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Black spots on the face can be embarrassing. Even though your facial dark spots are completely harmless, they can make you look unappealing, and you may end up damaging your skin by trying a lot of commercial treatments to get rid of them. But there are more than a few natural ingredients that can help you ditch those dark, ugly spots on your skin successfully. We have listed them below:
Causes Of Black Spots On Face
Dark spots or black spots on the skin mostly result from the overproduction of ‘melanin’ (a pigment found in our skin). When melanin accumulates in a specific skin area, it causes hyperpigmentation and a localized patch that looks dark or black in color. There is more than one reason behind such spots, which include excessive sun exposure, aging, old scars, internal health issues, hormonal imbalance, and so on. (1)
Home Remedies For Black Spots On Face
1. Lemon Juice
Being highly acidic in nature (it remains just below the stomach acid on the pH scale), lemon works as a natural bleaching agent. This natural bleaching property of lemon juice helps in fading the ugly black spots away fast and effectively. (2)
How to use:
Squeeze out the fresh juice of half a lemon, dip a cotton ball or q-tip into it, and apply the juice directly to the black spots on your face. Let it sit for 20-30 minutes. Then, wash off with plain water.
Also Read – Check Out These Best Creams To Treat Dark Spots. They Actually Work!
2. Buttermilk
Be it small dark spots or hyperpigmentation; buttermilk can reduce everything slowly over time. The lactic acid present in the product helps lighten the marks and exfoliates the skin gently to reveal the fresh layer of skin underneath.
How to use:
Take a tablespoon of fresh buttermilk, dip a cotton ball into it, and apply to the spots on your face. Let it sit for half an hour or so. Then, wash off with lukewarm water.
3. Yogurt
Just like buttermilk, yogurt also contains lactic acid and hence, is acidic in nature. Therefore, using it regularly on your black spots will help you get rid of them quite effectively.
How to use:
Take a teaspoon of fresh yogurt and massage those affected areas of the skin with it gently. Leave it on for half an hour and then wash with plain water. Make sure that both your skin and your fingers are clean before you start the process.
4. Castor Oil
Castor oil comes packed with fatty acids (primarily omega-3 fatty acids), which penetrate the skin and pierce the scar tissue in the affected area to pump it out gradually and promote healthy tissue growth. This rids you from pigmentation, blemishes, and dark spots over time.
How to use:
Take a few drops of pure, organic castor oil and apply it onto the black spots directly. Massage gently with your fingertips until the oil gets absorbed into the skin completely. Wash off after an hour and repeat twice a day.
5. Sandalwood Powder
Sandalwood is rich in a number of phytonutrients and antioxidants, which keeps the skin healthy and eliminates pesky marks and pigmentation from them. The antimicrobial properties of sandalwood powder help in repairing the scar tissues too. (3)
How to use:
Include sandalwood powder in your regular face packs and be consistent with your weekly skincare routine. Otherwise, prepare a mix by combining it with glycerin and milk. Massaging the troubled parts of the skin with this mixture daily will help you immensely.
6. Potato Juice
The juice extracted from potatoes contains a certain enzyme named ‘catecholase,’ which turns the ingredient into a natural bleaching agent. Hence, it can lighten dark spots, marks, or blemishes on your face significantly.
How to use:
Place thin and freshly cut potato slices on your black spots for half an hour and repeat it 2-3 times daily. You can also extract nearly 1 tablespoon of juice from raw potato and apply it to the troubled areas of your skin by using a cotton ball. Let it dry for half an hour, and then rinse off with water.
7. Onion Juice
Being slightly acidic in nature, onion has good bleaching properties. However, it also removes the layer of dead cells from the skin’s surface, which stimulates dark spot removal to a great extent.
How to use:
Either dab some freshly extracted onion juice on your facial black spots or rub those areas with a few onion slices. Once it dries, wash off thoroughly.
8. Tomato Juice
Tomato is a highly acidic vegetable that comes with great bleaching properties. So, it can lighten the dark spots on our faces quite effectively. (4)
How to use:
Strain the juice to discard the seeds and apply it to the affected parts of your skin regularly. Keep it for 30 minutes before washing it off with plain water.
9. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is considered a ‘wonder product’ when it comes to lightning the skin as it contains certain elements effective in clearing away dark/brown spots and blemishes.
How to use:
Get some fresh aloe juice and dab it onto your facial dark spots. You can also massage them gently with some fresh aloe gel. Practice it 2-3 times every day.
10. Turmeric
The ‘curcumin’ present in turmeric is known to inhibit the pigmentation of the skin, which contributes to its amazing skin lightening properties.
How to use:
Add turmeric extract or powder to your regular face pack or mask and apply it regularly, focusing on the troubled parts of the skin. The result will be visible in a few weeks only.
Also Read – Lip Pigmentation Causes And Home Remedies
11. Almonds
The anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties of almonds are beneficial in treating scars and blemishes. Hence, regular use of this ingredient can fade those annoying black spots away over time.
How to use:
Prepare a paste by blending 1-2 soaked almonds, raw milk, and pure honey, and apply it on your black spots. Let it sit for 25-30 minutes, and then rinse with water.
12. Papaya
Papaya contains the enzyme ‘papain‘, which makes the fruit a natural bleaching ingredient effective on pigmentation, blemishes, and signs of aging, thereby giving us spotless skin.
How to use:
Mash the pulp of ripe papaya and massage the affected areas of the skin with it for a good 5 minutes. After 15 minutes, wash off with tepid water.
13. Rose Water
The anti-inflammatory properties of rose water combined with astringent properties help in lightening up those ugly marks.
How to use:
Include rose water in your face packs or apply it directly to the skin. However, you need to use it daily in either way.
In rare cases, black spots or brown spots can turn out to be carcinogenic. So, if these home remedies are not helping you out even after a few months, visit your physician to get them checked medically.
Also Read – Black Spots On The Teeth? Not Anymore! Know The Causes And Home Remedies
Summary –
Dark spots are annoying and harmless although they can reflect underlying medical conditions. Caused by the overproduction of melanin, these dark spots can be treated with the help of natural ingredients like lemon, buttermilk, yogurt, castor oil, and sandalwood powder. While there is no shortcut available to treat these dark spots, consistent usage of home ingredients may lead to fading of the spots.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What really removes dark spots?
While there are plenty of home ingredients available to treat dark spots, Hydroquinone or Hydroquinone infused creams are used to treat dark spots. Hydroquinone limits the production of melanin, thus reducing hyperpigmentation and dark spots.
Does vitamin C help with dark spots?
Yes, similar to Hydroquinone, vitamin C is also used for treating dark spots and pigmentations. It is used to control breakouts, prevent inflation, and remove dark spots on the skin.
Do dark spots from acne go away?
Yes, dark spots typically fade way over a period of time. However, topical application of home ingredients like lemon juice, sandalwood powder may expedite the process.
References –
- “How to get rid of dark spots on the face” – medicalnewstoday.com
- “13 Dark Spot Remedies You Can Find In Your Kitchen” – mindbodygreen.com
- “A Simple DIY Spot Treatment: Banish Your Blemish Now!” – self.com
- “Are Natural Ingredients Effective in the Management of Hyperpigmentation? A Systematic Review” – ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
