Brightening & Evening Out Your Skin Tone with Potato!

From when we are young to when we are old, we are bound to have occasional discoloration of our skin. This is due to a number of factors, whether it's acne, an unwanted tan or mild sunburn, or other skin conditions that might cause changes in the texture and pigment of your skin's natural tone. Luckily, no matter what the reason for facial skin discoloration, there's a natural way to naturally help alleviate it with potatoes.

Potatoes are a natural skin whitener. This is because they contain natural bleaching agents as well as vitamins and minerals that your skin is hungry for, such as vitamin C (and I mean lots of vitamin C!), vitamin B6, and fiber. Potatoes are also rich in potassium, which when eaten are a vital component of good skin health. Using fresh potatoes to get lightened and evened out skin is very easy and safe to do, and is a virtually costless way to achieve great results.

You will want to try and get organically grown potatoes, so they don't have any harmful pesticides on them - you don't want to wash the potatoes, just gently rinse them, and you don't want any of that pesticide on your skin. If you slice the potatoes very thin and simply place them on the problem areas (or any place you feel is not the correct color) for about 10 minutes, you'll get slow but satisfactory results in about a week. There are ways to make this process more beneficial to your skin however, and they're just as easy!

If you have almond oil, vitamin E oil, coconut oil, or even soybean oil handy, you can soak the slices of potato in a thin layer of it for up to an hour. Place a small amount of your chosen oil in a small (preferably glass) bowl and let them sit. After anywhere from 30-60 minutes, you can place them on your problem areas, dabbing or patting where you feel could use some extra help. Use this method if you have dry to normal skin - oils on oily skin aren't a great combination.

If you have naturally oily skin but still would like enhanced results with your potato skincare regimen, try using a bit of lemon juice in the bowl instead. Lemons act as a natural bleaching agent too, and it shares this characteristic with the potato because of their high levels of vitamin C. Lemon juice coupled with potato has been praised as a great method for removing redness and acne from oily skin types - just don't use too much lemon juice. It could sting! Try with small amounts at first if you are prone to irritated skin.

Fresh potatoes and their skin can also be used in masks and washes for your skin, and are commonly known in the home beauty care community to be a great anti-aging secret. Potatoes are known to tighten and brighten your skin - and when it's all the same color, you're less likely to see wrinkles or acne scars.

You can make a simple and effective potato facial mask to help remove wrinkles and under-eye sagging with half a fresh potato (skin on), a couple drops of honey, and a splash of all-natural apple juice. (This means nothing you can't pronounce on your skin!) Add these ingredients together in a food processor to get a paste that applies smooth and even on your face. You can leave this mask on for up to 15 minutes, and once you rinse, you may immediately see improvement in your skin's texture and tone.

Potatoes have many every day beauty uses that many people find indispensable in their routine. You can also use potatoes for many other cosmetic uses - such as soaking your nails in potato juice for healthier cuticles, or relieving and hiding a nasty sunburn by patting it with potato skin. Try out different ways to use the wonderful spud at home. It's safe, all-natural, and great for your skin!

Helpful Sources:
Amazing potato uses found at http://gomestic.com/,
Nutritional information on potatoes and lemons from http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/, and
Skin health forums at http://www.dermatalk.com/