Tanned skin can make you feel fabulous or make you hide in your room till it goes away. While it eventually fades out, try out these effective at-home quick fixes for easy tan removal!

We don’t think much about our skin while we are on a vacation, sipping on an ice-cold drink; basking in the sun on a beach. It is all fun and games will the vacation is over and reality hits us once we are back home. You take one look at yourself in the mirror and suddenly you are two shades darker! Let me get this straight right away, there is absolutely nothing wrong with tanned skin as it eventually fades away. However, for some of us, we want the golden sun-kissed tan to go away faster. It might be because we would miss the beach every time, we look at the tan. No matter what your reason is, we got your back.

Skin tanning may look good for some people but it also comes with some skin issues like hyperpigmentation and dark spots. UV index is at the highest during summers when the light rays are at their strongest potential. Harmful UV radiation strips the skin of its moisture content and eventually makes it appear pale and dull. Another concern is exposure to infrared radiation emitted by the sun during this time of the year. The IR-A rays induce free radicals in the dermis and diminish the skin's antioxidant capacity, the main cause of premature skin aging. In a country like India, we always have the bright sun shining over us. We tend not to care enough about applying sunscreen while running errands, dropping off the kids to school or while running late for an important meeting. Even the smallest amount of sun exposure can lead to tanning. Most of our day is spent outside, working or walking around doing some or the other house work. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to protect our precious skin while carrying out our chores.

To avoid sun damage, many companies come up with de-tanning products during the onset of summers. Most of these products have chemical-based ingredients to remove the effect of tan by stripping off the skin and quite literally BLEACHING the skin layers. Applying bleach to the skin all the time is like pour acid over it every time you get tanned. In order to eliminate the damage caused by the brightest star in our galaxy while also avoiding chemicals, here are a few at-home remedies to get rid of sun damage effectively!

Easy Tan Removal - 15 Effective Home Remedies

1. Ubtan Body Scrub

Ubtan contains sandalwood, turmeric and gram flour along with many other natural ingredients which exfoliate the skin and help get rid of tanned skin.

Take 3-4 tablespoons of Soundaryah’s Intensive Body Polishing Ubtan and mix it well with milk or rose water. Apply all over the tanned areas and rub is slowly in circular motions. Wash it off with lukewarm water and use regularly to see results.

2. Lemon Juice and Honey

Lemon juice has natural lightening properties which help in removing sun tan from the skin while honey keeps your skin smooth and soft. The citric acid present in lemon helps in the removal of acne and lightening of the marks.

Take one tablespoon of lemon juice and add some honey to it. Apply it to your skin and keep it for half an hour. Wash off. You can also add some sugar to the lemon juice and scrub your skin gently to slough off dead cells from the surface.

Make sure to do a patch test on a small portion of your wrist before applying it on the whole body.

3. Tomato Juice and Yogurt

Tomato is a great ingredient when it comes to beauty and skincare. It is effective in preventing skin against sunburn, pollution as well as it contains lycopene, which acts as a natural sunscreen. Yogurt on the other hand contains lactic acid which softens the skin.

Take raw tomato and remove the skin. Blend it with 1-2 tsp of fresh yogurt. Use this paste on your tan, and wash off after 20 minutes.

Make sure to do a patch test on a small portion of your wrist before applying it on the whole body.

4. Cucumber extract and Milk

Cucumber helps in skin rejuvenation and acts as a cooling agent. It also removes Sun tan as it is a rich source of vitamin C that soothes your skin after Sunburn. It is a rich source of antioxidants that help to cleanse your skin and provide a cooling effect. Whereas milk provides a moisturizing effect and acts as a sunscreen. It not only lightens the complexion but also prevents your skin against sunburn and damage.

Blend cucumber and extract its juice. Then, mix it with raw milk. Apply the mixture on your skin and leave it for 15-20 minutes. Wash it off with normal water. Repeat it twice a day for instant results.

5. Aloe Vera Pulp

Aloe Vera helps to brighten your complexion and protect your skin against the damage caused by Sun rays. It is a medicinal plant with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that soothes your skin and is effective in treating tan.

You can apply Aloe vera gel before going to bed. You can extract the gel from freshly cut aloe vera leaf. Apply a thick layer of the gel on your skin at night and wash it off in the morning. Repeat this every day for great results.

6. Gram Flour and Turmeric

Gram flour brightens and lightens your skin tone and therefore can also be used to as a scrubber to remove tanning from neck and arms. It helps in rejuvenating skin and adds glow to your skin. Gram flour absorbs impurities and removes dead skin cells. Turmeric is an excellent skin brightening agent.

Add 1 tsp of turmeric to a cup of gram flour, and mix some water or milk to make a thin paste. Apply this mixture on your face and body, and let it dry, before gently scrubbing it away using lukewarm water.

7. Honey and Papaya Face Mask

The amazing exfoliating and bleaching properties of papaya makes it a perfect choice to remove suntan. The honey in this pack soothes and moisturizes skin.

For the pack preparation, mash 1/2 cup of papaya together with one tablespoon of honey. Let this pack sit for half an hour on the tanned areas and wash it off with cold water.

8. Masoor Dal, Tomato Juice and Aloe Vera Face Pack

While, masoor dal and tomato juice help in removing the suntan, aloe vera soothes and moisturises the skin.

For this face pack, make a paste of one cup of soaked masoor dal, add two tablespoon each of tomato juice and aloe vera. Apply this pack on your face and let it sit for 30 minutes. Wash it off with cold water.

9. Pineapple Pulp and Honey

Pineapple contains an enzyme called Bromelain which fights free radicals in the skin and reduces inflammation. Also, it is a packed with vitamin A, C and antioxidants which undo sun damage making the skin even toned and bright.

Drop 5-6 cubes of freshly chopped ripe pineapple in a blender and add 1 teaspoon of honey to it. Blend until smooth. Extract into a bowl and use this to apply on the tanned areas of your skin. Wash after 20 minutes.

10. Potato and Lemon Juice

Potato juice is often used to lighten dark circles around the eyes. Apart from being naturally soothing, the juice of potato is also known for being a potent bleaching agent. Lemon has anti-oxidants and is rich in Vitamin C.

Mix together equal quantities of freshly squeezed juice of potato and lemon. Add 1 tsp of rose water and mix well. Using a cotton pad apply generously all over the tanned areas on your hands and arms. Let it stay for 20 mins and wash off.

Make sure to do a patch test on a small portion of your wrist before applying it on the whole body.

11. Sandalwood and Rose Water Face Pack

Sandalwood is pretty much a one-stop solution to all skin woes, including tanning. Being gentle and cooling, sandalwood will not only remove tan from the face but will also improve the texture and tone of your skin.

Take 2 tbsp of pure sandalwood powder and make a thin paste using rose water. Apply this paste evenly all over the face and neck to cover the tanning. Let it dry and wash with cold water. You can try this as frequently as you want and watch your skin glow.

12. Multani Mitti and Aloe Vera

Both of them are enriched with anti-inflammatory properties relieving the effects of the sunburns.

Mix two tablespoons of Multani Mitti and one tablespoon of aloe vera gel with some rose water. Apply this paste on your tanned areas, letting it sit for 15 minutes. Rinse with cold water.

13. Almond, Rose Water and Lemon Juice

A well-known source of vitamin E, almonds are also useful in treating sunburns and fighting sun tan naturally.

Make a paste of 4-5 almonds and add rose water and some lemon juice to it. Apply this paste on the affected tanned areas and scrub for about 5 minutes. Rinse.

Make sure to do a patch test on a small portion of your wrist before applying it on the whole body.

14. Green Tea

Green tea is famous for its antioxidants which are extremely helpful while treating tanned skin and reducing skin blemishes.

Just dip a green tea bag in a cup of hot water. Let it cool down. Dab a cotton ball in it and apply on the tanned areas. Let it sit for 10 minutes and then wash off.

15. Oatmeal and Buttermilk Mask

While oatmeal helps in exfoliating the skin, the lactic acid in buttermilk softens it and improves the skin tone.

Soak 2 teaspoons of oats or oatmeal in some water for five minutes. Add 2-3 teaspoon of fresh, plain buttermilk to it and mix well. You may add honey to make the pack more moisturizing. Mix these ingredients well to form a paste and apply on your face, neck and arms. Rub in a circular motion and let it stay for 20 minutes. Wash off to reveal fresh, cleaner looking skin.

Phew! That was indeed a long list of effective ways to easily remove tan. Who needs chemicals when you got these natural ingredients ready for use right in your kitchen, am I right? We hope you have a bang this summer without having to worry about the after-effects of sun damage, and be sure to check out our organic products to make your job easier for you!

Did you try any of our easy tan removal methods? If yes, let us know in the comments below!

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