By Mariela
Updated: February 26, 2024
7 minutes
How does a compliment make you feel? Happy? joyful? or even over the moon? Well, whichever your options may be, it sure does make you feel ecstatic. Wouldn’t it be just cool to keep receiving such compliments every day? if you would love that then, we are sure you would love to read this article too.
Beautiful skin is void of complexion or race, however, we just can’t overrule the fact that our complexion also has a role to play. Either as a result of your genetic makeup or a personal modification to your skin color, the complexion is what people see and probably pass comments on.
Moreover, we know that to have glowing skin, we need to eat healthily. What you consume would affect your appearance and skin, in particular.
However, what do you do in a world that’s had its natural foods almost replaced by genetically modified foods (GMOs)? Do you just go with the flow or do you painstakingly search for means of getting foods from natural sources?
This is not a diet class but we could make do with some dietary lessons to help us understand how foods can affect the health of our skin. For the basics, we know that foods that are high in sugar for instance, processed foods, can affect your skin by causing skin irritation, inflammation, and acne and speed up the rate at which your skin age. That said, let’s move to our main focus.
For this article, we turn our focus to those who are light-skinned in complexion. we discuss what skin whitening is, and the different ways to whiten the skin. Further, we dive into the 5 best natural foods for skin whitening to help you stay beautiful.
We hope this article brings you all the information you need and helps you answer any pending questions on this topic.
What is skin whitening?
Widely known to be a cosmetic procedure, skin whitening is the process of getting rid of skin blemishes to give you a clean skin tone. Commonly, to the layman, this procedure is known as skin bleaching (oops!)… you probably hate to hear that right? but is that what it is? Well, let’s say, it’s not as bad as it sounds. What the procedure does is to reduce the melanin (the pigment responsible for the skin color) concentration of the skin to help reveal the part of the skin that hasn’t been sun-tanned.
There are several ways to whiten your skin, just as we would examine below. However, not all procedures are safe. Find out more about skin whitening in the next section.
Skin whitening techniques
Skin whitening techniques are classified into two broad groups;
1. The natural technique
2. The artificial technique
let’s begin with the second technique.
The artificial skin whitening technique can further be classified into two groups. This includes using skin whitening creams and laser treatment.
Skin lightening creams
This procedure, although seems easy, can be daunting because it is not an instantaneous procedure. It takes time and you may not see the result in weeks. Also, it is very costly as you have to keep buying products to maintain your skin.
Over time, this technique has proved inefficient for many as they end up with worse skin conditions than they had before using these creams.
To be on the safer side, if you are not sure if this procedure is right for you, take a pause and be sure to check in with your doctor, to know the next step. You just might be saving yourself from dangerous skin diseases.
Most skin-whitening creams usually contain hydroquinone and topical steroids such as hydrocortisone. The chemicals work by preventing the discoloration-causing process of the skin. As such, they are highly effective in brightening the skin for a lighter skin tone. However, these creams are largely prescription-based so, advisably, you should steer clear of them if they aren’t part of your prescription creams.
A note of warning here, if you are of a darker skin tone, try to avoid using skin-lightening creams as they are capable of damaging your skin in the long run.
For its usage, prescriptions may vary. whilst some require that you apply on the darkened portion of your skin at least twice daily, others may require just a single application. Also, you may want to avoid contact with any facial openings such as the eyes, nose, and mouth.
After applying these creams, you should avoid walking under the sun and also avoid skin-to-skin contact for some hours. In any case where it’s impossible to avoid the sun, always have your sunscreen creams handy.
Just like any other thing you can think of, the skin whitening creams also come with their side effects including skin itchiness or flakiness resulting in redness and swelling and also a burning or stinging sensation. Other aggravated risks include (but are not limited to) skin thinning, scarring, conspicuous blood vessels on the skin, liver, nerve, and kidney damage. In this case, you should check in with your doctor.
Laser skin whitening technique
This technique works by causing damage to the melanin-producing cells of the skin or eliminating the outer layer of the skin. This may be a temporary or long-lasting procedure and it is very costly depending on how large the treatment area may be.
This technique involves a patch test to observe likely skin reactions to the procedure. Due to the pricking sensation, local anesthesia may be used to numb your skin before the procedure. While at it, you would be given a medicated Google to protect your eyes from the laser effect.
Your skin will be in contact with a small, portable laser instrument, which may feel like an elastic band snapping across your skin. To keep your skin cool while receiving therapy, a jet of cold air could be applied to it. Each session typically lasts between 30 and an hour. When it’s done, you can return home. It takes about 10-14 days for your skin to recover from the treatment. Side effects such as blisters, and inflammation (redness and swelling) may occur. Adverse effects may include skin infection, excessive skin lightness or darkness, and scarring. Ensure to consult your doctor if this happens.
Reading through the above skin whitening procedure may look scary and may have you questioning if it’s worth it. Well, what if we told you there is a safer means to whiten your skin without having to go through those procedures above? You can decide to go all natural about your skin whitening procedure. Your food can help with that. By eating the right type of foods, you can easily whiten your skin. We discuss how to do so in the next section.
5 best natural foods for skin whitening
1. Eggs
The old saying “eat an egg daily to glow your skin” stands true. Eggs are largely proteinous and so they contain a healthy dose of amino acids and antioxidants that helps protect your skin from the damaging effect of the sun’s rays. Eggs help with the production of new skin cells thereby brightening the skin in the process. You just might be thanking your grandma for adding some eggs to your diet daily. For a faster skin whitening effect, you can apply raw eggs directly on your face. To do this, crack some eggs and beat till you get a foamy consistency, add a teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, mix, and apply on your face. Leave for 12-15 mins and wash it off. For best results, repeat twice weekly for four weeks.
2. Lemons
Lemons belong to the citric acid family and they are rich in natural antioxidants which could help protect the skin from free radicals from the sun rays. They also help reverse aging and stop skin damage.
You can make lemons into fruit juice or apply them on your face directly. If doing the latter, once a week is fine. So, you do not strip your skin of its good microbiomes.
3. Avocadoes
Avocadoes are rich in antioxidants. This means they have an anti-aging property. They also do a good job of keeping moisture locked in your skin. The anti-inflammatory properties of avocadoes help combat redness and swellings too.
You can make face-whitening food from its mixture with oats. Blend both ingredients and apply on your face for 15 minutes. Sprinkle some water and massage with your fingers or face massage brush in a circular motion to increase blood flow. Once done, wash your face thoroughly and clean it with a clean towel.
4. Spinach
Spinach is a rich source of vitamin A. They help to lock moisture in your skin to prevent skin dryness and itchiness, and in turn, give your skin a radiant look. Even better when you consume spinach in its raw form as the health benefits you would get are massive. To whiten your facial skin, you could make a facial mask out of the spinach leaves using 5 tablespoons of spinach, 2 tablespoons of gram flour, 3 tablespoons of milk, and 1 tablespoon of honey to prepare a paste. Leave it on for 30 minutes. Rinse off with lukewarm water. For best results, apply this mask two times each week. With these benefits, you should never get tired of hearing “eat some greens” and now you know why.
5. Tomatoes
Tomatoes
are highly rich in lycopene and they have antioxidant properties that help fights off several skin diseases. Eating tomatoes increases the production of collagen in the skin which helps keep the skin firm. To brighten your skin with tomato, mix a little amount of turmeric and sandalwood powder with some freshly squeezed tomato juice and mix thoroughly till you get a smooth consistency. Apply on your face and let it sit for 30 minutes. Wash your face and pat dry. It works like magic.
There you have it. Who could have thought that regular everyday foods could be turned into something much more beneficial for skin health? Try any of these natural foods and you would be amazed at how much difference they can make to your skin. Beauty is in the skin they say, so what’s better than to take care of it? Remember, the goal is to have flawless skin and maintain it in the best possible way without breaking the bank.
