Here are a few home remedies that will help you get rid of that tan.

1. Multani mitti and lemon

Fuller’s Earth or multani mitti is a potent ingredient for every skin problem and lemon is rich in vitamin C and has natural bleaching properties. When these two ingredients come together, they make an excellent face mask for oily acne-prone skin. It will help in lightening the skin, deep cleanse pores and tighten the skin.

How to make

Take 1tbsp of multani mitti and add lemon juice to it to form the consistency of a cream. Apply all over the face and neck and keep it on for 30 mins. Once completely dry, wash it off with cold water and pat dry the skin. Apply aloe vera gel to moisturise and soothe the skin.

2. Yoghurt and honey

Yoghurt is loaded with zinc which is the best medicine for sun-scorched skin. It has natural bleaching properties that help lighten skin tan. Honey has moisturising properties. With regular usage, it adds a glow to the skin by restoring its deepest layers. It is loaded with anti-oxidants that slow down the signs of aging like wrinkles and fine lines. Both honey and yoghurt together help to repair skin damage by sun. This face mask is the best option for those with normal to dry skin types.

How to make

Take 2tbsp of thick yoghurt and add 2tsp of honey to it. Stir the mixture well to form a creamy consistency. Apply the face mask and keep it on for 30 mins. Wash off with cold water and pat dry.

3. Milk cream and kesar [Saffron]

This face mask is the best choice for those with dry and sensitive skin. Milk cream helps in lightening the skin with its phenomenal brightening properties. Milk also soothes sunburn as it has cooling and skin-repairing properties. Saffron gives a healthy glow to the skin and helps in preventing acne and blemishes. Both together can lighten skin tan and pigmentation.

How to make

Take 5 – 6 strands of saffron and submerge it in 2tbsp of cold milk. In a clean bowl, add 1½ tbsp milk cream and add the saffron and milk. Stir the solution thoroughly to mix the goodness of saffron with the milk cream. With the help of a face pack brush, apply all over the face and neck. Keep it on for 30 min and rinse with water, then pat dry.

4. Potato, aloe vera and besan

Potato has certain elements that act as natural bleaching agents and hence is known for removing pigmentation from skin. An effective anti-ageing substance, potato also helps remove dead skin cells from the face.

Besan [gram flour] is a popular ingredient for its cleansing, lightening and moisturising properties. It is also a mild exfoliating agent, suitable for all skin types.

Aloe vera helps in soothing the sunburn. Together, these three ingredients can improve your complexion. This face pack is one of my favourites to remove sun tan.

How to make

Grate 1 potato and squeeze out the juice from it. Add 2tbsp of besan and 1 tbsp of aloe vera to it. Mix these thoroughly to form a cream like thick consistency; apply on the face. Keep it for around 30 mins and wash off with cold water.

5. Sandalwood powder and rose water

Sandalwood is a magical ingredient for skin lightening. The natural oils present in it effectively remove every layer of pigmentation, provided you use it regularly. It has several anti-ageing benefits for the skin as well. A face pack of sandalwood powder and rose water face is the epitome of goodness and makes the skin soft and supple.

How to make

In a clean bowl, add 2tbsp of sandalwood powder and rose water to form a thick paste. Apply all over the face and neck and keep it for around 40 mins. Once completely dry, wash it off with cold water and pat the skin dry. Apply aloe vera gel.

6. Tomato and honey

Tomato is super-rich in vitamin A, C and E, all of which are essential for healthy skin. Most of the skin damage is due to oxidation. Tomatoes and honey contain anti-oxidants, which help counter this effect. Apply this mask thrice a week and you’ll see the results within a month.

How to make

Take a juicy red tomato and cut it into half. Add 1tbsp of honey to the juicy flat surface and apply it on the face in circular motion. Keep doing it for around 5 – 10 mins. Once done, leave it like that for 15 – 20 mins and wash off with chilled water.

Tanning is a defence mechanism of our skin. When the skin is exposed to the UVB rays, it increases the production of melanin which, in turn, darkens our complexion in an uneven way, leading to various skin problems.

Skin glow juice

Here’s a recipe for a juice that will bring back that lost glow to your face. Have this juice daily, first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and you will notice the difference within a month.

Ingredients

• 1 medium size carrot
• 1 medium size beet
• 1 tomato
• 2tbsp lemon juice
• 1tbsp honey
• 5 – 6 mint leaves
• 10 – 12 cilantro
• Salt [as per requirement]

Method

Put all the ingredients into a blender; blend thoroughly to form a pulpy juice. You can strain this if you want or have it as it is.

A few healthy diet choices and easy-to-make face masks is all it takes to keep your skin glowing this [and every!] summer.

The post 6 DIY face packs to lighten your skin tan appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Aloe vera

One of the first medicinal plants that most of us start with is aloe vera. The fleshy leaves are packed with a gel that can be used externally to treat several skin ailments. For any kind of burn—from overexposure to sun to minor cooking burns—simply break off a leaf, run a knife up the middle of the leaf and open it out. Smear the gel on the affected area and leave it to dry. The opened out leaf can be wrapped in cling film and kept in the fridge, which makes it even more cooling.

How to grow: Aloe vera can be grown in a container. You can get a plant from the nursery or propagate it by rooting an offshoot that forms near the base of the plant. This medicinal plant likes a lot of sunshine but can also thrive in partial shade. Make sure the soil is fertile and well-drained.

Basil

There are two types of Basil—Sweet Basil and Holy Basil—and both do wonders for our health. But while most of us in India do have a tulsi or Holy Basil plant in our homes, not many of us grow or use Sweet Basil. You can use the leaves of Basil plant in cooking, especially in Italian dishes, and can flavour vinegars and oils with it. Basil leaves can also be made into infusions that help with digestion and reduce fevers. If you pop a handful of leaves in the bath, it acts as a stimulant.

How to grow: Basil needs well-drained, moist, nutrient-rich soil. You can grow this herb from seed by tucking the seeds 1.4 inch deep in the soil mix. Make sure you keep a gap of 10 – 12 inches between the seeds and keep the container in a place that gets a good amount of sun.

Calendula

You can identify this plant by its bright yellow flowers that bloom in the beginning of spring. This is a versatile herb that can be used for cooking and cure. The fresh petals of the flower can be sprinkled over stir-fries, while the dried petals can be used to colour cooked rice.

The petals can also be infused with oil and used to prepare salves and ointments at home. Creams made with calendula-infused oil help to heal burns, cuts and bruises. Calendula ointment is also good for diaper rashes. A salve made with calendula can bring relief to sore muscles, while a lip balm that contains calendula-infused oil can heal dry, chapped lips. You can also make calendula hydrosol or tincture with the petals that can further be used in a misting spray to bring relief to bee stings and bug bites, and as a facial toner.

“To make a tincture, take a glass jar and fill with Calendula flowerheads. Pour alcohol [standard strength alcohol is easiest to get for most people] on top and make sure the flowerheads are all covered. Leave the flowerheads in the alcohol for 2 – 3 weeks, stirring every other day. Strain the flowerheads off and keep the remaining tincture in a dark glass bottle,” shares herbalist and educator Pamela Spence.

How to grow: Calendula can be directly sown into the ground in the fall or can be planted indoors. Very easy to maintain, this plant needs a lot of sunshine and fertile, well-drained soil. Calendula doesn’t grow well in extreme weathers such as very hot summers and freezing winters.

Coriander

Also known as cilantro or dhania in India, this is a dynamic herb packed with vitamins C and K, and small amounts of carotene, niacin, thiamine, potassium, phosphorous and calcium. Coriander is known to lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol, improve bowel movements and promote liver function, lower blood sugar levels in diabetics and improve the secretion of insulin. This herb works well against diseases like arthritis.

How to grow: You can grow coriander in a container or in the garden directly. Crush the seeds and tuck them into the soil in short, straight rows. Coriander grows well when it is sown in fertile soil and receives a lot of sunshine.

Celery

Here is a herb that we best associate with salads and soups, but it does more than just add flavour to food. Celery is known to reduce high blood pressure, lower high cholesterol, prevent ulcers and protect the liver. It also reduces bloating, improves digestion, and prevents urinary tract infections.

How to grow: This herb loves a lot of sun and water. Plant in an 8-inch deep container, and make sure that the potting mix is rich and fertile.

Mint

Known as pudina in India, this is an easy-to-grow herb that is soothing to the stomach. A herbal tea made with this herb can cure stomach ache and reduce irritated bowel syndrome. Crushed mint leaves can combat bad breath and mint leaves added to cool beverages help cool the body down. Mint is also known as a good blood-cleanser.

“Fresh mint leaves are best used as an infusion. Simply add to boiled water, cover and allow to steep for 5 – 10 minutes. One can drink it either hot or cold,” advises Spence, explaining that this infusion is an excellent remedy for nausea and indigestion.

How to grow: If you know anyone who grows mint, ask them to give you a few plants. These can be pulled out from pot, and can be planted 12 inches apart and two inch deep. Water the plants well. Once these take root, they grow prolifically. They grow well in shade and sun, but seem to enjoy the latter more.

Lemongrass

A herbal tea made with lemongrass is known to relieve headaches, stomach aches, menstrual cramps and muscle pain. Essential oil made from this plant is known to ward off mosquitoes. Lemongrass is also a culinary herb and used prolifically in Asian cuisine.

How to grow: This herb can grow from two to four feet tall and can be grown in containers. It grows well in warm weather and is propagated from a section of the roots. This easy-to-grow herb just needs sunshine, fertile soil and lots of water.

Thyme

Add fresh thyme to salads, stews, soups and sauces, infuse your cooking oil with it to add another layer of flavour to your food, and use home-dried thyme to potpourri to repel insects. As a medicine, a thyme infusion is known to settle the stomach; the herb can also be added to bath water to soothe raw or rough skin.

How to grow: Thyme needs hot and dry weather to grow well. You can grow it from seed in a raised bed or in a pot. Sow the seeds in fall so that they sprout in summer. Water this herb every other day when the weather is not too hot and every day, when the sun is scorching.

Armed with containers and pots, a good soil mix and this know-how, you can start growing herbs at home, and use them to enhance your health.

The post 8 health-giving herbs that you can grow at home [and how to use them] appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.