Home Remedies For Dark Spots That Are Guaranteed To Work

So, what do you actually do when you find dark spots on your face? Besides sulking, I mean. Because no matter how much bleach you assault your face with, those pesky discolored marks simply refuse to leave you alone. And going in for one of the dermatological treatments mentioned above is not a viable option for everyone. Well, do I have some great news for you!

What if I told you that instead of heading to your nearest drugstore or dermatologist’s clinic, the only place you need to head to is your kitchen? I don’t blame you if you don’t believe me because it does sound too good to be true. But, the honest truth is, your kitchen is full of ingredients that work wonders for dark spot removal. And I am here to tell you exactly what you will need and how to use it. So read on to find out all the secrets to get rid of those pesky little buggers and restore your selfie-ready perfection!

Lemon Juice Parsley Milk
Vitamin E Oil Castor Oil Yogurt
Potato Onion Juice Horseradish
Buttermilk Pineapple Juice Honey
Aloe Vera Apple Cider Vinegar Orange Peel
Sweet Almond Oil Papaya Strawberry
Oatmeal Tomato Calamine Lotion
Chickpeas Sandalwood
Turmeric Cucumber
DISCLAIMER: All these home remedies need to be used regularly for at least a full month to see any real reduction in your dark spots.

1. Lemon Juice

When life gives you lemons, by all means, make lemonade. But also use them to get rid of your dark spots! Immeasurable research done over many years has proved that the citric acid and vitamin C present in lemon make it the perfect bleaching agent, which is exactly what you need to lighten your dark spots (1). There are a variety of ways in which you can use this incredible ingredient, depending on the sensitivity of your skin.

Method 1 – Lemon Juice And Water
Lemon juice, by itself, is a great way to remove dark spots. However, in its concentrated form, it can be pretty harsh on your skin. So, using water to dilute the solution is a good idea, especially if you have sensitive skin.

What You Need
1 lemon
Filtered water
Cotton balls

How To Use
Squeeze the juice of a lemon into a clean bowl.
Add equal parts clean, filtered water to the lemon juice.
Use a cotton ball to apply lemon juice/water solution all over your face.
Leave it on for 20 minutes, and then wash off with water. Do not use soap.
How Often?
Every alternate day.

Method 2 – Lemon Juice And Yogurt Face Mask
The bleaching effect of the lemon juice and the cleansing property of yogurt create the combined result of lightening your dark spots and brightening your skin. Who doesn’t want to kill two birds with one stone, right?

What You Need
1 lemon
1 tbsp fresh yogurt
How To Use
Squeeze the juice of a lemon into a clean bowl.
Add 1 tablespoon of yogurt to it and mix well.
Apply the paste all over your face and leave it on for 30 minutes.
Wash off with clean water.
How Often?
Twice a week.

Method 3 – Lemon Juice And Sugar Face Scrub
The exfoliating benefits of sugar and the bleaching effect of lemon juice combined can make the perfect scrub to get rid of all your dead skin and give your face a refreshed glow.

What You Need
Half a lemon
1 tsp sugar
How To Use
Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a clean bowl.

Add a teaspoon of sugar to the lemon juice and mix well (you can also add a teaspoon of coconut oil to the mixture if you have dry skin).
Rub the mixture between your fingers and scrub all over your face using circular motions, giving special attention to the dark spots.
Keep scrubbing for two minutes.
Wash off with clean water and pat dry your face.
How Often?
Once a week.

WARNING
Do not apply any home remedies containing lemon juice around or under your eyes as the skin in those areas is highly sensitive.
Do not go out into the sunlight during or right after using a lemon juice home remedy as it makes your skin highly sensitive and can cause sunburns.

Tips
Use only freshly squeezed lemon juice as the packaged variety contains preservatives that can harm your skin.
If you have sensitive skin, you could add honey or rose water to any of the above mixtures to make them gentler on your skin.

1. Vitamin E Oil

Many dermatologists swear by the benefits of vitamin E oil to reduce the appearance of a variety of skin discoloration problems, especially dark spots. This is why it is one of the vital ingredients found in many skin care products. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that targets free radicals that are responsible for aging and discoloration and helps to repair damaged cells (2). Moreover, vitamin E oil does not need to be mixed with any other ingredients to make it viable for applying directly on your skin. Hence, it is a convenient and cost-effective option for dark spot removal.

Method 1 – Bottled Vitamin E Oil
What You Need
A bottle of vitamin E oil

How To Use
Apply a few drops of vitamin E oil directly on the dark spots and rub it into your skin with clean fingers.

How Often?
Daily, before going to sleep.

Method 2 – Vitamin E Capsules
What You Need
1 vitamin E capsule
A needle/safety pin

How To Use

Poke a hole in the vitamin E capsule with the help of a needle or a safety pin.
Squeeze the oil out of the capsule onto your fingers.
Apply it directly to your dark spots and rub it in.
How Often?
Daily, before going to sleep.

WARNING
Some people could be allergic to vitamin E oil and develop contact dermatitis if they come in contact with it. Do a patch test on your forearm before trying out any of the home remedies mentioned above.
Since vitamin E comes in a heavy formulation, it could cause your skin to break out if your skin is acne prone.

Tips
Since vitamin E comes in the form of a thick oil and requires you to not wash it off, it could make your face look oily throughout the day. Hence, it is best to apply it at night, in place of a moisturizer.

Add foods rich in vitamin E like almonds, peanuts, wheat germ oil, sunflower seeds, and dried apricots to your daily diet to make use of its many benefits.

1. Potato

Ah, potato – the wonderful vegetable that gives us the simple joys in life, such as French fries, potato chips, hash brown, and tater tots. Besides giving us gastric happiness, potatoes can also do wonders for our skin. Starch and sugar – the key components of potato – work their combined exfoliating magic to remove dead skin cells and aid the growth of new ones. Vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium, zinc, and phosphorus – minerals that rejuvenate the collagen production in your skin – are also found in this root vegetable (3). All in all, a potato is a storehouse of numerous minerals that work together to provide many skin care benefits. There are many different ways to use potatoes to remove dark spots.

Read on below to find out our favorite picks.

Method 1 – Potato Slices
Let’s start off with the easiest one. You do not need anything except a potato and a knife for this one. Don’t you just love me for making your life so easy right now?

What You Need
1 potato
A knife
How To Use
Slice up a potato into thin slices with a knife.
Apply a tiny bit of water to the potato slices to make them wet and place them on the areas with dark spots.
Leave the potato slices on for 10 minutes.
How Often?
Daily.

Method 2 – Potato And Lemon Juice
The combined bleaching properties of potatoes and lemon juice, owing to their rich vitamin C content, make this an excellent home remedy for dark spot removal and skin brightening.

What You Need
1 potato
1 cup hot water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
A knife
Cotton balls
How To Use
Slice up a potato into thin slices and soak them in a cup of boiling hot water.
Leave the potato slices to soak for half an hour.
Remove the potato slices and add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the water that is left behind.
Refrigerate the potato water and lemon juice mixture for an hour.
Apply the cold mixture directly to the dark spots using a cotton ball.
Wash off with clean water after 20 minutes.
How Often?
Twice a day, every day.

Method 3 – Potato And Honey
The extensive skin care benefits of honey work wonders when combined with potato. They make an excellent face mask that can eliminate those dark spots right off your face.

What You Need
1 potato
1 teaspoon of honey
A grater

How To Use
Grate the potato to a fine texture.
Add a teaspoon of honey to the grated potato (if the mixture is too dry, you can add more honey or a little bit of water to it).
Apply the mixture as a face mask and leave it on for 15 minutes.

Wash off with clean water.
How Often?
Every alternate day.

WARNING
If you experience any redness or irritation after applying potato on your skin, wash off the face mask and discontinue use immediately.

Tips
You can slice or grate up 3-4 potatoes at a time and refrigerate them in an airtight container. That way, you will not have to cut a fresh potato every day and the refrigerated potatoes will have a nice cooling effect on your skin.

1. Buttermilk

Buttermilk is the sour liquid left behind after butter has been churned out of the milk. Remember when I told you at the beginning of this article that a superficial chemical peel uses alpha hydroxyl acids? Basically, the lactic acid found in buttermilk is also a type of alpha hydroxyl acid. It helps remove dead skin cells from your face and lightens dark spots (4). So, instead of spending a ton of money on a dermatologist to get a professional chemical peel to remove your dark spots, you can just spend a couple of dollars on a carton of buttermilk to get the same results.

Method 1 – Raw Buttermilk
The easiest and cheapest way to use buttermilk is to use it as it is, without mixing anything in it.

What You Need
Buttermilk
Cotton balls
How To Use
Pour a little buttermilk into a small bowl.
Using a cotton ball, apply the buttermilk directly onto your dark spots.
Leave it on for 20 minutes and wash off with clean water.
How Often?
Daily.

Method 2 – Buttermilk And Tomato Juice
Buttermilk and tomato both have bleaching properties that can give you quicker results in your quest to get a dark spot-free face.

What You Need
4 teaspoons of buttermilk
2 teaspoons of tomato juice
How To Use
In a clean bowl, add the buttermilk and tomato juice and mix thoroughly.
Apply the mixture all over your face and leave it on for half an hour.
Wash off with clean water.
How Often?
Daily.

WARNING
Do not apply any of the aforementioned buttermilk home remedies around and under your eyes as the skin there is highly sensitive and the lactic acid in the buttermilk can cause irritation.

Tips
You can use milk or yogurt in place of buttermilk if it is difficult for you to find it, as they contain lactic acid as well.

1. Aloe Vera
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Image: iStock
I think we have all been told an infinite number of times by innumerable people how aloe vera is the best thing that happened to their skin. But there’s a reason all these people and skin care companies make such grandiose claims about aloe vera. It contains 90% of the amino acids found in our body, in addition to vitamins A, B, C, and E. All these, along with the beta-carotene also found in this miracle plant, lead to this plant having miraculous anti-aging and skin nourishing properties. Besides providing quick depigmentation, removing dark spots, and treating sunburn, this wonder plant also has analgesic (pain relief) and antiseptic properties (5). And to cap it all off, aloe vera also works as an excellent moisturizer. Phew! That is way too much goodness packed into one spiky little plant. Anyway, here are our favorite ways to use aloe vera for dark spots removal.

Method 1 – Aloe Vera Gel
Aloe vera gel, taken straight from the leaves, is the best way to get rid of those black spots and any other discoloration.

What You Need
An aloe vera leaf
A knife
How To Use
Using a knife, slice away the outer layers of an aloe vera leaf.
Squeeze the gel onto your fingers and apply it directly to your dark spots.
Leave the gel on for 20 minutes, then wash off with clean water.
How Often?
Daily.

Method 2 – Aloe Vera Gel, Sugar, And Lemon Juice
Sugar acts as an exfoliator to scrape away dead skin cells and the dual bleaching properties of aloe vera and lemon juice work wonders to eliminate your skin of dark spots, thus leaving your skin bright and glowing.

What You Need
½ cup aloe vera gel
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
How To Use
Put the aloe vera gel, sugar, and lemon juice in a clean bowl and mix thoroughly.
With clean hands, scrub the mixture onto your face for 10 minutes, giving extra attention to the areas with dark spots.
Wash off with clean water and moisturize.
How Often?
Every alternate day.

WARNING
People allergic to latex could experience irritation as a result of coming in contact with the component aloin that is found in the lining of aloe vera leaves. Thus, it is best to wear gloves while extracting aloe vera gel from its leaves.
If you are allergic to garlic, onion, or tulips, you could be allergic to aloe vera. Do a patch test on the inside of your forearm before proceeding with any of the home remedies listed above.
Tips
Invest in a potted aloe vera plant to keep at home. This way, you will always have it readily available for all your skin care needs.
Consume aloe vera gel every day by blending it into a smoothie with another fruit to boost your health and get that natural glow.

1. Sweet Almond Oil

I’m pretty sure your mother, your grandmother, and basically every grown up in your life has, at multiple points in your life, raved about how almonds are the one solution to all your skin, hair, and memory problems. And why wouldn’t they? Almonds are loaded with oleic and linoleic acids, unsaturated fatty acids, phytosterols, and vitamins A, B2, B6, D, and E. Wowza! Makes you wonder how one little nut can hold so many nutrients, doesn’t it? Owing to all these wonderful goodies found in them, the oil extracted from almonds is considered somewhat of an elixir in the cosmetic and skin care industry. Thus, it is no wonder that almond oil is great for reducing dark spots, blemishes, and any other kind of unwanted pigmentation (6). Additionally, it also acts as an effective sunscreen by protecting your skin from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun. The best part? Almond oil is non-greasy, absorbs quickly, and is not too heavy on the skin – making it a great companion for anyone with sensitive skin.

METHOD 1 – Almond Oil
Bottled sweet almond oil can be found in any drugstore and one small-sized bottle can last you months.

What You Need
Sweet almond oil

How To Use
Rub a few drops of almond oil between your fingers and apply it all over your face as you would a lotion. Make sure to apply a little extra on the dark spots.
Do not wash off.
How Often?
Every night, before going to sleep.

Method 2 – Almond Oil, Lime Juice, Milk Powder, And Honey
The vitamin E in the almond oil, the citric acid in the lime juice, and the lactic acid in the milk powder all combine to make one ultimate bleaching agent perfect for fighting those dastardly dark spots. The honey just adds that extra bit of moisture to relax the acidic properties of the other three ingredients.

What You Need
4-5 drops of almond oil
2 teaspoons of lime juice
1 teaspoon of honey
1 tablespoon of milk powder

How To Use
Mix the almond oil, lime juice, honey, and milk powder in a clean bowl.
Apply the paste all over your face and leave it on for half an hour.

Wash off with clean water.
How Often?
Thrice a week.

Method 3 – Almond Oil And Vitamin E Oil
Vitamin E oil and almond oil are two concentrated fluids that work beautifully to lighten your dark spots and add a glowy finish to your skin.

What You Need
1 teaspoon of almond oil
2 drops of vitamin E oil
A microwave

How To Use
In a small bowl or cup, add the almond oil and vitamin E oil. You can either use bottled vitamin E oil or extract the oil out of a vitamin E capsule.
Heat the oil mixture for 10 seconds in a microwave.

Apply it all over your face, like a lotion.
On the dark spots, gently rub in the oils in circular motions for 10 minutes.

Wipe away with a soft washcloth or tissue.
How Often?
Every night, before going to sleep.

WARNING
If you are allergic to almonds or any other tree nuts, stay away from almond oil as it can cause a pretty severe allergic reaction, even when used externally.

Tips
Apply almond oil before you moisturize your skin (face and body) every night. You will wake up with ultra soft and moisturized skin.
Since it is non-comedogenic (non-greasy and absorbs quickly), you can apply almond oil a few minutes before applying your makeup to prevent your foundation from clogging your pores and drying your skin out.

Almond oil also makes for a great makeup remover that manages to wipe off even the most stubborn of waterproof mascaras.
Add 4-5 almonds to your daily diet to reap its full depigmentation, hair strengthening, and memory boosting benefits.

1. Oatmeal

Oatmeal is not just a nutritious way to start your day, it can also be a great addition to your regular skin care routine and act as a weapon against those woeful dark spots. The texture of oatmeal and the saponins it contains makes it a great exfoliating and cleansing agent that scrubs away dead skin cells effectively. Its anti-inflammatory nature helps in soothing irritation and treating acne, acne scars, and dark spots (7). A unique feature of oatmeal is that it can balance the oil content in your skin, thus making it beneficial for both oily and dry skin types. All of these different properties of oatmeal come together to make it an excellent ingredient to use in home remedies for dark spot removal.

Method 1 – Oatmeal, Honey, And Milk
The gentle exfoliation provided by the oatmeal, the moisturization by honey, and the bleaching by the lactic acid in the milk work excellently in removing dark spots.

What You Need
3 tablespoons of ground up oatmeal
1 tablespoon of honey
1 tablespoon of milk
How To Use
In a bowl, mix the ground up oatmeal, honey, and milk until it becomes a paste.
Apply this face pack all over your face.
Leave it on until it has dried completely.
Wash off with clean water.
How Often?
Thrice a week.

Method 2 – Oatmeal, Turmeric, Gram Flour, And Green Tea
The antioxidants found in green tea are not only good for digestion, but can also be used externally in a variety of home remedies (8). The gram flour and turmeric will give that extra glow to your skin.

What You Need
2 tablespoons of ground up oatmeal
½ teaspoon of turmeric
1 tablespoon of gram flour
1 teaspoon of green tea leaves
Water
How To Use

In a bowl, mix the ground up oatmeal, turmeric, gram flour, and green tea.
Add enough water to the above mixture to make a thick paste.
Apply the face mask all over your face and leave it on until it has dried completely.

Wash off with clean water.
How Often?
Twice a week.

WARNING
Make sure you grind the oatmeal into a fine powder before adding it to any face pack. Otherwise, its big grains and rough texture can scratch and irritate your skin.

Tips
Since there is no chance of it going stale, you can grind up a full bag of oatmeal and store it in an airtight container to save time when using any of the aforementioned home remedies.
In the second face pack, if you do not have loose green tea at hand, you can open and use the green tea in one tea bag.

1. Chickpeas

Chickpeas contain manganese that rejuvenates skin cells and attacks free radicals that cause wrinkles. The molybdenum in chickpeas detoxifies your skin and vitamin B repairs damage caused by the sun. This spectacular combination of nutrients and minerals, along with their exfoliating property, make chickpeas perfect for scrubbing away dead skin cells and getting rid of dark spots and any other kind of discoloration (9). Listed below are some of the best ways to use chickpeas for effective dark spot removal.

Method 1 – Chickpeas Paste
The best way to make use of chickpeas for removing age spots from your face is to use them in the concentrated form.

What You Need
½ cup of chickpeas
½ cup of water
A blender
How To Use
Boil the chickpeas in water until they are completely soft.

Once it has cooled down, blend the chickpeas and water until they form a thick paste.
Apply the paste all over your face and leave it on for 30 minutes.

Wash off with clean water.
How Often?
Daily.

Method 2 – Chickpeas And Lemon Juice
Adding lemon juice to the chickpeas paste accelerates their bleaching effects and gets rid of dark spots faster.

What You Need
4 tablespoons of chickpeas paste
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
How To Use

In a bowl, mix the chickpeas paste and lemon juice until they make a thick paste.
Apply the paste all over your face, giving special attention to your dark spots.
Wash off with clean water after 20 minutes.
How Often?
Every alternate day.

WARNING
Since chickpeas paste is quite thick and heavy on the skin, it could clog up your pores if you have sensitive skin.

Tips
You can make a paste out of 1/2 kg of chickpeas at a time and store it in the refrigerator for your convenience.
If you do not wish to use chickpeas paste, you can also use gram flour (flour made out of chickpeas), which is readily available in the market.

Back To TOC

1. Turmeric
   25-Home-Remedies-For-Dark-Spots-That-Are-Guaranteed-To-Work27

Image: iStock
If you, like me, grew up in India, then you already know all about the importance of turmeric in the Indian culture. Not only is it an essential ingredient in

If you, like me, grew up in India, then you already know all about the importance of turmeric in Indian culture. Not only is it an essential ingredient in Indian cooking, turmeric is also a quintessential part of the ‘Big Fat Indian Wedding.’ So much so that one whole ceremony is christened after and revolves around this beautiful spice, in which the bride and the groom are slathered in turmeric paste from head to toe to give them a special wedding glow. Turmeric contains curcumin, which is a powerful antioxidant that fights free radicals and helps in removing dark spots from your face (10). Since its highly pigmented yellow color may seem daunting to put on your face by itself, here are a few home remedies you can try that use turmeric in addition to some other great ingredients to fight off dark spots.

Method 1 – Turmeric, Lemon Juice, And Milk
With milk acting as the base, turmeric and lemon juice come together to make a great face mask that lightens dark spots and brightens your skin.

What You Need
½ teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
2 tablespoons of milk
How To Use
Mix the turmeric, lemon juice, and milk in a bowl.
Apply the thin paste all over your face.
Gently massage the paste into the areas affected by dark spots.
Wash off with clean water after 15 minutes.
How Often?
Every alternate day.

Method 2 – Turmeric, Yogurt, And Olive Oil
While turmeric and yogurt fight those annoying dark spots, olive oil pampers your skin and moisturizes it from within (11).

What You Need
½ teaspoon of turmeric
1 ½ tablespoons of yogurt
1 teaspoon of olive oil
How To Use
Mix the turmeric, yogurt, and olive oil in a bowl.
Apply the paste all over your face and massage the dark spots areas in circular motions.
Wash off with clean water after 20 minutes.
How Often?
Thrice a week.

WARNING
Leaving any face masks containing turmeric on for more than 15-20 minutes can stain your skin yellow, which could take days to come off. Therefore, make sure you wash off the face mask within that time period and use a cleanser immediately to wipe off any excess face mask left behind.
Avoid using any turmeric face packs a day before any major event as your skin will have a slight yellow twinge to it for a few days after application.
Tips
Wear a towel around your neck or just wear clothes you don’t really care about when using these home remedies so you don’t stain your nice clothes yellow.

1. Parsley

Oh, parsley. I sincerely apologize for hating you all throughout my childhood. If I knew then what I know now, I would’ve relished every bite of you and made sure to go back for second helpings.

To make up for my childhood shortcomings, let me tell you why you should immediately stock your fridge with parsley. This green leafy vegetable is loaded with vitamins A and C that renew the collagen production in your skin and fight free radicals to give you fresh even-toned skin, free of all acne and dark spots. On top of that, its vitamin K content prevents formation of wrinkles. Lastly, the antibacterial and antifungal nature of parsley give you overall clean and healthy skin (12).

Method 1 – Parsley, Lemon Juice, And Honey
The combined vitamin C content of parsley and lemon juice come together to make a wonderful home remedy to fight any discoloration on your face.

What You Need
1 head of parsley
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
2 teaspoons of honey
A blender

How To Use
Chop up the parsley, add a little water to it, and blend it up to make a paste.
Add the honey and lemon juice to the parsley paste and mix thoroughly.
Apply the mixture all over your face, giving special attention to your dark spots.
Wash off with clean water after 20 minutes.
How Often?
Every alternate day.

Method 2 – Parsley And Lemon Juice ‘Tea’
This parsley and lemon infusion made like a tea is light on your skin and very refreshing, though it works just as well to remove dark spots.

What You Need
1 head of parsley
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
Water
Cotton balls
How To Use

Chop up the parsley it in 2 cups of water for 10-12 minutes.
Strain the water into a clean bowl.
Add a tablespoon of lemon juice to this parsley water.

Using cotton balls, apply the parsley and lemon ‘tea’ directly onto your dark spots.
Wash off with clean water after half an hour.
How Often?
Every night, before going to sleep.

WARNING
In some cases, people with sensitive skin can develop photodermatitis after handling parsley. Photodermatitis refers to the development of rashes or blisters as a reaction to the UV rays of the sun. Hence, do a patch test on your forearm before using any of the above home remedies.

Tips
The parsley and lemon juice ‘tea’ water can be stored for days in a spray bottle and sprayed on whenever you feel like it.