutes, after which it can be scrubbed off with the hands and the skin can be washed with cold water. You should do this daily for around 1 month and then once a week in order to remove the tan and obtain visibly lighter skin. Another effective pack to remove the sun tan and lighten the skin can be prepared using 1 tbsp milk powder, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp honey and ½ tsp almond oil. Daily application of this paste which should be allowed to dry for 15 to 20 minutes before it is washed off is beneficial for improving the skin tone and texture. You can also apply a paste of turmeric powder and lemon juice since turmeric is excellent for improving the tone and texture of the skin while lemon is a well known natural bleaching agent. Scrubbing a slice of lemon on the affected parts of the skin and washing it off after 15 to 20 minutes is also beneficial for lightening the skin. Similarly potato also has bleaching properties so you can either apply the juice of a potato on the dark skin or rub slices of potato on the affected areas and wash it after 15 to 20 minutes, to lighten the skin over a period of time. In addition to these measures, you should take care to protect your skin from the sun's rays by using a good sunscreen lotion with a reasonably high SPF quotient and cover your arms and legs by wearing loose cotton clothing.
answered by M W