- Make It Yourself Lavender Heart-Shaped Bath Bombs!
- 20 Things You Never Knew About “Down There”
- 12 Best Foods For Those Suffering From Arthritis Pain
- 12 Personal Hygiene Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes (Mom Never Told You About #4!)
- 15 Medicinal Plants And Herbs From The Cherokee People
- 12 Mind-Blowing Benefits Of Drinking Coconut Water During Pregnancy
- 12 Outstanding Winter Foods That Won’t Fatten You Up Like A Christmas Turkey
12 Proven Natural Remedies to Lighten Dark Underarms (#4 is Super Easy!)
Photo credit: bigstock.com
Ladies, when it comes to our bodies, we want things a certain way. Most women are willing to spend hundreds of dollars on their hair, makeup, clothes, even tanning salons, but they won’t wear anything that would show their dark underarm skin. Why? This problem can usually be solved fairly easily.
Your underarms can appear darker for several different reasons: Sometimes it’s from shaving, using too much deodorant and sometimes, it’s simply genetics. The really good news here is that you no longer have to live without sleeveless tops! There are a dozen terrific ways you can naturally lighten up those underarms.
Now you might need a bit of patience here as most natural methods take a bit of time to work, but it will be so worth the effort, won’t it? Imagine wearing sleeveless tops and not being afraid to raise your arm to wave hello to someone!
Keep reading for 12 natural ways you can lighten up those dark underarms and feel free again.
1. Lemons
This is the first choice many women make when it comes to lightening the skin. Think of lemon juice as Mother Nature’s bleaching agent! The acidic properties of lemons can help drastically lighten your skin, as well as remove dead skin cells. This should be the first one to try if you haven’t already.
Simply take a thick slice of lemon and rub it under your arms every day before you take a shower. You can wait five minutes or so before you wash it off to let it do its job. Lemon can dry out your skin, so use lotion if you find that it is getting dry.
An alternative method is to squeeze the juice from one lemon and add a pinch or two of honey to the juice. Mix well, and put this gooey paste on your underarms. Allow it to sit for five or 10 minutes, then wash it off.
By the way — just a little side note — if you have dark elbow skin, you can also cut a lemon in half and rub each half into your elbows before you shower.
No matter which method you choose, be sure you do it every single day, and no less than every other day, for best results.
Photo credit: bigstock.com
2. Sandalwood
This is a remedy most people don’t know about, but it works remarkably well. Sandalwood also has skin lightening compounds. Mix two tablespoons of sandalwood powder with some rose water (or plain water if you don’t have rose water) and make a thick paste.
Apply this paste to your underarms, leave it on until it dries and then rinse off with cool water. Repeat this method every single day until you get the results you want. This method works faster than some others, but it might irritate those with sensitive skin.
Photo credit: bigstock.com
3. Potatoes
Potatoes are a good alternative for those who have more sensitive skin and find that lemons are too drying. Potatoes contain milder acids that won’t irritate most people’s skin.
Cut a thin slice of potato and rub it over your underarms for 5 minutes, then wash as you normally would. If you do this daily, you can expect to see results in about two weeks. Do this twice each day, and you could even see improvements in one week!
Photo credit: bigstock.com
4. Cream
The cream from milk is loaded with vitamins and fatty acids that are pretty effective when it comes to lightening skin. Mix about two tablespoons of heavy whipping cream with just enough flour or honey to make a paste.
Apply the paste to your underarms and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes, then wash off with warm water. Do this before every shower for best results.
Photo credit: bigstock.com
5. Vinegar
Vinegar to the rescue! Using vinegar will not only lighten your skin, it will also kill the bacteria feeding on your sweat and dead skin cells and causing stinky pits.
Mix just enough flour with about two tablespoons of plain, white vinegar and apply the paste to your underarms. Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes, then shower as you normally would.
Photo credit: bigstock.com
6. Cucumbers
You’ve probably used cucumbers to lighten up those dark circles under your eyes, so why not try them to lighten up your underarm skin too?!
An old Ayurvedic remedy is to mix cucumber juice with a bit of lime juice, and add turmeric powder until you have a paste. The lime will help bleach the skin; the cucumbers will not only gently lighten the skin but also soothe it; and turmeric stops discoloration. You should be able to do this method every single day with no irritation and lots of results.
If you don’t happen to have limes or turmeric, you can start by simply rubbing a thick slice of cucumber under each arm every day about 10 minutes before you shower.
Photo credit: bigstock.com
7. The Herbal Treatment
There are numerous herbs that can come to your rescue as well. The great thing about using herbs is that these will not irritate or dry out your skin, and there are absolutely no side effects. Try to use these every day for two or three weeks, then weekly applications should keep your skin looking lighter and brighter. Mix the following herbal extracts and apply to your underarms. You need to let these herbs sit for about 30 minutes so they can do their work.
Mix one tablespoon each of licorice root extract, aspen extract and raspberry extract. Mixed together, these herbs stimulate the production of a pehomelanin compound in your skin, which will naturally lighten its appearance.
Photo credit: bigstock.com
8. Exfoliate
The accumulation of dead skin cells can cause your underarms to look darker than they actually are. You can try using a soft loofah bush, but sometimes a natural scrub will really give you super white underarms. This is important if you happen to sweat a lot. If this is you, you really need to exfoliate your underarms on a regular basis (at least once a week). For those who sweat heavily, that sweat can accumulate, even if you wash with soap and water, and this can lead to infections and ingrown hairs.
You can use a pumice stone, a loofah brush, or make your own exfoliating and lightening scrub by mixing lemon juice and sugar. Rub this mixture under your arms while you are in the shower. Don’t rub too hard! Rinse well. This method will work especially those who shave rather than wax.
Photo credit: bigstock.com
9. Saffron
Like sandalwood, this will not only make your arms smell great, but it will dramatically whiten the skin. Saffron can be expensive, but it doesn’t take much, and the results are so worth it! If you feel like you have tried everything but your underarm skin remains stubbornly darker than you would like, give saffron a try.
Take four strands of saffron, and add them to a bit of milk. Allow the strands to soak up the milk for a few minutes, and then put two strands under each arm. Allow the saffron to sit for 30 minutes. Now rinse with water. Do this every other day, but you should see results after your first application!
Photo credit: bigstock.com
10. Orange Peels
This is a natural scrub that can help whiten your underarms and make them smell super fresh.
Peel one large orange and allow the peel to dry for a day in the shade. Grind the peel into a powder. Add a few drops of rose water and milk until you get a paste. Apply this paste to your underarms while you are in the shower. Rub it in for a minute or two, then rinse off. Try this every day for a week or two or until you get the results you want.
Photo credit: bigstock.com
11. The Baking Soda Treatment
It makes sense that white baking soda can make your underarms whiter! This is a great scrub for the underarms that can help prevent body odor as well.
Mix some baking soda with just enough water to make a paste. Rub the paste under your arms for a minute or two, and then wash off with soap and water.
Photo credit: bigstockphoto.com
12. Oils
Many different oils are great for lightening the skin, especially coconut oil. It might take longer than other methods, but it will not irritate the skin, and it is super moisturizing. After showering, simply melt a bit of virgin coconut oil on your fingertips, and then rub it into the underarm area. Most people say that they don’t even need a deodorant after doing this, but that is your choice.
You can also try vitamin E oil, and use it the same way you would the coconut oil. You can either purchase pure vitamin E oil, or simply puncture a few capsules, and rub the oil on your skin.
SEE ALSO: Detox Your Underarms and Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer
If you have tried everything but you still have very dark underarms, you should consult your doctor. This is sometimes an indication of high blood sugar levels.
What works for one woman does not work for every woman. If one of these methods does not get you the desired results in three to four weeks, try another method. One of these is bound to work for you as natural remedies have worked for millions of other women all around the world.
References:
