Natural Ways To Decrease Skin Discoloration

Age spots or liver spots, one of the most common types of skin discoloration, are harmless, reports the American Academy of Dermatology. These spots show up in areas exposed to the sun, including the face, chest, shoulders, forearms and hands. Contemporary treatments for skin discolorations incorporate some of the same antioxidant-rich ingredients as food-based natural remedies. Discuss skin discolorations with your doctor or dermatologist to rule out an underlying medical cause or skin cancer before attempting natural remedies.

Tea

Both green and black tea may help to protect you against skin cancer and the skin-aging effects of sunlight due to their antioxidants, reports the University of Maryland Medical Center. Drinking tea daily boosts your antioxidant intake. Brewed tea also provides a skin wash or mask ingredient for direct treatment of your skin. Rubbing tea combined with lemon juice to your skin may help to reduce discoloration over time. Because UV radiation depletes the antioxidants in your skin, using anti-oxidants helps replenish your skin, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Applying moist tea bags under your eyes may help lighten dark circles. Testing anything you plan to use on your skin by rubbing a small amount on an unobtrusive area and leaving it for 24-hour hours will help protect you from unexpected reactions. For example, some people are sensitive to lemon juice.

Lemon

Lemon has a reputation for fading freckles, according to the New Zealand Dermatological Society's website, DermNet NZ. Though lemon provides a natural skin bleaching effect and exfoliation -- helping to remove the outer layer of skin -- it takes repeated applications over time to see results. For sensitive skin, diluting the lemon juice may help you use it without irritation. Cotton swabs work well for rubbing lemon juice directly on discolorations. Alexa Fleckenstein M.D., author of "Own Your Health: Healthy to 100" suggests dotting lemon juice on your skin when you use lemons in the kitchen to treat liver spots.

Yogurt Mask

Yogurt and other milk products contain lactic acid, to help exfoliate UV-damaged skin or other surface discolorations. This treatment may help even out skin tone if you have acne scars or other blemishes. Fitness Magazine's website suggests mixing mashed blueberries and yogurt for a facial mask to help repair sun-damaged skin. Leaving the mask on for a quarter of an hour allows the skin to absorb the lactic acid and the vitamins C and E from the blueberries for a combined gentle exfoliation and antioxidant treatment. Lactic acid and fruit acids are key ingredients in alpha hydroxy acid products, one of the treatments listed by the American Academy of Dermatology's website for mature skin. It's safest for your skin to apply treatments in the evening. Fruit acids and exfoliation can make your skin more sensitive to the sun.