How to have fair and unblemished skin

Coping with the skin is a daily affair, needing an awareness of its needs and the kind of treatment it deserves to look its best. Sometimes, we may be confronted with blemishes, spots or scars on the skin. Or, there may be dark patches or tanned skin caused by sun-exposure. Actually, blemishes on the face can be due to various reasons. There may be dark spots, scars and pits on the skin, left behind by acne. Or, there may be dark patches or sun tan, due to sun-sensitivity. The treatments for such problems depend on the nature of the problem and on the skin type.

Let’s take the dark spots and scars caused by acne. In fact, acne may leave tiny holes in the skin. These are difficult to remove since the pits form due to the destruction of skin tissue. Among the treatments for acne scar blemishes are laser therapy, microdermabrasion, chemical peeling, etc. Due to the risks involved in chemical peels, I devised Veg Peel treatments to minimise acne scars. These are clinical treatments, based on dermabrasion, ie gently rubbing the skin with some grainy substances formulated with plant extracts. It may take four to six weeks to see a difference.

For dark patches or spots caused by sun-exposure, the first aspect is sun protection with the application of sunscreens with a high SPF. The sunscreen should be applied about 20 minutes before sun-exposure, to allow it time to be absorbed by the skin. It should be reapplied if you are in the sun for longer than an hour at a stretch. Therefore, it becomes all the more important to protect the skin and re-apply the sun screen after 20 to 30 minutes.

Some home remedies may also help to reduce blemishes and remove tan. If there are no pimples, acne or rash, mix rice powder with curd and a pinch of turmeric and apply on the face. Rub gently on the skin with small circular movements, especially on the areas with marks. Then leave it on for five minutes and wash off with plenty of plain water. Or, mix oats with egg white and apply on the face. When it dries, wet it with water and gently rub the skin the same way. Wash off with plain water. Do these scrub treatments twice a week.

Use face mask once or twice a week. Mix 3 teaspoons oats with egg white and one teaspoon each of curd and honey. Apply on the face, avoiding the lips and area around eyes. Wash it off after half an hour. Dried and powdered lemon and orange peels or ground almonds can also be added to the pack.

Fruit masks also help hyper-pigmentation. Mix ripe papaya pulp with grated cucumber, tomato pulp, curd, lemon juice and ground almonds (badaam). Apply the pack daily on the face and wash it off after half an hour. The pack not only lightens skin colour, but also revitalizes the skin and removes dead cells.

There are many natural ingredients on our kitchen shelf that help to lighten skin colour over a period of time and achieve a fairer skin, like saffron, cucumber, lemon, almonds, turmeric, yogurt, buttermilk, tomato, etc. They also benefit the skin in other ways.

Add a few strands of saffron to warm milk and let it stand for a couple of hours. Then apply it on the skin, using cotton wool. It is said to lighten skin colour over a period of time.

Take two teaspoons curd, add a pinch of turmeric (haldi) and apply daily on the entire face, washing it off after 15 minutes. This lightens blemishes and also skin colour.

Mix cucumber and ripe papaya pulp with curd. Lemon juice can also be added. Apply on face and neck, twice a week and wash it off after half an hour. If you want it to be like a face pack, add oatmeal.

Mix ground almonds with curd. Apply on the face. After 20 minutes, rub gently on the skin and wash it off with water.