Simple steps to achieve skin whitening and combat tanning

 

As a digital content creator, my work requires a lot of travelling and outdoor shoots, which exposes my skin to natural adversaries like dust, pollution and sun. Add stress and poor lifestyle choices, and it becomes a recipe for dull, dark and pigmented skin. (I have mentioned the issue in my Instagram video too; check here). A few months back I noticed my skin getting darker and losing its sheen; that’s when I decided to follow certain tips to achieve skin whitening and combat tanning.

External Remedies:

These include a tweak in my lifestyle routine and certain home remedies I adopted to achieve the desired results:

Cleansing, toning and moisturisation

I always include these three steps in my skincare routine. Cleansing gets rid of dirt and dead skin build-up, toning further eliminates impurities and brightens the complexion. A good moisturiser saves skin from drying up and boosts radiant skin.

Turmeric and Bengal gram face pack

This is a known home remedy to remove tan from the face and skin. Mix a tablespoon of Bengal gram powder with a teaspoon of turmeric, some lemon juice and curd to form a thick paste. Apply on the face and neck, leave it on for half an hour and wash it off. All the ingredients are natural, de-tanning ingredients.

Natural bleach face pack

Regular use of natural face packs lightens and brightens the complexion; and I swear by the benefits of cucumber, honey and lemon face packs. Mix 1tbsp juice of cucumber, lemon and 1tbsp honey to 1tbsp sandalwood powder and keep on the face for 15 minutes. Wash off with lukewarm water.

Apply Sunscreen

Applying sunscreen, even when indoors is one mantra I religiously follow in my skincare routine. A good sunscreen helps prevent premature skin ageing, sagging, tanning and age spots caused due to sun exposure. It is also a good idea to carry sunglasses, a cap, scarf before you venture out in sun.

Internal remedies for skin whitening: 

Achieving healthy skin is a combined effort of what you apply topically on the skin and what you eat. Certain measures like consuming specific food help bring out the inner glow that reflects on your skin. Here are a few tips I follow that contribute to healthy skin.

Sleep

We all are well aware that lack of sleep causes dark circles and makes our skin looks dull. On the other hand, during sleep, the skin rebuilds collagen and repairs itself. Therefore I make it a point to sleep for at least 7 hours to help my skin rejuvenate enough to wake up with a nice glow.

Water

Drinking enough water firstly helps flush out the toxins from the body, thereby enhancing the appearance of skin; and secondly, water keeps the skin well hydrated, keeping it radiant and improving the skin tone. As recommended, I make sure that I drink at least 6-7 glasses of water daily. 

Fresh fruits

It is said we are what we eat; meaning our eating choices defines our health and overall well-being. If you are a fruit lover like me, I must tell you certain fruits add the right amount of nutrients and vitamins to the body thereby bringing out a healthy glow on the skin. 

Citrus fruits like oranges, strawberries, lemons, and pineapple have vitamin C that promotes healthy skin. Vitamin C is an excellent remedy for hyperpigmentation and an excellent ingredient for skin whitening. The antioxidants present in this vitamin also help defend against the harmful UV rays of the sun. 

Other food sources for skin whitening

Pumpkin and Spinach are rich sources of Vitamin A to help reduce hyperpigmentation and damage caused due to sun rays. Bananas have Vitamin A, B and E, and Beetroot has Vitamin A, B and C; both skin-friendly vitamins help lighten the complexion. Milk too is another good remedy for skin whitening.

Another good skin Vitamin that helps in skin whitening is Beta-carotene. It is an essential skin-nourishing nutrient that is found in carrots, fruits and green leafy vegetables. In our bodies, Beta carotene is converted to Vitamin A, which is important for skin health. The antioxidant effects in Beta carotene increase skin protection against sun-induced damage, thereby maintaining the skin texture and appearance.

Improving the quality of the skin is a long and continuous process; and since sometimes our diet doesn’t provide the required amount of skin nutrients on daily basis, it’s prudent to consume a supplement for an extra nutrient boost.

Supplement Intake

Triple Active Beauty Multivitamin Perfectil fits perfectly into my skincare routine. Upon a friend’s advice and after checking it with my doctor, I started taking Perfectil for healthy hair, nails and skin. It’s been over 2 months since I have been consuming Perfectil and trust me when I say I have visibly seen the improvement in my skin quality and I mean it.

Since we are talking about skin whitening here, I was quite impressed with the presence of Beta-carotene in Perfectil, besides other 22 micronutrients including biotin, zinc and selenium. Beta-carotene, as I have mentioned before increases the skin’s defences against UV radiation and boost skin health.

Another interesting fact about Perfectil is it’s clinical trial that says:

 

We all know besides a good skin care regime, what we put into our body too reflects on the skin. For me, Perfectil by Vitabiotics proves a perfect supplement that I consume to compensate for the lack of nutrients in my diet.

 

Beta-carotene is an endogenous photo protector & its efficacy to prevent UV-induced erythema formation has been demonstrated in various studies.” – Photochem Photobiol. 2008;84:284–8 & Annu Rev Nutr. 2004;24:173–200.