Natural Ways To Remove Sun Tan From Face, Skin, Hands & Legs

Are you sun tanned after a long holiday at the beach? The sun proves to be beneficial in every way possible, providing us light, warmth, Vitamin D, but the only burden it brings is the tan. Sun tanning can damage the skin to a large extent making it hard for the skin to cope.

Naturally, you might opt for quick tan removal solutions such as bleaching sessions or cosmetic products that would detan you. These quick methods overload your skin with a whole lot of chemicals causing permanent damage to the skin in the long.

Before getting to the natural ways to prevent tanning while preserving your skin, we first need to know, does everyone gets sun tanned?

Let’s see

Why Do We Get Sun Tan?

When we are exposed to the sun, the Ultraviolet rays from the sun directly hit our skin. If the UV radiation gets too much and exceeds the body’s capability to protect the skin from tanning, a sunburn is caused, damaging the DNA. This is the reason skin gets darkened or tanned.

Natural Methods: How To Remove Sun Tan

While the skin takes just a few seconds to get tanned, removing it can be quite a daunting task if not for these remedies that are natural and beneficial.

1. Lemon Juice

How It Works:

The citric acid in lemon juice breaks all the dead skin cells that are present on the skin, over time, thus leaving back fresh and healthy skin. It helps the skin beneath the dead cells regenerate after removing the tan.

Method:

• Take a lemon and slice it into halves
• Rub the halves of the lemon on the tanned area for about 2 or 3 minutes.
• After rubbing it fully on the affected area, let it absorb for about 10mins.
• Take a warm shower.
• Repeat this procedure every day.

Tip : Be sure to wear sunscreen in excess after the lemon procedure, as skin tends to be more sensitive to UV rays post lemon juice treatment.

2. Cucumber, Lemon Juice, and Rose Water

How It Works:

The goodness of two natural bleaching agents – cucumber and lemon, make this homemade skin toner one of the best solutions for sun tan removal. Lemon juice, a rich source of Vitamin C and citric acid helps to lighten the skin tanning, whereas, rose water and cucumber juice renders a cooling effect on the sun-damaged skin.

Method:

• Take a bowl and mix cucumber juice, lemon juice, and rose water together
• Apply the mixture on the tanned skin using a cotton ball
• Wash it off with cold water after 15 minutes.

With regular use, you can see the desired result.

Tip: Lemon juice remedies can make the skin sensitive to UV rays. Always remember to apply sunscreen when stepping out in sun.

3. Bengal Gram Flour and Turmeric Pack

How It Works:

Gram flour is very useful in removing the dead skin cells on the skin, while turmeric helps the skin attain a glow that was initially lost after the tan. The lactic acid in milk overall helps in getting rid of the tan.

Method:

• Mix 2 spoons of gram flour with a pinch of turmeric powder.
• Add just enough milk to the mixture so that it becomes a smooth paste.
• Now, apply this paste to your face, and let it completely dry.
• Once it is completely dry, sprinkle some water onto the face and gently remove the pack.

4. Masoor, Tomato, and Aloe Vera

How It Works:

With hydrating and soothing benefits of aloe vera gel, bleaching property of tomato and exfoliating quality of red lentil (Masoor dal), this natural skin pack is a must try for sun tan removal.

Method:

• Pour some water in a bowl and soak red lentils in it for 30 minutes.
• Add aloe vera gel and tomato pulp to form a paste.
• Massage it on your tanned arms, legs, and face.
• Leave it for 15 minutes before rinsing it off.

5. Honey and Papaya

How It Works:

Try the fruit power of papaya for sun tan removal. The enzyme papain present in the papaya helps to lighten the skin tone and clears blemishes. Moreover, it helps in skin renewal and exfoliation. The second ingredient – Honey help to moisturize and soften the skin.

Method :

• Mash half a cup of papaya and add a tablespoon of honey.
• Apply this mixture on your face and tanned body parts like arms, legs etc.
• Rinse it off with cool water after 30 minutes.

Do it twice a week for a month to see the difference.

6. Oatmeal and Buttermilk

How It Works:

Buttermilk soothes the skin and makes it softer than before. Oats, on the other hand, helps in exfoliating the skin trying to flush out the dead skin.

Method:

• Take 1 spoon of oats and mix it with buttermilk.
• Apply this mixture all over face, and let it stay for a while.
• After 15mins, take a good shower to erase off the mixture from affected areas.

7. Yogurt, Tomato, and Lemon Juice Pack

How It Works:

This homemade pack has powerful bleaching properties that help to remove dark spots and pigmentation from the sun tanned skin. The natural toner- tomato juice helps to shrink the pores, while, yogurt nourishes the skin and lemon juice brightens the skin.

Method:

• Mix tomato juice, lemon juice and yogurt in a bowl and apply it evenly on your face and tanned body parts.
• Let it absorb for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Wash it off with cool water and apply a moisturizer if you have dry skin.

Please note: Tomato juice may cause mild itchiness during first few applications. To see the results, follow it thrice a week for a month.

8. Orange Juice and Yogurt

How It Works:

Orange being rich in vitamin C helps in tan removal by generating new skin cells. It also helps improve the skin tone and texture effectively. The collagen ingredient present in orange slows down the aging process, tightening the skin. Yogurt has bleaching properties and also helps moisturize the skin making it soft and supple.

Method:

• Make a fine paste of a tablespoon of orange juice and a tablespoon of yogurt
• Apply it on the tanned regions.
• Leave it on for about 30 minutes and rinse it off with water.

This makes for a great face pack for tanned skin.

9. Milk Cream and Strawberries

How It Works :

Sounds yummy, isn’t it? But resist yourself in putting a spoonful of it in your mouth and focus on tan removal. While the strawberries are known to have skin lightening properties that help in reducing the dark spots, pigmentation, the milk cream deeply moisturizes the skin.

Method :

• In a bowl, mash 5 strawberries with two tablespoons of cream.
• Apply this paste generously on the tanned portion of the body
• let it rest for 30 minutes.
• Rinse it off gently with water.

10. Potato Juice and Lemon Juice

How It Works:

Eating potatoes can be a sin but they are a godsend gift for your skin. Whether as paste or juice, they make one of the fastest and the most effective homemade face packs to remove tan and also self tan.

Method:

• Prepare potato juice or pulp by blitzing it through a mixer.
• Add a tablespoon of lemon juice to it
• Apply the mixture on the skin for about half an hour.
• Rinse the skin after half an hour thoroughly and repeat this procedure every two days.

Tip: Potato juice mixed with milk powder and applied on the eyes for about 5 minutes is an excellent remedy to remove ugly dark under eye patches.

11. Saffron and Fresh Cream

How It Works:

Saffron always held special importance in our health and skin care regimen from olden days. This age-old ingredient helps improve the skin tone, fights acne and aids in tan removal. And like we all know; milk cream has great moisturizing properties.

Method:

Remove tan from the face with this homemade remedies for tanned skin.

• Mix a few strands of saffron in two tablespoons of cream.
• Let it soak overnight.
• Make a paste of the mix with your fingers and apply it on the affected areas.
• Let it rest for about 20 minutes and wash it off with water.

12. Sandalwood Powder and Coconut Water

How It Works:

The skin benefits of sandalwood are known from yesteryears. It is highly beneficial in removing blemishes and dead skin cells and also soothes the skin from sun damage. On the other hand, coconut water lightens the skin tone and helps to remove tanning.

Method:

• Take a bowl and make a thick paste by mixing sandalwood powder and coconut water.
• If you have dry skin, add few drops of almond oil to it.
• Apply the mixture on your tanned skin and allow it dry for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Rinse it off with cold water.

13. Sandalwood, Turmeric And Milk

How It Works:

Sandalwood, as we all know, has a very calming and a soothing effect on the skin, and helps the skin with detanning, while turmeric has antimicrobial and lightening properties to use. Whole milk has proteins that help nourish the skin and brings malic acid to detan the skin too.

Method:

• Use three tablespoons of sandalwood powder, to which you shall add a pinch of turmeric and a few tablespoons of whole milk.
• Make a paste of the three ingredients and gently apply over the exposed parts of the body or the tanned areas.

14. Vicks Vapor Rub

How It Works:

Haven’t you only thought of Vicks as an ultimate cough and cold savior? Who would’ve thought it could surprise us in ways that help tan removal. Known to help remove tan at a good pace, it is a relief that this product has uses more than just a few.

Method:

• Apply Vicks Vapor Rub every night on the affected sun burnt areas to see relief in a few weeks time.
• Sleep overnight with the Vicks rubbed over affected skin.

15. Milk Powder, Honey, And Almond Oil Pack

How It Works:

The milk is a great moisturizer along with almond oil repairing the skin. Honey is useful in this pack due to its skin lightening properties. Lemon Juice has natural bleaching ingredients that help to reduce tan on the skin.

Method:

• Mix equal amounts of honey, lemon juice, and almond oil and let it mix.
• Now, keep adding milk powder to the mixture until it becomes a thick paste that is suitable for application on the skin.
• Apply the mixture and let it stay for about 15minutes before rinsing it off with cold water.

16. Fuller’s Earth (Multani Mitti) And Aloe Vera Gel

How It Works:

Multani Mitti and Aloe Vera are two such things that are suitable for any skin type, regardless of oily, dry, acne-prone etc. Both the products work towards providing flawless skin.

Method:

• Make a paste of aloe vera gel and mutani mitti.
• A little bit of coconut water and sugar enhances this pack, so be sure to add them too into the paste.
• Apply the paste on the affected tan areas and let it stay for 30mins.
• Wash the face or skin after 30mins.

17. Cornmeal And Lemon Juice

How It Works:

Cornmeal works in removing the dead cells from the skin and also blackheads to an extent. The small granules that are present in cornmeal give the skin a polished feel.

Method:

• Mix 2 spoons of cornmeal with 1 spoon of lemon juice and 1 spoon of yogurt to make a solid paste.
• Apply this paste onto face and leave it on for 15-20mins.
• Gently massage the face in a clockwise direction while the paste is still on.
• Wash and rinse face after 20mins.

18. Wheat Flour Face Pack

How It Works:

Wheat Flour evens out the skin tone removing black spots and fading away any kind of blemishes. Provides skin with the nourishment and care it deserves after a tan.

Method :

• Mix two spoons of wheat flour with sufficient water to make a paste of it.
• Make sure the paste stays on the tanned skin for at least 15mins before washing off the face again.

Regular or even alternately applying this face pack in the week can give you brighter skin.

19. Orange Peel With Milk

How It Works:

This is an instant skin rejuvenation pack which is much quicker than most home remedies. The orange peel works its citric magic onto face clearing the dull and tanned look to an extent.

Method:

• Take 1 spoon of orange peel powder and mix it with enough milk to make a paste out of the mixture.
• Apply on face for quick results before a big event.
• Let it be on for around 30mins before washing it off.

20. Petroleum Jelly

How It Works:

Petroleum jelly works as a full-time moisturizer and prevents uneven tanning. It helps the dry skin areas look equally moisturized matching the skin shade of the rest of the body.

Method:

Just apply petroleum jelly on areas of dry skin and let it stay and get absorbed. There’s no need to wash it off. This can be done at any time and multiple times. So, it lightens the shade of skin to a small amount and more importantly maintains an even skin tone.

21. Borax Powder with Glycerine and Rose Water

How It Works:

Rose water is filled with antioxidants and vitamins that help nourish the skin and prevent aging and dullness. Borax powder has antibacterial properties. Glycerine is the soulmate of petroleum jelly serving as a moisturizing agent.

Method:

• Mix borax powder, glycerine and rose water in equal amounts to create a paste.
• Apply this paste on tanned area.
• Leave it on for about 20mins before washing it off.

22. Ice Cubes

How It Works:

Ice cubes give a cool soothing effect, relaxing the skin and eradicating recent tan. Instead of plain ice cubes, they work best with orange juice, so orange juice frozen into cubes is the best remedy.

Method:

• Pour orange juice into ice cube trays and let it freeze till the ice cube is properly molded into one.
• Now take these ice cubes and rub it all over the tanned areas to provide relief from tan.
• Repeat this procedure twice a day every day soon after getting a tan.

23. Honey and Pineapple

How It Works:

This tropical fruit has enzymes that assist in eliminating the dead cells from the tanned areas. The vitamin C content and the antioxidants neutralize the damage and reduce the appearance of wrinkles, freckles thus eliminating dark spots and pigmentation.

Method:

• Take 2 tablespoons of pineapple pulp and mix with one tablespoon of honey.
• Apply it on affected tanned portions of the body and leave it on for 3-5 minutes.
• Wash it off gently with water.

This tan removal pack works great in tan removal from hands.

24. Bitter Gourd

How It Works:

Since bitter gourd is high in anti-oxidants and helps to soothe the skin, it can permanently remove sun tan. It fights all the causes that leave a mark of sunburn or suntan on us.

Method:

• Juice out the bitter gourd.
• Apply this juice on affected tanned areas, let it sit for about 10 minutes on the affected area.
• Keep rubbing it and massaging it gently in these 10mins.
• Rinse off skin after 10mins.

25. Almonds

How It Works:

Almonds help in removing the dead skin cells present and brighten the skin. They provide natural vitamins which can make your face glow and shine with a refreshing look.

Method:

• Take fresh green almonds and grind them.
• Now, add sandalwood oil the powdered almonds and make a paste out of it to be applied onto the tanned skin.
• Let the pack take a while to dry, wash face after 20mins.

26. Cucumber Juice and Milk

How It Works:

Cucumber is known for its cooling and toning properties while milk has earned the reputation of being a terrific moisturizer. Together they make a powerful homemade anti-tan face pack.

Method:

• Both cucumber juice and milk are mixed in equal proportions and applied on face and other exposed parts of the skin with a cotton ball.
• It should be left to dry for about 20 minutes before washing off with cold water.
• For maximum results, it should be applied twice a day daily.

27. Baby Oil

How It Works:

Baby oil absorbs all the chemicals and toxins that are present on your skin and in turn, removes the fake tan, presenting the natural colour of your skin.

Method:

• Apply baby oil on the tanned areas of skin and leave it for about 25mins.
• Have a regular shower after that.

28. Cabbage Leaves, Honey and Turmeric

How It Works:

Phytochemicals and antioxidants present in the cabbage can do wonders to your skin. Not only does it help remove tanning, but also fights against skin problem like acne and improve the overall texture of the skin. This anti-tanning pack will also make your skin soft and supple.

Method:

• Cut one-fourth portion of cabbage and grate it, to extract juice.
• Add a pinch of turmeric and a spoon of honey to this juice.
• Apply the mixture on your tanned body parts with the use of the cotton ball.
• After keeping it for 20 minutes, wash it off with cold water.

These natural home recipes are a boon to our skin but it’s not like we have time always to prepare and put these on for the recommended time period. In such cases, here are some alternative and best in the market creams that could help you restore your colour.

Best Sun Tan Removal Creams

These creams below will aid in the removal of suntan lines from any part of your body it occurs;

1. Nature’s Essence Lacto Tan Clear

Removes the suntan from the epidermis trying to restore the natural colour of the skin.

2. VLCC Anti-Tan Facial Kit

It consists of 5-tools ranging from a massage cream to all detan products essential. Very effective as it uses Ayurveda recipes in their products too.

3. Clarins White Plus Whitening Repair Cream

This is a night cream which works overnight in repairing the skin cells and lightening the colour right from the roots.

4. Jovees Wheatgerm & Carrot Anti Tan Pack

This is the perfect combination of ingredients – carrot and wheat germ. While carrot rejuvenates the dull skin, wheatgerm smooths out the skin.

5. Fair & Flawless Suntan Removal Cream

This cream is known to improve skin tone, skin colour whilst removing the tan from the skin.

6. Auravedic Pure Brightening Whitening Radiance Sunblock

This product keeps your skin hydrated throughout and even prevents the skin from further sun tanning. It assists skin whitening after a few weeks time.

7. Makari Anti-UV Whitening Cream

This cream removes the existing tan and prevents furthermore tan in the future.

As you know “Prevention is better than Cure”, try to avoid tan in the first place by following a few simple points for healthy shiny skin.

Precautions To Avoid Sun Tan

• Avoid going out in the sun when it is at its peak – 9 am to 4 pm.
• Always remember to put an excess of sunscreen, however mild the sun seems to look.
• Wear a hat and sunglasses with UV protection, preferably.
• Avoid black clothes mostly while going out into the sun, as it absorbs heat faster.
• Drink lots of water to keep hydrated at all times.
• Do not use tanning beds.
• Prefer to wear clothes with long and full pants to protect the skin.

FAQs

How do you lighten your skin tan?

A. The home remedies and suntan removal creams mentioned above, all work in lightening your skin tan and providing a glow to the skin. Otherwise, use a good sunscreen whenever exposed to the sun and allow the tan to fade on its own, which would take longer, though.

How do you get rid of suntan lines?

A. Taking care of the skin and providing topical moisture and nourishment to the skin can help in the removal of suntan lines quicker. Some home products that are useful to remove sun tan lines are baking soda, aloe vera, lemon, olive oil and milk cream.

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