5 Effective Home Remedies To Get Rid of Sun Tan

Are you battling a stubborn tan? Your summer tan, along with brown skin spots and freckles, is caused by melanin, the pigment which gives your skin color. The more melanin your skin has, the darker it gets. But before you start dissing melanin, know that it protects your skin from the harmful effects of the sun’s rays by deflecting or absorbing them. It even reduces your risk for skin cancer. When you go out in the sun or expose yourself to the sun for too long, your skin goes into overdrive, producing more melanin to protect you. What gives skin its color?. American Academy of Dermatology. And this sun tan tends to persist long after your holiday out in the sun! But don’t fret. If that tan is bothering you, here are a few simple natural remedies that you can try.

Remember, these are milder than chemical formulations, so you will need to use them diligently for a while before you see results. And do a patch test to make sure you are not allergic to any of these natural remedies before you apply them on your skin. That said, here you go!

# Dab On Some Buttermilk

Applying buttermilk to skin that’s tanned can help lighten it. Lactic acid present in buttermilk can cause your epidermis, or the outer layer of skin, which has become tanned to shed and reveal fresher skin beneath. Research also indicates that skin treated with lactic acid has lower deposits of melanin. As a bonus, applying buttermilk may also help firm up your skin as lactic acid has also been found to increase collagen levels.

# Apply Turmeric Paste

Turmeric has traditionally been used in Southeast Asian communities to improve skin tone. Research shows that curcumin, a component present in turmeric, can inhibit the production of melanin responsible for your tan.

# Use A Honey, Orange, And Yogurt Mask

Research indicates that Seville, or bitter oranges, can help you erase your sun tan. Seville orange peel extracts have been seen to inhibit tyrosinase, an enzyme that plays an important role in the production of melanin, and can ease hyperpigmentation.

# Dab On Licorice Tea

Licorice or mulethi is described in ayurveda as a herb that can improve your complexion. And research shows that it can help ease hyperpigmentation and remove sun tan. This herb contains a component known as glabridin which inhibits tyrosinase activity and hampers melanin production.[ref]Yokota, Tomohiro, Hiroyuki Nishio, Yasuo Kubota, and Masako Mizoguchi. “The inhibitory effect of glabridin from licorice extracts on melanogenesis and inflammation.” Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research 11, no. 6 (1998): 355-361.

# Try Crushed Watermelon

Watermelons contain a compound with strong antioxidant properties known as glutathione which too can inhibit tyrosinase, the enzyme that’s important for the production of melanin.[ref]Sonthalia, Sidharth, Deepashree Daulatabad, and Rashmi Sarkar. “Glutathione as a skin whitening agent: Facts, myths, evidence and controversies.” Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprology 82, no. 3 (2016): 262.