Melasma: Natural Remedies, Fast Treatment, and Care

There are different ways to treat melasma, a type of skin discoloration that shows up as patches on the skin. Although melasma can be a chronic condition, you don’t have to feel that your only option is to cover it up with foundation. From natural treatments to important skincare tips, melasma needs a comprehensive approach to stay away for good.

Natural Remedies

Natural skin care remedies that lighten your skin and even out your skin tone are important when it comes to treating melasma. Some effective natural ingredients that work include berries such as raspberries and strawberries because they contain ellagic acid that is an effective skin-lightening ingredient.

Another natural remedy is lemon. Its citric acid bleaches the skin naturally (which is why it’s so common when lightening hair, too).  Lemons also contain alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) that exfoliate the skin so that the surface layer is removed, therefore stripping skin of discoloration and dead skin that lingers there.

Fast Treatment

If you’ve tried natural remedies and you’re not getting results quickly enough, bear this in mind: although natural DIY recipes can help your skin eliminate discoloration and melasma, they take much longer to work. There are other melasma-beating methods to try.

Microdermabrasion. You might be tempted to try a skin treatment such as microdermabrasion to eliminate melasma. What microdermabrasion does is make use of fine crystals that are sprayed across the skin with pressure to exfoliate your skin much more thoroughly than regular exfoliation you do at home. It also has a better recovery time than a chemical peel as your skin doesn’t need many days afterwards to heal. Any skin redness you experience is eliminated within a day.

Natural Skin-Lightening Creams. Scientifically-formulated natural skin-lightening creams are gentle on your skin while working faster than home remedies. You want to look for ingredients such as Vitamin C that is a natural skin-lightening agent, green tea extract, aloe (which also soothes the skin), and kojic acid. This natural acid, derived from fungi, helps to even out skin and doesn’t contain the risk of ochronosis (skin darkening) or cancer that are commonly linked to chemical lighteners. These natural creams will be applied to your skin daily and they have different strengths depending on the extent of your discoloration. You should start with a mild one and then progress to more intensive whitening to give your skin a chance to open up to the lightening process.

Care for Skin

Looking after your skin while you treat melasma is important to ensure best results.

• SPF is Best! The most important part is to wear sunscreen every single time you’re outside. UV rays are the most common cause of discoloration, so sunscreen not only prevents future discoloration but prevents current discoloration from getting worse. You should also use sunscreen if you are applying skin-lightening creams or trying home remedies because some ingredients, such as lemon, make your skin more sensitive to the UV rays. .
  
  
• Choose Gentle Care.  Besides using natural skin lightening creams, you should ensure that the rest of your skincare regimen is as natural as possible. The less chemicals you use on your skin, the better. When skincare products are too harsh for your skin, they cause irritation that can lead to discoloration. If a product stings or burns when you use it, or you see that it gives your skin a reaction such as redness, stop using it.

You have many options when it comes to treating melasma. If one doesn’t work, it can be helpful to try others. The key is to stick with your treatments and be gentle with your skin. Here’s to healthy, vibrant complexions!