We all love spending our days out under the sun during the summer months. However, in all the excitement, you can easily forget to put on some sunscreen, the result of which is a harsh tan that leaves your skin tone uneven and causes dark spots and hyperpigmentation.
If you have been the victim of this situation, then you are well versed with how long it takes for a tan to actually fade, and hours of scrubbing doesn’t really help. While the fastest way to get rid of a tan is to avoid getting one in the first place, you can rely on a bunch of home remedies to speed up the process. Read on to find out the reason for tanning and the various home remedies to remove tan effectively.
Why Do We Tan?
A tan occurs when your skin darkens due to prolonged exposure to the sun’s UV rays or radiation from a tanning bed. The darkening takes place because your body is trying to protect you from any damage from these rays.
When you are out in the sun for too long, there is a chance that the UV rays may do more damage to the skin than a simple tan. The rays can cause infections, rashes and even burns. When the melanin in your body deposits more pigment to the skin and darkens it, it protects your skin from facing these adverse effects. However, getting an unexpected tan is never a good look. If you want to avoid such circumstances, you can protect your skin with SPF found in moisturisers or sunscreens so that your body doesn’t have to do it for you.
Home Remedies to Remove Tan
1. Exfoliation
If you’re towards the end of summer or don’t plan on heading out to sunbathe anytime soon, you can exfoliate your skin with a homemade or store-bought scrub. With exfoliation, you lose the dead skin cells that have settled on your skin’s outer layer of your skin, which contain the darkened pigment. Once you exfoliate, you should see a noticeable difference in your skin tone. However, ensure that you only remove tan and exfoliate when you know you aren’t going to be in the sun again for a couple of days. This is because the dead skin cells can protect you from further damage, and without them, the cycle will only repeat, and your skin will suffer.
2. Aloe Vera
Natural tan removal can be tough, but with aloe vera, the process is a little bit easier. The powerful plant gel cools the skin and has anti-inflammatory properties that can treat any sunburn that you may have suffered. At the same time, it works to remove tan from the affected areas by leeching out the deposited pigment and slowly getting your skin back to its natural colour.
3. Turmeric
Turmeric has been used as a remedy for tan removal at home for ages. It is said to whiten skin and replenish the cells so that they work overtime to get rid of the tan. The yellow powder contains hydrating oils that moisturise your skin and can be applied directly to the affected area due to its healing properties. You can use turmeric to remove tan from the face by making a DIY face mask or use it topically on other parts of the body through a cream or by applying the powder itself.
If you choose to remove tan by applying the powder, remember that turmeric itself might stain your skin so it is important to wash skin with a makeup remover or soap if applied directly.
4. Black Tea
One of the lesser known remedies for natural tan removal is black tea. Just like you can use green tea bags to cool your eyes and clear dark circles, black tea can be used to remove tan from the face and add some glow to your skin. This is especially true for homemade brews where you can mix and match and add a few other ingredients to your tea that are known to help replenish your skin. Some of these ingredients are turmeric, apple cider vinegar etc.
5. Skin-Lightening Products
If you cannot find the time to do these home remedies to remove tan, you can get any over the counter skin-lightening product to remove tan. These products may contain vitamin C, glycolic acid, retinoid, or kojic acid, all of which have the ability toremove tan from your skin by either slowing down the deposition of melanin, exfoliating or replenishing your skin. One such product is the Parachute Advansed Skin Care Oil that lightens skin by leeching out the pigment from the affected area and can be applied topically because it doesn’t have any reaction on the skin.
Remedies to Avoid for Tan Removal at Home
1. Lemon Juice
Lemon juice may act as an exfoliant and rid you of the dead, pigmented skin cells, but the juice can also irritate your skin. In fact, even if you manage to remove tan with lemon juice and step out in the sun afterwards, you will find that your skin is much more sensitive to the sun. This alteration can cause skin burns or chemical reactions, which are very unpleasant and can only worsen the issue at hand.
2. Obscure Lightening Products
Have you ever heard of obscure home remedies to remove tan and have jumped at the chance of an easy removal, even though you don’t clearly understand what is being sold? It is important that you know what you buy. Your skin may react differently to products and buying from unknown brands can do more harm than good. If you do insist on buying an unbranded lightening product, understand the ingredients that go into it rather than blindly purchasing everything you hear about.
3. Bleaching Agents
Bleach is not a product you want to mess with, especially on an area that is already sensitive due to tanning. Bleach is a strong chemical that does not react well with the skin, and even though it has a whitening effect on your hair, it will not have the same result as a tan removal at home agent.
How Does Parachute Advansed Skin Care Oil Help in Removing Tan?
Parachute Advansed Skin Care Oil is a 100% natural product, which is made for any and every skin type. The product contains natural ingredients such as coconut, which moisturises the skin and repairs any damage from within. If you are looking for reliable home remedies to remove tan, this product is your best option. It’s a fixture in many households and can even be used to remove tan from face.
Frequently Added Questions
Can I Remove Tan Overnight?
Removing a suntan overnight may be close to impossible as the melanin has already settled into your skin. However, you can rigorously follow a treatment, be a little patient and see the effects of your effort in as little as a week. You might also want to consult a dermatologist for the best way forward and quickly deal with the tan.
How Can I Remove Tan in Five Days?
While removing the entire tan in five days is a stretch, you can lighten the tan to a less stark looking mark with the help of the home remedies listed above. Be sure to not forget your SPF or other protection next time you step out into the sun to avoid worsening the tan and stay patient as your skin returns to your original colour.
Conclusion
Removing a tan is a matter of patience, perseverance and the proper use of home remedies. While the pigmented skin is not dangerous or infectious, it can be quite a hassle. The home remedies help remove tan efficiently and with minimum cost or effort. However, you must give them time to work their magic before adding other elements to the mix and overworking the affected area. Pick the home remedy most suitable and readily available to you, and do a patch test to see how your skin reacts. If you love it, use it and remove tan to revert to your natural colour.