How To Remove Tan & Lighten Skin

We all know prolonged exposure to sun can cause a burn or tan. We (South Asians) don’t fancy tanning like folks from the west do. We dig fair and even skin. 

Sunlight in Karachi city is the harshest I have ever seen. Unless you are a vampire, you can’t avoid the sun. You have school, work or shopping to do; you simply cannot avoid going outside during the day, can you? And if sun exposure doesn't get you sun burnt, you’re likely to tan.

If your skin is getting dull and tanned every day and you need help, here’s what you can do to restore your original skin tone.

Please note: all of this will take time and persistence.

Alright, you have tanned but you don’t want any further damage, right? Never EVER go out without applying a sunscreen/sunblock during the day. A sunblock protects your skin from the damaging effects of sun’s radiation. Also, it prevents sunburn and delays skin darkening. Apply generously to areas that are exposed like your face, neck, hands, feet and legs thirty minutes before heading outside.

What do I do? Well, I like to apply Neutrogena Ultra sheer Dry Touch Spf 30 on my hands and feet. For my face, I love wearing SpectraBan SC.

Exfoliation removes dead cells on your skin and reveals the new skin underneath. It really helps getting rid of a tan quickly. All you need to do is get a good granular cleanser or a scrub and exfoliate at least once a week.

I like to use St.ive Apricot Scrub for my face and The Body Shop Olive Body Scrub for the rest of the body.

Oh yes, they really work! Believe me, I have tested them on myself. The results come in slow but don't you dare doubt their effectiveness.

Vitamin C in potatoes has a natural bleaching effect which can lighten skin and also help in removing dark spots, blemishes and dark circles. Take some potatoes, slice them and rub over effected area every day.  Make sure the moist part of the potato slice touches your skin.  If it’s dry, make some tiny cuts in the slice to release juice.

Gram flour (Besan) is also very effective at removing tan and lightening skin. Take two tablespoons gram flour, quarter spoon of turmeric powder (Haldi), squeeze half a lemon and add some milk (rosewater if you have oily skin). Now mix them all to make a thick paste.  Apply to face or neck, leave it for at least fifteen minutes and rinse with warm water. You can do this every alternate day. Trust me, it works wonders. 

For your feet, take a small tub with slightly warm water, squeeze 2-3 lemons and soak your feet for at least twenty minutes.  During this time, you can also clean your feet with a foot brush.  After you’re done, pat your feet dry and moisturize.

Cover yourself from head to toe and try staying indoors as often as possible to prevent further damage. This one sounds hard but if your skin is severely damaged, you might want to consider it.


I hope you find this post helpful. Remember, patience and persistence is the key.