30 Home Remedies to Remove Tan Completely

First things first - Why do we get tanned? Tanning is a protective reaction of our skin to protect it from burning up. To fight UV radiation, cells called melanocytes increase the melanin pigment and push it out of the cell, where it darkens the skin. This helps reduce UV penetration to the skin. Melanogenesis results in a delayed tan that becomes visible several hours after UV exposure. It’s the, for easier understanding, the tan which is in the lower layer of the skin and takes times to be sloughed off. In the skins’ natural cycle a tan wears off between 4- 8 weeks naturally. A little help in lightening it is always welcome, of course. How do I get rid of the tan? In 30 ways! We show you how! You can use a number of ingredients to lighten the tan. It’s a good idea to stay clear of chemicals as the skin is already healing and further abuse leads to more lasting damage. Going natural means you help your skin heal in the kindest way possible. Fruits, vegetables and a host of other ingredients can be used to fight tan. Wash off all the following packs we are about to tell you of in this article by dipping your finger tips in warm water and rubbing off the pack in circular motion gently. Finish off with warm water and apply moisturizer followed by a good sunscreen.  

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Calling the classics to the rescue: 1. Lemon Juice Juice a lemon and apply the juice to cleaned skin after exfoliation. Technically you are using it as a pack!  Keep for 25 mins. 2. Lemon Juice with honey If you have acne and a tan it’s a good idea to mix equal parts lemon juice and honey on a cleaned, exfoliated face. Honey helps stop bacterial activity (for acne) plus is a good moisturizer. Keep for 20 mins. 3. Lemon Juice and Potato Lemon has bleaching and peeling properties and potato has lightening properties. Combine these together and you get a potent tan removal pack. As a bonus, potato juice also helps draw out toxins and water from the face- making it slimmer! 4. Lemon Juice and Cornmeal Cornmeal is a natural exfoliator which gives instant freshness and suppleness to the skin. It helps remove dead skin, which lightens tan and brightens the face. Added to that the lemon juice, another natural exfoliator makes the this scrub a super tan remover. 5. Tomato Tomato is packed with selenium which fortifies our skin to fight tan faster. In fact it also helps prevent tanning in the first place. Go ahead and add 2 tomatoes daily to your diet  to help make your skin resistant to tanning. 6. Tomato on the face too! Tomato can be easily added to a host of ingredients for making fantastic packs to neutralize tan. Adding a tablespoon of yogurt to 2 tablespoons of tomato pulp helps give the face a natural peel, which removes the top layer of darkened skin for instant freshness and glow. Curd is a natural bleaching agent and helps combat sun tan naturally! Getting a slight tingling sensation is normal! 7. Cabbage Leaves Cabbage has high Sulphur content that is healing for the skin. Applying cold cabbage leaves on the affected face helps calm the skin while promoting healing. Repeat 3-5 times a day, time permitting. 8. Green Gourd Crush green gourd in a mixie and make a fine paste, add 5 drops of lavender aroma oil, 2 table spoon of corn flour. Apply it on the affected area and leave for 20 mins. All of these ingredients are healing and calming and are advised for badly sun burnt skin. 9. Potato Potato is also known for its mild bleaching and cleansing properties. Wash and grate a potato, scoop out the juice by squeezing it and apply it on the face. Wash after 20 mins with warm water. Potato juice applied on dark circles also helps minimize the darkness. Be warned though, at times you can react to potato juice. Click on the next page to know about the fruits you apply to your face

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Fruits on my face: 10. Honey and Papaya Pack Papaya is packed with enzymes that have skin whitening and rejuvenating properties.  Added with honey, this pack makes the skin softer, supple and dewy while effectively removing tan. Take half a cup of papaya crush with 2 table spoon of honey. Leave the pack on for 20 minutes. 11. Yogurt and Orange Juice All citric fruits are natural peeling and exfoliatory agents. And orange takes place of pride among the citrus fruits for its skin enhancing quality. Take a tablespoon of orange juice and yoghurt, blend well and apply on the face. Keep on for 20 minutes. 12. Strawberry and Milk Strawberries are great at rejuvenating the skin and cleansing out the pores with their deep cleansing enzymes. They work rather well in removing tan as they penetrate the skin deeper in. Mixing strawberries with two tbsp of fresh milk cream makes a great pack as it further activates the exfoliatory action of the lactic acid (milk). Apply on the affected areas and keep for 30 mins. This pack is as good to eat too! 13. Honey and Pineapple Pineapple is loaded with vitamin C. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps reverse ageing as well as stall it. You can use fresh pineapple crush either direct or with a dash of honey. Honey helps add an extra zing to the pineapple crush making the pack greatly active in removing tan and helping the skin get healthy again. Keep the pack for 15 mins. 14. Raw Papaya Papaya is packed with enzymes that have skin whitening and rejuvenating properties and in raw papaya the enzymes are even more effective. It might sting a little if you have sensitive skin but don’t worry it will pass. Apply and keep the pack for 20 mins and scrub it out while washing your face. Click on the next page to know about the lesser known heroes of tan removal!

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The unsung heroes of tan removal: 15. Milk and Turmeric Milk has lactic acid that acts as a natural skin peeling agent, yet its gentle and deeply nourishing. Turmeric is known to be an effective anti-inflammatory and healing agent. Both of these combined not only helps remove tan but also heals the skin from the deeper epidermis layer. Take 3 tablespoons of un-boiled milk and add a pinch of pure turmeric powder to it. Apply and keep for 25 mins. Repeat every day till you see improvement. 16. Plain Yogurt Curd helps restore pH of the skin as also calms and prevents inflammation. Apply it on cleaned face and keep for 20 mins. Wash with water and splash with toner to close the open pores. 17. Sandalwood Sandalwood is legendary in its properties for being a natural soother and skin regenerator. And this ingredient on its own is remarkable for daily use. Apply and keep for 30 minutes and wash off with warm water. 18. Coconut Water and Sandalwood Pack Adding coconut water to sandalwood multiplies its healing properties. Coconut water is rich in minerals and salts that help with skin healing and regeneration. If you have very dry skin try adding a few drops of almond oil to the pack, it helps hydrate and moisturize deeply. 19. Buttermilk and Oat Meal Pack Milk products are packed with lactic acid that are gentle exfoliators and skin whitening agents. Oatmeal has healing properties that calm the skin and helps heal. Oatmeal is highly recommended for injured skin as it expedites skin regeneration. Mix 3 tbsp of buttermilk with 2 tablespoon oatmeal. Scrub your face with this pack in a circular motion and wash off with warm water. 20. Saffron and un-boiled milk Saffron or Kesar has been the product of choice of royalty as a keeper of great skin and complexion. It helps lighten the skin and so is a great choice for lightening skin tan. We recommend using it with un-boiled milk to get the lactic acid working to help expedite the removal of tan. 21. Ice Cubes If your sun tan is hurting or burning, crush some ice cubes and wrap these in a fine cloth. Apply gently on the affected skin, it helps calm the skin if the sun burn is deep. 22. Wheat germ Wheat germ is known for its healing and regenerative properties and hence our pick for skin healing. Make a fine paste and apply on cleaned skin. Keep it for 20 mins and wash with warm water. 23. Gram Flour Green gram flour is a natural exfoliator and comes highly recommended by our dadi and nani! And why not, its gentle on the skin while also nourishing it. Make a paste of whole green gram dal after soaking it for a few hours and add 6 drops of almond oil to it. Apply on cleansed skin. Keep it for 20 mins and wash off when dry. 24. Almonds Almonds are packed with natural oils and minerals that hydrate the skin and heal it from within. Crush a handful of almonds and mix it with honey and sugar. Use this to gently scrub the skin in small circular movements. Scrub for 5 to 6 minutes and wash with warm water.

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25. Sour Curd Keep a bowl of curd at room temperature overnight. Fermented or sour curd has active bacteria that restore skin’s pH balance as also help bleach the face. A healthy pH of skin indicates that the skin is capable to heal itself pretty efficiently. This helps heal the tan as well as bleaching the skin gently, making it instantly fairer. Keep the curd on for 15 mins and wash with warm water. 26. Aloe Vera Fresh aloe gel helps restore skin's elasticity while healing it and rejuvenating it. You can apply it direct from the plant by slitting the leaf and removing the transparent jelly. Apply the jelly directly on the face. 27. Sugar scrub If you have dry skin, take two table spoons of fine sugar and add half a tablespoon of olive oil with 5 drops of rose oil. Mix to wet sand consistency and scrub the face for 4-6 mins in gentle circular motion. Wash with warm water. 28. Salt scrub If you have oily skin, take two table spoons of fine sea salt and add half a tablespoon of olive oil with 5 drops of lavender oil. Mix to wet sand consistency and scrub the face for 4-6 mins in gentle circular motion. Wash with warm water. 29. Rose water and glycerin Rose has healing properties as well as calming properties and glycerin is a great humectant. Mix in equal quantity and apply daily at night on a cleansed skin. Wash with warm water and follow it with a good night cream. 30. Rice water Boil rice and remove the thick starchy water, cool and bottle in a sterilized bottle. Apply on cleansed skin and keep for 20 mins. wash with warm water. Rice has powerful skin nutraceuticals that help rejuvenate skin and is used in Ayurveda for curing skin ailments. For customized skin care, get in touch with us by downloading our app from the Playstore!

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