Natural Ways to Get Lighter, Brighter Skin

Our skin, mostly on our face, can suffer from many discoloration problems. It can look blotchy, red, dark, and uneven. More often than not, the cause for skin discoloration is a lack of vitamins and / or minerals your skin needs to stay healthy. No matter what the cause, there are a few safe, natural ways to perk up and brighten your skin right at home, without having to use possibly harmful skin bleaching agents.

Potatoes

There are natural bleaching properties that the potato possess that are possibly the most impressive in the fruit and vegetable world. You can get results simply by using slices of raw potato and placing them over your eyes for about 10 to 15 minutes. This will help remove dark circles, and it can firm your skin as well, making it look lighter and younger in one single application. Many products that boast skin lightening properties contain potato extract, and it's one of the skincare world's most effective natural skin lightening ingredients.

Licorice Extract

Glabridin, a skin whitening element found in licorice extract, is itself extracted and used in the market's more widely used skin whitening products. Licorice extract is also great at ridding your skin of acne, and it helps tremendously in keeping occasional acne from appearing. Licorice extract is used to treat many different skin discoloration problems, like hyper-pigmentation. A bit of diluted licorice extract added to cool green tea can soothe and lighten sunburned skin. As always, consult your dermatologist before attempting to treat your own serious condition!

Lemon

Though the effects of a lemon applied directly to the skin are not as dramatic and immediate as the effects of a potato, it's sometimes considered a more effective way to get the job done because it's a bit better at ridding your skin of dead skin cells and bacteria. Lemon is a common ingredient in many skin whitening and bleaching agents, and lemon juice has been used in skin lightening home remedies for decades. Raw lemons and lemon juice are also credited with helping prevent the appearance of sun freckles.

There are other preventive measures you can take that can help avoid the occurrence of dark under eye circles or blotchy discoloration. Using sunblock / sunscreen if you know you'll be in the sun is always a good idea, no matter what the season. If you bare your skin a lot, the sun can be your worst enemy! You should also make sure you get enough sleep, and stay away from excessive drinking and smoking to avoid discolored skin and wrinkles.

Helpful information on safe skin lightening at CanadianLiving.com and SkinWhiteningSecrets.com.