Don’t you just hate it when your acne clears up, then suddenly they’re replaced with dark spots on your skin? This is called hyper-pigmentation, when the appearance of reddish-brown spots takes form when pimples have gone away. Depending on your skin tone, these dark spots can disappear within a few months. But for some, especially, those who like to sun tan and have problematic skin, hyper-pigmentation can stay on your skin for up to a year. But the good news is that these five natural remedies actually work to get rid of dark spots and since they’re inexpensive, you won’t burn a hole in your pocket while clearing up your skin.
1) Aloe Vera
Another way to lighten dark spots is using pure Aloe Vera. I recommend buying an Aloe plant and all you need to do is split the leaf, apply the gel directly onto your dark spots, and see them disappear over a few weeks. You can use over-the-counter Aloe Vera gels, but I find that it’s cheaper and more effective to buy an actual Aloe plant.
2) Lemons
Lemons contains citric acid which acts as a natural skin bleacher and helps reduce dark spots on the skin. Squeeze one lemon into a bowl of warm water and rinse your face with it or you can submerge a facial cleansing pad and apply it to your dark spots every evening. If you do this three times a week, most likely you’ll notice dark spots fade within within 2-4 weeks. After applying the lemon rinse to your face, you should always use a moisturizer and apply sunscreen lotion if you plan to be outdoors.
3) Olive Oil
Cleopatra is known to have bathed in Olive Oil to keep her skin smooth and hair shiny. So it’s only natural that Olive Oil assists in healing dark spots. Before bedtime, just massage a few drops of extra virgin Olive Oil on the affected areas and leave it on overnight. In the morning wash off with lukewarm water and moisturize after.
4) Sandalwood and Rose Water
Sandalwood is an effective antiseptic that helps get rid of hyper pigmentation. So mix it together with rosewater and apply it to the dark spots and allow it to dry naturally. Leave it on for 30 minutes then rinse off with cool water. Do this once daily, preferably before going to bed, to reduce dark spots. You can even leave it overnight and rinse it off the morning for full maximum effect.
5) Tea Tree Oil
Tea Tree Oil works as a great preventative solution because of its powerful anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. So by applying a few drops before bedtime to areas where you are prone to getting acne, you can prevent future dark spots from developing.