9 Easy Home Remedies For Freckles
Freckles develop on the skin as a result of continuous exposure to the sun. This exposure leads to pigmentation spots on the skin which in time turns into small, dark colored circles that are flat and about 4mm in diameter.
In some people freckles could also be due to genetics. Freckles are not a serious medical condition and most people learn to live with them. However, they can be treated easily at home with some simple remedies.
Treating freckles will give you a clear and smooth complexion which is seen as a sign of beauty in our society. Freckles can occur on all parts of the body, though they are more common in places where the skin is directly exposed to the sun like cheeks, nose, forehead, shoulders, neck and arms and legs.
People with fair complexion are more prone to being freckled. Freckles can occur irrespective of the age and sex of the person. They are normally dark brown in color but can also turn yellow or red in some cases.
Causes of Freckles
Direct Exposure to sunlight. If you work or play for long hours in the sun you are more likely to end up with severe freckles all over your body especially the face.
Sometimes genetics plays a role. Children of parents who both have freckles often end up with freckles themselves. So freckles are also hereditary especially in cases where there is little exposure to sunlight.
Uncommon skin disorder like Xeroderma Pigmentosum can result in freckles as the disease makes the skin ultra-sensitive to the ultraviolet rays of the sun.
If you are fair skinned you have less melanin in you. This can greatly increase your chances of being freckled even if your skin is not directly exposed to the sun. Even minimum exposure is enough to lead to formation of freckles on the skin.
In some cases hormonal imbalance is responsible for freckles. Estrogen, the hormone responsible for producing pigmentation, could over speed the production of pigment resulting in freckles on being exposed to the sun.
9 Natural Remedies for Freckles
Freckles can give sleepless nights to young girls and boys who are obsessed with their looks. There is no need to neither fret nor spend huge amounts of money buying creams for treating freckles. These can be treated at home easily using simple remedies.
1. Treating freckles with Tomato Juice
Take a ripe tomato and wash it well. Cut the tomato in two halves, store one half in the refrigerator and rub the other half on the skin covered with freckles. Massage the juice of tomato well onto the freckles. Let the juice work on the skin for 15-20 minutes and wash off with cold water.
Repeat the treatment after five hours with the other half of the tomato. Perform the treatment daily for the next two weeks. You will see a considerable decrease in the freckles and your skin will have a healthy glow to it.
2. Treating Freckles with Sour Cream
Take 30 ml of sour cream and apply it on the areas covered with freckles. Rub the cream well on the freckles. Leave for 20 minutes. Don’t wash off with water. Instead use a soft and gentle facial tissue to wipe the cream from the applied areas.
3. Treating Freckles with Lemon Juice
Take one teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice and apply it on the freckles areas of the skin. Use your finger or a cotton ball for the application. Leave for 15-20 minutes and then wash off. Lemon juice has bleaching properties and regular application of the juice for two weeks will lighten the spots considerably.
4. Treating Freckles with Sour Milk
Take 30ml sour milk and using a cotton ball apply it all over your face and other affected parts. Leave on for 10 minutes and wash off using lukewarm water. Sour milk like sour cream has bleaching properties. However, this treatment is not recommended for people with oily and acne skin.
5. Treating Freckles with Homemade Facial Masks
Prepare facial masks using vegetable skins and fruit peels. Apply these masks twice a week to see difference at the end of three weeks’ treatment. Facial masks prepared with strawberries, cucumbers, lemons, orange peels and apricots are especially useful for lightening freckles.
6. Treating Freckles with Honey and Wheat Germ
People with dry and freckles skin can use honey face mask for lightening the dark spots. Warm honey and add a little milk to it. Mix the two well till honey is of easily spreadable consistency. Leave for 15 minutes and wipe off using cotton ball. Wash your face with lukewarm water, dry and moisturize. Repeat once every two weeks. You can also add a little wheat germ oil to honey to fasten the results of the treatment.
7. Treating Freckles with Fresh Mint Leaves
Take about 100 gms of fresh mint leaves. Wash the leaves properly and leave them in the sun to dry for three days. Once the leaves have dried properly put them in an electric mixer and grind into a fine powder. Add some sour milk to the powdered mint leaves and make a paste. Apply the paste on the freckles and leave to dry. Once the mask dries wash off with cold water.
8. Treating Freckles with Vinegar
Take one teaspoon finely ground oatmeal, and two tablespoons organic vinegar. Mix the two well and apply on the freckles. Rub the mixture well on the freckles. Leave on for 20 minutes. Lightly wet you hands and start removing the mask by moving your hands in light, gentle and circular motions. Oatmeal will exfoliate the skin while vinegar will help lighten the color.
9. Treating Freckles with Mustard and Turmeric
In a clean plastic bowl take a pinch of turmeric, half a teaspoon of finely ground yellow mustard powder and a tablespoon of milk. Mix the three ingredients well and apply on the freckles in gentle massaging movements. Leave for 10 minutes and wash off with cold water. Dry the face and apply Vitamin E cream.
