Black Skin Lightens Up – The Natural Way

Black Skin Lightens Up – The Natural Way

As Black women, we’re fortunate to have a little extra melanin in our skin. Not only does it give us all our wonderful shades and hues, it gives us a little extra protection against wrinkles and sun damage (though we should still be diligent about caring for our skin!). However, a side-effect of melanin is the tendency towards hyper pigmentation or scarring.

Natural exfoliants will help to lighten your skin. Dead skin cells that lay on top of your skin have a way of causing your skin to have a dull, dry, ashy look. By exfoliating at least twice a week, you give new cells a chance to bring a beautiful glow to the surface of your skin. Jojoba wax beads are natural exfoliating beads that remove the dead skin cells when combined in a cream or gel base. This gentle procedure removes the dead skin cells thereby giving a lighter appearance and even complexion to your skin, naturally!

Natural exfoliants are a lot more gentle on your skin but don't think because they're natural, you can go in with a heavy hand. Any exfoliation procedure should be done as if you're holding an egg between your finger tips and your skin. The key is to think of approaching it with ease without cracking the egg. If you find that after a treatment your skin is red, agitated and you see a scratch, you've gone in too hard and brought trauma to your skin. In essence, you've cracked the egg.

What Happens Next?

You'll now see dark spots or discoloration appear on your skin. Granted, we all have dark spots that we try to cover with make up, or even more frightening, by bleaching them with products containing harsh chemicals. But there are safer, more natural ways to lighten your skin tone, just by using what’s already in your kitchen!

Natural Skin Lighteners Right Out of Your Kitchen Pantry

Believe it or not lemons, Aloe vera and potatoes are among the most effective natural skin lighteners. The vitamin C in lemons, Aloe vera and potatoes (yes, potatoes!) is known to inhibit the production of melanin.

Lemons - To use lemons to lighten your skin tone, squeeze the juice of the lemons into a glass bowl and apply to the affected areas with a fresh cotton ball. Let your skin air dry and rinse with cold water. Follow with cocoa butter since it is high in vitamin E. Cocoa butter is also known to minimize scarring. Use this method at least twice a day and in as little as two weeks, your skin should start to become fresher and brighter-looking. For an added boost, you can mash the gel of an aloe vera leaf and mix with lemon juice.

Note: Never go out in the sun with lemon juice on your skin. Since lemon is an acid, it will cause your skin to burn and actually make the dark spots darker!

Potatoes - If you want to try potatoes, cut a raw one into very thin slices and place on the dark spots you want to lighten for 20 minutes. Afterwards, rinse with cold water. Try this a few times a day and in a matter of weeks, you should see a significant difference.

You bet it does! While whipping up homemade remedies will work wonders for your skin, what you put into your body is important as what you uses topically. Make sure you’re getting lots of vitamin C. Do this by drinking your orange juice in the morning and by consuming lots of fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C. Oranges, grapefruit, spinach, and tomatoes are foods for health and beauty.

A morning green drink with kale, spinach, cucumbers, ginger and apples is a great way to start your day. You've got your Vitamin C in the spinach and kale and in juice form it will go straight into your blood stream. While some nutritionist will tell you not to mix vegetables with fruit, for a lot of you, it adds a little sweetness and gives it a much better taste.

Bring the beauty of kale, spinach and cucumbers into lunch time, add an avocado, and you've got yourself a delicious salad for beautiful black skin.

Note: If you find you can’t get enough vitamin C through food, take a supplement between 500 – 1,000 milligrams daily.

Remember …

A natural and holistic approach to skin care is always a safer way to beautiful skin. As women of color, it's the best route for you to take. Your skin is super sensitive, so the more gentle the product and its ingredients, the better your skin will look.

As Always ...

Dedicated To Your Beauty,

Juliette Samuel,

Esthetician/Author/Publisher

Nyraju Skin Care