Holidays are all fun and games until you look into the mirror and see your skin two or more shades darker. While a tan will fade out eventually, if you’re in a hurry, give these home remedies a try. Here’s a quick look at how to remove tan in a jiffy! You no longer have to worry about spending too much time out in the sun, or at the beach.
Natural Methods To Remove Tan
1. Tomato and yogurt
Tomato and yogurt are ideal ingredients for de-tanning your skin. It is enriched with beneficial antioxidants and vitamin C that accelerates the growth of collagen in the body, which prevents your skin from sunburn, pollution, and smoke. It also contains lycopene, which acts as a natural sunscreen. This fights cellular damage and regenerates new cells.
How to apply:
- Take a raw tomato and remove the skin.
- Blend it with 1-2 tsp of fresh yogurt.
- Use this paste on your tan, and wash it off after 20 minutes.
2. Lemon juice and Honey
Lemon juice is considered an old and effective method to remove tan. It has a bleaching property that helps to remove tan from the skin. Honey keeps the skin soft and supple. Take one tablespoon of lemon juice and add some honey to it. Apply it to your skin and keep it for half an hour. Wash it off.
How to apply:
- Take fresh lemon juice, add some honey to it and apply it to your skin.
- Let it stay for 30 minutes and wash off.*
- You can also add some sugar to the lemon juice and scrub your skin gently to slough off dead cells from the surface.
3. Papaya and Honey
Papaya is a common de-tan home remedy. It contains papain enzyme, known to lighten the skin while honey helps to keep the skin supple. Mash a handful of papaya with honey and apply it to the face. Leave it on for 20 min and wash it off.
How to apply:
- Take 4-5 cubes of ripe papaya; the riper the better.
- Add 1 teaspoon of honey to it and mash it up using the back of a spoon or a fork.
- Mix well until a smooth paste is formed.
- Apply this paste all over the tanned skin and let it dry.
- Wash it off after 20-30 minutes with water.
4. Masoor dal (red lentil), tomato, and aloe vera pack
Masoor dal is an effective remedy in treating suntan. Tomato juice brightens up the skin while aloe vera soothes and moisturizes it.
How to apply:
- Soak 2 tbsp of masoor dal in water for a few hours until the dal gets soft.
- Drain the water and put it in a blender.
- To the dal, add 1 teaspoon of aloe vera and gel and 2 teaspoons of fresh tomato juice.
- Blend into a paste.
- Apply on suntanned skin and let it stay for 20 minutes.
- Rinse it out with water using a massage action.
5. Curd And Honey
Curd reduces pigmentation and acts as a bleaching agent. The natural acids and enzymes present in curd help to exfoliate your skin. Similarly, honey is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. It contains antioxidants that heal skin damage caused by sun rays.
How to apply:
- Add 1 tablespoon of honey into 2 tablespoons of curd.
- Mix them well and apply a thick layer to your skin.
- Leave it for 15 minutes and rinse it with tepid water.
- You should repeat it every day.
6. Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is a medicinal plant that has numerous benefits for your skin as well as your body. It helps to lighten your complexion and protect your skin from damage caused by radiation. It is an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory ingredient that soothes your skin and is effective in treating tan.
How to apply:
- It is advisable to always use aloe vera gel before going to bed instead of using it in the day.
- Apply a thick layer of the gel on your skin at night wash it in the morning.
- Repeat this daily for rapid results.
Also read: Hot Bath Benefits: Can Hot Bath Deliver the Same Benefits as Exercise?
7. Oatmeal And Buttermilk
Oatmeal has excellent exfoliating and skin cleansing properties. Buttermilk is rich in lactic acid which removes tan, softens the skin, and improves skin tone.
How to apply:
- Soak 2 teaspoons of oats or oatmeal in half a cup of water for about five minutes.
- Add 2-3 teaspoons of fresh, plain buttermilk to it and mix well.
- You can add honey as well to make the pack more moisturizing.
- Mix these ingredients well to form a paste and then apply it to your face, neck, arms, and other areas affected by tanning.
- Rub in a circular motion and let it stay for about 20 minutes. Wash off with reveal fresh, brighter-looking skin.
Also read: Eggplant Nutrition Facts And Its Health Benefits
Other Natural Ingredients For Tan Removal
- Tomato and yogurt
- Orange juice and yogurt
- Oatmeal and buttermilk
- Ice cubes
- Bitter gourd
- Multani Mitti
What Is Tanning?
Tanning is the process of an increase in the skin pigment called melanin due to sun exposure. While tanning can also be a result of artificial skin tanning services, through the use of a tanning lamp found in tanning beds, the major cause of tanning is excessive exposure to sunlight. It causes the darkening of the skin on exposed areas majorly on the face, arms, hands, legs, feet, back, and neck.
How to remove tan naturally?
Ancient Ayurveda texts claim Turmeric, Saffron, Sugar, and nut-based oils to be excellent healers of skin tanning. In this article, we’ll talk about simple tan removal home remedies that you can use to remove tan from your body.
Whether you are suffering from a tan due to strolling around the city or relaxing at a beach destination for days together, these natural home remedies will help in sun tan removal.
You can use them to remove sun tan from all over your body – be it your neck, your feet, your arms, or your hands.
How To Remove Sun Tan From Face And Body?
It is a popular belief that sun tanning is irreversible. However, that is not true. Find out here what you can do to treat sun-tanned skin. There are several products, treatments, and solutions to reduce the pigmentation caused due to suntan. Any method to treat tan involves exfoliation of the dead skin cells and washes out the excess accumulated melanin. Thus, these also provide a uniform tone to the skin and reduce the effects of aging. Listed below are some of the best treatments to remove tan from your face, neck, hands, feet, and full arms.
Causes of Skin Tan
The solar spectrum (sunlight) consists of UV (ultraviolet) rays at three wavelengths
1. UV A
2. UV B
3. UV C
When UVA rays penetrate the layers of the skin, they signal the melanocytes (skin cells) to produce excess melanin (skin-darkening pigment). This further darkens due to oxidation and causes skin tanning.
Tan Removal Treatments
Suntan harms the immune system and can lead to further skin damage and aging. So you must fight it with the right tan removal treatments. You can try one of these treatments to exfoliate dead skin cells and wash out excess melanin:
A. Laser Toning
A dermatologist uses a laser device to break down the melanin pigment and minimize skin tan. Lasers (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) are sources of high-intensity monochromatic coherent light.
When used on the skin, this light energy converts into heat energy to target a specific chromophore (skin pigment-melanin) without harming the surrounding tissue. They penetrate the deeper layers of the skin to get rid of the excess melanin.
B. Chemical Peels
This kind of tan removal treatment is used to remove the superficial dead skin layers that have accumulated excess melanin.
Chemical peels use glycolic acid, trichloroacetic acid, salicylic acid, lactic acid, or carbolic acid (phenol). Based on the intensity, chemical peels are classified as:
1. Superficial peel
2. Medium peel
3. Deep peel.
C. Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion is a tan removal treatment to exfoliate the dead skin cells that contain excess accumulated melanin pigment. It promotes new cells to regenerate more quickly than they would ordinarily. The result – skin that looks firmer, more toned, and more youthful. There are two methods:
Crystal Microdermabrasion
Tiny particles are sprayed on your face through a wand.
Diamond-tip Microdermabrasion
Your skin is exfoliated with direct contact by an applicator.
D. Tan Removal Creams
Most tan removal creams available in the market lighten the upper layers of the skin. A good face tan removal cream or serum penetrates the deeper layers of the skin to inhibit the enzymatic activities that cause melanin production.
E. Lightening Actives
Lightening actives are chemical ingredients that promote skin lightening by fighting tanned skin. Licorice, niacinamide, vitamin C, and Kojic acid are some lightning actives that are effective face tan removal treatments. So what exactly are they?
1. Licorice
Licorice root consists of Glabridin and Liquidity, which helps with skin tanning issues.
2. Vitamin C
The enzyme tyrosinase aids in melanin production in the skin. Vitamin C works as a tyrosinase inhibitor, thereby reducing melanin and skin tanning.
3. Kojic Acid
Kojic acid is derived from a mushroom-like fungus produced during fermentation. It prohibits the production of melanin and penetrates the upper layers of the skin, causing a lightning effect.
4. Niacinamide
Niacinamide, or vitamin B3, can be used to remove tan and lighten the skin. It is effective as it decreases the amount of melanin transferred by pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) to the surface by more than half.
F. Face Pack
wax, face wash: De-tan face packs help in the removal of tanned skin cells accumulated in your body after exposure to the sun’s UV rays. They don’t make the skin fairer but help make the skin even-toned.
These treatments contain natural ingredients like papaya, lemon, and tomato or chemical ingredients like lactic acid, niacinamide, willow bark extract, etc. They help in lightening the upper layers of the skin.