Now that the weather is getting warmer, it’s more important than ever to regularly apply an SPF product to protect ourselves from harmful UV rays. Sunscreen is important to wear every day, but during the summer the UV rays are stronger and can do more damage to the skin. This can appear over time in the form of wrinkles and dark spots.
But to be honest, we may not always apply sunscreen as much as we need to. It’s ok, we are human and it can happen even with the most diligent skincare routines. I am located in Texas so I’m definitely an advocate for year-round sunscreen use. Especially in the summer months I notice my face feeling a little red and tender after spending more than a few minutes outside without protection. Luckily, there are some steps we can take to help skin repair itself and maintain an even skin tone after too much sun.
The Best Dark Spot Correctors
Many people would prefer their skin to be smooth and even-toned without any dark marks. If you have some spots you’d like to clear up, there are some natural methods that work very well. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to care for and correct unwanted pigmentation on your face and body. There’s a few methods you can whip up quickly in your kitchen and use both short and long term to improve the appearance of your skin.
Here’s some treatments I like to use in my skincare routine.
- A mask or pack
- An essence or toner
- A cream
My favorite ingredients and recipes for making these three treatments at home are included at the bottom of this article.
Top Natural Ingredients for Dark Spots
You may be wondering where to start if you’d like to regularly start incorporating brightening gentle ingredients into your skincare routine. Here are the ingredients that through my personal experience, research and reviews have the best results consistently:
Aloe Vera Juice – This ultra-soothing gel contains many brightening vitamins and plant-based healing components. You may be familiar with the effect that it has on a sunburn and minor wounds. Using this regularly on its own as a toner or in a DIY skin care mask or pack can produce a noticeable difference in skin tone and texture.
Shea Butter – This powerhouse butter contains a significant amount of plant-based healing components. It also works as a powerful skin moisturizer. In addition, did you know it has antioxidants that repair skin over time? This can help diminish the effect of too much sun exposure and dark spots as a result. Because of this, it can be considered an active ingredient as well as a moisturizer.
Green Tea – The antioxidants in green tea, called polyphenols, help reverse any oxidative damage from pollution, sun, and other environmental stressors.
Rice – This staple food can be used in skin care as rice water, fermented rice water, rice wine, and rice flour. The main ingredient in some of the top luxury skin care brightening products is derived from fermented rice, and similar rice-derived ingredients are slowly making their way into beauty products worldwide.
Mango Butter – Much like shea butter, mango butter is a long-lasting and skin-healing moisturizer. It also contains a large amount of antioxidants such as Vitamins C and E. When the skin becomes inflamed because of environmental damage, mango butter can help calm this inflammation and stop the skin from overproducing melanin, the skin chemical that creates pigmentation.
That rounds out the top 5 ingredients. There are many other natural skin brightening remedies that I’ve seen mentioned over the years. A lot of them are wonderful and cost-effective ways to support your skin health. But there are also a few that may not be so great after all, yet are still being mentioned as effective or safe. A few examples are the juices from lemons, onions, or horseradish. They actually can have a skin bleaching effect and stop the production of melanin over time, but they are also quite harsh on the skin because they contain volatile oils and are high in acid. They can also increase the photosensitivity of your skin, which may make more dark spots appear.
There are other ingredients that are good for skin but not necessarily effective for hyperpigmentation. For example, diluted apple cider vinegar is a great toner and has many skin benefits. But it doesn’t do anything to lighten unwanted spots or stop excess pigmentation. Dairy products such as yogurt, milk, or buttermilk contain helpful probiotics and lactic acid, a gentle exfoliator that can make skin look brighter. Despite these benefits, they are not effective on stubborn dark spots that may need treatments that can reach the deeper layers of skin. These dairy products are however great options to use as a base for a fresh face mask or face wash.
Importance of Face Skincare
The best skincare advice I’ve ever received is that your skin is like a delicate porcelain vase. It’s best to clean it with the best quality ingredients – not anything too harsh that could scuff the finish. If there is a spot on your vase, you might use a little bit of a specialized cleaner, but you wouldn’t want to use anything that would harm or scratch the finish. In the same way, you don’t want to harm your skin barrier since it is the first line of defense for your skin.
Home Remedies for Dark Spots on Face
Let’s talk about some gentle homemade recipes you can make at home to start your natural hyperpigmentation treatment.
Homemade Mask or Pack for Dark Spots Recipe
Ingredients:
Here’s some natural food ingredients you may already have around your house. They have been proven to help fade dark spots and improve skin discoloration on the face with natural vitamins and enzymes.
- Rice flour contains gentle enzymes that help stop brown pigmentation on the face from forming
- Gram (chick pea) flour is a popular dark spot remover with brightening enzymes
- Pearl powder is used as a natural calcium supplement. It also has brightening properties and is frequently mentioned as an ingredient in the best skincare products for dark spots
- Honey has a gentle bleaching action that also provides moisture and nutrients to the skin at the same time
You can mix any of these with a liquid:
- Distilled water
- Aloe vera juice is well known for its skin soothing properties. It can also act as a lightening treatment for sun spots when used over time
- Green tea provides a large dose of Vitamin C, which acts as a lightening dark spot treatment
- Rice wine provides probiotics to help rebuild the skin barrier and is an ingredient in luxury age spot remover products
- Yogurt doesn’t fade dark spots on the face, but is a great mixing agent. It is soothing and cooling to inflamed skin, and the lactic acid gently scrubs away dead skin cells.
Instructions:
- Add ½ cup of powder or honey to a bowl
- Add ½ cup of liquid or yogurt
- Stir
- Apply to face for 15-20 minutes
- Rinse and follow up with your favorite moisturizer
Homemade Essence or Toner for Dark Spots Recipe
Ingredients:
If you’d prefer to use a toner or essence before moisturization, try using aloe vera juice on its own, or steeping these herbs, flowers, and botanicals into a tea:
- Green tea’s antioxidants and Vitamin C help provide protection against age spots on the face over time
- Roses contain antioxidants and Vitamin C to help reverse environmental damage
- Chamomile has nutrients that help reverse unwanted pigmentation, which can help fade dark marks on the face
- Calendula flowers have antioxidants that help regenerate skin. It is one of the best brown spot removers when used consistently.
Instructions:
- Scoop ½ cup of your preferred flower, tea, or herb into a heat-safe glass jar
- Pour 2 cups of almost boiling water (around 185 F) on your tea material
- Cover and steep for 10 minutes
- After cleansing your face, apply this tea with a cotton pad or as a spray when it is room temperature or cool
- Store this homemade steeped toner or essence in the fridge when not in use, and use it up within one week to prevent the growth of harmful microbes.
Homemade Face Butter, Balm or Salve for Dark Spots Recipe
If you’d prefer to make a product that has a longer shelf life or remains on your skin throughout the day or overnight then a whipped face butter, balm or salve is best.
Natural butters, oils, and waxes actually have skin lightening properties when used over time because of their high antioxidant levels and components that soothe skin. This helps your skin to stop producing excess pigment. They are also very beneficial to your skin because of moisturizing and nutrient-rich properties.
It’s very easy to make a balm or salve from the following ingredients, or whip the final mixture into a luxurious whipped butter:
Ingredients:
- Butters: Shea, Mango, Kokum, and Cupuacu all contain antioxidants that help with skin brightening and repair
- Oils: Rosehip, Apricot, Almond, Jojoba, Avocado, Grapeseed, Camellia, Argan and Evening Primrose are all good natural treatments for dark spots on the face and body on their own or in a recipe.
- Waxes: Beeswax gently draws moisture into the skin, and contains a large amount of nutrients that help skin regenerate itself.
- Powders: Zinc oxide powder not only provides sun protection, but actually stops the skin from making excess pigment by calming inflammation.
Instructions:
- Place 6 oz of your favorite butter in a glass measuring cup.
- (Optional) for a firmer texture, balm or salve add 1 tbsp of grated beeswax or beeswax pastilles to your butter.
- Melt butter and wax (if you added this) over a double boiler setup.
- Once it is fully melted, add 5 oz of your favorite carrier oil and stir.
- Optionally, at this step you can also stir in 1 tbsp of zinc oxide powder to help soothe inflammation.
- Place in the fridge or freezer until 50% solid if whipping
- Remove it and whip it until it is to the desired consistency. Then scoop into jars and store at room temperature, away from direct sunlight.
- If you would like to make this into a balm or salve, pour the liquid into your jars and put in the fridge until completely solid. Then take it out and store at room temperature.
- Apply your whipped face butter or balm to your face after washing it.
I hope these recipes help you look and feel your best! Remember to take good care of yourself and enjoy the upcoming summer months. Please leave any comments or inquiries you may have in the comments section below.
Author: Natalie, DIY Skincare Enthusiast