Is it possible to remove suntan from face, hands and feet naturally? How long will it take when using home remedies?
Sun tan comes about due to the increased production of melanin—a skin pigment—after you have been exposed to the sun’s UV rays.
One of the important functions of melanin is to protect your skin from UV radiation. Therefore, when your skin is exposed to the UV rays for long, the reaction of the melanocytes (the cells that make melanin) will be to increase the production of melanin.
- Dark skinned people will get additional pigment, and will become even darker.
- If you are light-skinned, you will become red, and may even suffer sunburn from being exposed to the sun.
If you have ended up getting more tanned than desired on your face, legs or hands, you can try to remove sun tan at home with natural home remedies or using creams.
Can sun tan be removed?
For most people, sun tan on the face, hands and legs is temporary and can be removed naturally. Sun tans are common during the summer season when most people choose to spend their time outdoors socializing, having fun, and spending time with family and friends.
As much as it sounds appealing, too much time spent outside in the sun could be harmful to you, and your skin surface, and may expose you to conditions such as skin cancer.
This risk happens if you do not use sunscreen or sunblock to protect the skin from the UV rays. If you end-up getting a tan and choose not to keep it it is possible for you to remove it.
Below are some of the methods that you can use to get rid of the dark pigment on your skin fast.
How to remove suntan from face instantly (immediately)
In your last sunning session, you over-tanned, which now means that you are stuck with a sunburn or a bad tan, and are therefore eager to fade the tan out.
Or maybe, you are just interested in getting your skin back to its normal tone. Well, the bad news with tans is that they often signal skin damage—exposure to UV rays is often related to:
- Ageing skin
- Pigmentation issues
- Serious medical conditions e.g. cancer
Fortunately, it is possible for you to remove the tan and instantly go back to your normal skin.
The following are safe tips for you to lighten the skin and brighten up your skin immediately.
1. Cool down
In certain cases, what happens to you is a sunburn, and not really a tan. This has the potential to leave you inflamed and feeling sore all over the body.
If this has happened to you, what you will need to do is ensure that you cool your skin immediately. Just prepare ingredients that will assist in soothing your skin fast.
- Combine honey, aloe vera gel, and cucumber
- Apply this blend all over the tanned skin surface
- Ensure you leave it on your skin for at least twenty minutes
- Wash it off with cold water.
This is a great sunburn pack, which hastens the healing process while providing you with relief from inflammation and pain.
2. Exfoliate
Is it possible to remove sun tan in a day? If you are looking for an overnight solution, exfoliating may be it.
The minute bronze goes bad, start exfoliating. There are instances when a tan may not go as you had intended for it to go.
But this does not mean that you have to remain stuck with it, as you wait for it to naturally fade away. Even though you are unlikely to find an overnight solution, it is possible to speed up this fading process by exfoliating your skin.
Here are some of the best ways to exfoliate and get rid of sun tan in a day, almost immediately or overnight.
Make a homemade scrub
- You will need to eliminate the skin layer where this pigment has accumulated in order to fade suntan.
- Use home remedies such as baking soda to make a DIY scrub. All you need to do is rub it all over your body the next time that you are in the shower.
Use AHA (alpha-hydroxyl acids)
- When you want to exfoliate your skin after a tanning session has gone wrong, you should look for products that contain alpha-hydroxyl acids.
- The products assist in accelerating the pace of your membrane cell turnover. As such, the acids will get rid of all the old and tanned cells while bringing forth the newer and healthier cells.
3. Vitamin A for a clear skin
If you have sun damaged skin, either because of tanning or burning, get your hands on some vitamin A. It is recommended for this kind of exercise as it enhances collagen production, while encouraging the faster turnover of cells.
It helps in making your skin appear younger, clearer and healthier.
You can go a step further and provide your skin with a cocktail of vitamins A and C. Vitamin C will be in charge of brightening up your skin, thereby providing you with a natural glow, without having to rely on the harmful UV rays.
Here’s how to get rid of sun tan using vitamin A and C.
- Take a single carrot, boil it and then carefully mash it (vitamin A)
- Add a single teaspoon of milk to the mashed carrot
- Ensure you stir it properly
- Add two teaspoons of vitamin E oil, and a small amount of lemon juice (vitamin C)
Preventing sun-damaged skin and a tan
On a daily basis, the skin does so much for you including protecting you from viruses and bacteria, to ensuring that you provide a good first impression to the outside world. You can avoid getting a tan by observing the following.
Do not compromise on SPF
It is essential to make certain that your skin is safe from the UVA and UVB rays. To do this, you will need to lather properly on sunscreen.
A good idea will be to apply an antioxidant e.g. a cream before you can rub in the sunblock to your skin.
It works to increase resistance to sun damage, while promoting healing, if you had already exposed your skin to the rays.
You should, therefore, be on the lookout for antioxidants like green tea extracts, which can be found in moisturizers.
Wear sunscreen even when in the shade
Do not assume that you are protected just because you chose to skip the sun and lounge by the poolside. It is still possible for the sun UV rays to get to you. How?
The UV rays often reflect off surfaces. As such, you will still be required to wear sunglasses, in addition to protecting the skin using a broad spectrum sunscreen product.
How to get rid of sun tan naturally (home remedies)
Most people favor the tanned look, and will often look forward to the summer season anticipating to get that tanned look.
While some are able to get an appealing and even tan, the same does not apply to others, who may end-up with a tan that is aesthetically unappealing and unattractive.
The good news is that it is possible to get rid of that tan almost instantly. The following tips will guide you on how to remove sun tan using home remedies.
Keep in mind that these home remedies are natural, easy-to-find, and hence, no need for you to worry about side effects.
Aloe Vera treatment
The aloe gel extracted from the aloe leaf can be used to lighten your skin, as well as remove the unwanted sun tan.
In addition, it assists in cleansing and nourishing your skin, provided that it is applied in the affected area each day. Here’s how to clear suntan fast using aloe vera gel.
- Before going to bed, apply the aloe gel on the skin that is affected.
- When you wake up in the morning wash your skin thoroughly using cold water.
Homemade face pack to remove sun tan in a day
Make a sun tan removal face pack using gram flour and turmeric. These two ingredients come in handy when you want to remove the sun tan naturally. You can prepare the pack using the following steps.
- Take a pinch of turmeric and combine it with a few teaspoons of gram flour
- Add some rosewater and milk to this mixture
- You have the option of adding powdered orange peel into your mask
- Apply this pack on the areas affected by the sun tan
- Allow the pack to remain on your skin for at least twenty minutes
- Remove the pack by washing it off using cold water
- Apply it each day for best results
Potato
Raw potato is one of the best remedies that you can use when you have a sun tanned skin. It is surprisingly rich in vitamin C, and is therefore a very good natural bleach. Therefore it comes in handy in soothing the sunburns. Here’s how to use it to treat excessive sun tan.
- Take two medium-sized potatoes and peel off the skin
- Cut your two potatoes into chunks before putting them in your blender to create a paste
- Once the paste is ready, apply a generous amount on the skin surface that is affected.
- Give it thirty minutes for it to dry
- Wash it off using some cold water
Almond
An almond paste will assist in cleansing, scrubbing, and lightening the skin tone quickly.
- Take five almonds and soak them in water overnight.
- The next day, blend these almonds with a small amount of milk to come up with a paste
- Apply this paste all over the affected skin region each night before you go to sleep
- When you wake up, use cold water to wash it off
You should repeat application each day for at least one week.
Tomato, yogurt, and lemon juice
Tomato, lemon juice, and yogurt are not just valuable foods for good health. They can also assist you maintain proper skin care.
Lemon juice for instance is not only useful when it comes to losing the extra weight but is also good at improving the appearance of your skin.
These three ingredients make a powerful mask to eliminate the skin pigmentation issue. They also come in handy in removing excess oil from your skin, moisturizing, and nourishing it as well. Here’s how to fade sun tan fast using lemon, tomato and yogurt.
- Combine a single tablespoon each of lemon juice, yogurt, and a few of tomato pulp
- Take this mixture and apply it on your face, and any other affected area
- Leave it on your skin for at least thirty minutes
- When this time has passed, wash it off using cold water
Honey and papaya
Another cure for sun exposure is honey and papaya juice. Papaya is natively cultivated in Central and South America, and is very common in Florida, certain African regions, and in the Caribbean Islands as well.
Honey is a great home remedy in many beauty regimens.
Combining papaya and honey will therefore be great for your skin, and for removing the unwanted tan. The mixture will specifically whiten, brighten, renew, and exfoliate your skin. Here’s how to treat a sun tanned skin naturally.
- Obtain a ripe papaya and mash it up.
- Take a single teaspoon of honey and add it to the mixture.
- Ensure that they blend properly.
- Take this paste and apply it all over your face, and all the other regions that had the sun tan.
- Allow it to stay on your skin for about thirty minutes.
- Wash it off with warm water.
Buttermilk and oatmeal
Also known as white oats, oatmeal comes with very many benefits thanks to its fiber source. It is a useful ingredient for your heart.
It acts to effectively reduce your cholesterol. Buttermilk contains lactic acid, and is also a very good source of protein that can be used to enhance your health.
- Combine a few teaspoons of oatmeal with a few teaspoons of buttermilk
- Take this blend and apply it all over the area that is affected
- Let it stay on your skin surface for between ten and fifteen minutes
- Wash it off using warm water
- Buttermilk assists in improving your skin complexion, reducing blisters, and exfoliating your skin surface
Tomato and yogurt
Yogurt is a well-known probiotic that can assist the digestion process. Tomato, on the other hand, is a vegetable that is very good for your health and eyesight.
Both yogurt and tomato are ideal suntan removers as they reduce dark spots, decrease skin pigmentation, as well as reduce your skin oiliness.
Additionally, yogurt contains a bleaching agent, which will help you remove the suntan much more quickly. Therefore, if looking for a way on how to remove sun tan, consider combining yogurt and tomato.
- Take a single teaspoon of yogurt and one of tomato juice
- Apply them on your face
- Let the mixture stay on your face for at least thirty minutes
- Proceed to rinse off your face using warm water
Sandal wood
Sandalwood is common used in the preparation of beauty products. You can use it to remove sun tan on your face, hands and legs, lighten your skin, and heal it from sunburns.
What to do at home
- Take a few teaspoons of sandalwood powder and mix them with those of turmeric powder
- Add a small amount of rose water to this blend
- Take this paste and apply it on the areas affected by the sun tan
- Allow it to stay on your face for at least thirty minutes
- Use cold water to wash it off
Wheat flour
This flour is very useful when it comes to improving the tone of your skin on the face, arms and feet, eliminating sun tan, and reducing dark spots.
What to do at home
- Measure a few teaspoons of wheat flour and mix them with water
- Take the resulting paste and apply it over the areas that are affected
- Leave the paste on your skin for a period of fifteen minutes
- Use warm water to wash it off and brighten your skin surface
Milk
Milk cream or milk will also come in handy in treating sun tanned facial skin, arms and feet. Here’s what to do to remove dark tan on your face using milk.
What to do at home
- Measure a small amount of milk, put it in a bowl, and then add a pinch of turmeric, as well as some lemon juice
- Make sure to apply this solution all over the areas that are affected, ensuring that you provide it with enough time to air-dry
- Once it is dry, use water to wash it off
- It should provide instant relief from the sun tan
Alternatively, you can:
- Soak a pinch of saffron in a bowl of milk overnight
- The next day, stir it properly, and proceed to apply over all the areas that are affected
- It will assist in lightening your complexion, as well as ensuring that your skin glows
Lemon juice
Lemon juice is a good skin bleaching agent. You can use it as a home remedy for curing skin tanned skin on your face, thanks to its natural skin lightening properties.
Here’s how to apply this lemon remedy to get rid of the dark tan on your face naturally.
- Apply a small amount of fresh juice over the entire area that is affected using a cotton swab.
- Allow it enough time to dry before washing it off with warm water
- Alternatively, you can also add a small amount of sugar to the lemon juice before applying it over the affected parts. Sugar is a very good cleansing agent.
- Repeat application of this remedy for two to three times to get the best results.
Do not apply lemon on your face if you have a sensitive skin. Lemon can burn your skin or cause a reaction. Try diluting it as much as you can to prevent a reaction.
Sun tan removal cream and products
When saddled with a bad sun tan on your face, there is a possibility that you will want to do something about it, such as ensuring that you remove it fast. Some of the highly rated best creams include:
- Nature’s Essence Lacto Tan Clear
- Makari Anti UV Whitening Cream
- Sun Ban-Tan Removal Cream /Whitening Cream
However, before you purchase that chemical-filled whitening or bleaching cream, note that using chemical-based products can actually be problematic for you.
For starters, they could make your skin to become very dry, which definitely is not the look that you desire to have.
Therefore, the best thing to do is to purchase a skin whitening cream, which has specifically been formulated to deal with sun tans.
Sources
- American Academy of Dermatology. (2017). What Causes a Sunburn and a Sun Tan
https://www.aad.org/public/kids/skin/skin-cancer/what-causes-a-sunburn
- C Chang, NCBI (2014): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4202947/