Last updated: 10 March 2020

Are you hesitant to get sun exposure?

Is the fear of getting a tan keeping you from stepping out?

Are you tired of applying an array of skin care products and cosmetics for tan removal and yet not happy with the results?

Well, if yes, then you are not alone. When summers come, the scorching heat leaves many with tanned, darker than usual skin. Exposure to the harmful UV rays of the sun increases the melanin content in the skin and makes it darker. Frequent tanning can also lead to patchy skin, redness, sunburns, premature aging of the skin, fine lines, wrinkles and even the possibility of developing skin cancer.

It is, therefore, important to regularly keep one’s skin hydrated and nourished during the summers, to combat tanning and its harmful side effects.

If you are looking for great, chemical-free, and effective ways of tan removal this summer, this article is just what you need to read.

Listed below are 13 tan removal home remedies using simple kitchen ingredients available in most homes successfully remove tan without the use of harmful chemicals on your skin.

13 Best Home Remedies To Remove Sun Tan

#1. Lemon Juice to Remove Tan

 

Lemon juice is commonly used to remove scars on the face and gain an even complexion. The citric acids present in this juice help in skin lightening and work well as a de-tan agent. Rose water and cucumber juice are great soothing agents that help to hydrate the skin and provide relief from sunburns and tanning.

Ingredients

• Lemon juice – 1 tablespoon
• Cucumber extract – 1 tablespoon
• Rose water – 1 tablespoon

Procedure

• Take a bowl and mix all the ingredients.
• Using an applicator brush, apply the mixture evenly all over your face and neck.
• Apply on the sides of your neck as well, as this area tends to darken very easily.
• If any extra solution is left, use it on your hands as well.
• Leave it to dry for 10-12 minutes.
• Rinse with cold water and pat dry for best results.

Frequency of use

This remedy can be used thrice a week at the end of the day.

#2. Turmeric and Bengal Gram Flour Pack to Remove Sun Tan

If you are looking for instant tan removal and exfoliation solution then this pack is just what you should go in for. The coarseness of the Bengal gram flour will remove the dead skin cells and impurities from your skin. Turmeric, on the other hand, is a great antiseptic and anti-inflammatory agent that helps to soothe the skin, lending it a subtle glow. The pack also contains the goodness of milk and rose water to soften the skin and nourish it from within.

Ingredients required

• Bengal gram flour – 2 tablespoons
• A pinch of turmeric
• Rose water – 1 tablespoon
• Milk – 1 tablespoon

Procedure

• Mix all the ingredients well.
• Apply this mixture on the affected areas and leave it for 30 minutes.
• Once it is dry, wet your skin with a few drops of water. Then, gently remove the pack by scrubbing first and then washing it off.
• You can further increase the potency of this pack by adding a tablespoon of crushed and powdered orange peel.

Frequency of use

This pack is best to apply once or twice a week. If you have oily skin, you may replace milk with lemon juice.

#3. Aloe Vera, Red Lentil, and Tomato Pack for Tan Removal

Commonly known as Masoor dal the red lentils are vital in removing the tan. When this dal combines with Aloe Vera and tomato juice, it acts as a powerful tan removal pack. Tomato contains skin-lightening ingredients and works well to reduce fine lines and tighten the skin pores as well. Aloe Vera, on the other hand, acts as a great nourishing agent for the skin and helps soothe the burning sensation on the skin.

Ingredients Required

• Red lentil powder – 1 tablespoon
• Tomato juice – 1 tablespoon
• Aloe Vera extract – 1 teaspoon

Procedure

• Mix all the ingredients and make a rough paste. If it is too dry add a little rose water to make it pasty.
• Apply it on your face and keep it for half an hour.
• Wash it off with cold water.

Frequency of use

Use this pack every alternate day for a week or two for best results in case of extreme tanning. For regular usage, apply once a week.

#4. Honey and Papaya Pack to Remove Sun Tan

Papayas are wonderful skin tightening and de-tanning agents. Their gel-like paste not only soothes the skin but also leaves it glowing and radiant. The enzymes in papaya help in skin whitening, renewal, and exfoliation as well. Honey helps to make the skin soft and together they make an effective tan removal home remedy that is very easy to prepare.

Ingredients required

• Ripe papaya – 1/2 cup
• Honey – 1 tablespoon

Procedure

• Mash the papaya finely or blend it in a blender.
• Add honey to it and mix well.
• Use an applicator brush to apply the pack on your face.
• Leave it on for half an hour and then wash it off with cold water for best results.

Frequency of use

You can easily use this soothing and hydrating remedy thrice a week.

#5. Curd And Tomato Pack

The citric properties of tomato act as a natural tan remover and helps to make your skin more radiant. If you want to decrease pigmentation and dark spots then this antioxidant-rich pack is actually worth a try. The tomato juice works as a toner for the skin to cleanse clogged pores and reduces oiliness naturally.

Curd has enzymes that act as powerful anti-tanning agents. It also lends your skin a soft glow and helps it regain its suppleness after exposure to harsh sun rays.

Ingredients required

• Plain yogurt – 1 tablespoon
• Tomato pulp or juice – 1 tablespoon

Procedure

• Mix all the ingredients well and apply the paste on your face.
• Let it dry for 30 minutes and then cleanse with water.

Frequency of use

You can use this remedy twice a week. You can also replace tomato juice with orange juice in this pack. Orange juice is rich in vitamin C and is great for the skin. It helps in rejuvenating the skin by removing dirt and dark spots.

#6. Strawberry and Milk

This is another effective tan removal home remedy that works well as an exfoliation treatment as well. Any pack with milk helps keep your skin supple and hydrated. Rich in antioxidants, strawberries are great natural exfoliators that help to remove dead skin cells, tighten skin pores, and moisturize your skin.

Ingredients required

• Strawberries – 4-5
• Milk – 2 tablespoons

Procedure

• Crush the strawberries in a blending jar.
• Add some fresh milk.
• Mix well to make a grainy paste.
• Apply this pack all over your face and neck.
• Leave it on for 30 minutes before you wash it off.

Frequency of use

You can apply this pack twice a week.

#7. Lemon Juice and Potato For Tan Removal

Loaded with fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants, potato juice is one of the best natural bleaching agents you can find in your kitchen. Perfect for tan removal, it also works very well on long-standing scars, blemishes, and uneven skin tone. It also helps to tighten the skin and removes fine lines and wrinkles. Lemon juice offers astringent qualities to aid the action of potato.

Ingredients required

• Potato – 1 medium-sized
• Lemon juice – 1 tablespoon

Procedure

• Take one potato and grate it
• Not put it in a grinding jar and grind to a fine paste.
• Extract its juice by sieving the blended mixture.
• Mix the potato juice with freshly extracted lemon juice.
• Use cotton swabs to apply this pack on your face and leave it for 30 mins.
• You can also make a cotton mask and dip it in this mixture to place on your face.
• Wash it off with cold water and pat dry.

Frequency of use

You can use this every day until the tan vanishes. It is best to freeze the juice in an ice cube tray and then use one cube daily for a week to see an amazing difference.

#8. Coconut Water and Sandalwood Pack

Sandalwood is loaded with medicinal properties that help us in our day-to-day lives. When combined with the goodness of coconut water it makes an effective tan removal pack. This pack is great to not only rejuvenate your skin but also soothe your sunburns and remove tan.

Ingredients required

• Sandalwood powder – 1 tablespoon
• Coconut water – 1 tablespoon

Procedure

• Firstly, mix the sandalwood powder with coconut water well. Then add some more coconut water to get a paste of even consistency.
• Apply it on the face and neck and let it dry for 20 mins.
• Rinse with water and pat dry.

Frequency of use

This remedy can be used thrice a week for best results.

#9. Milk and Turmeric

You will be surprised at the softness and radiance of your skin after using this home remedy made of turmeric and milk. Turmeric has healing properties and milk has nourishing as well as exfoliating properties, which work well together to remove tan and replenish the skin.

Ingredients required

• A pinch of turmeric
• Milk – 1-2 tablespoons

Procedure

• Take a bowl and mix a pinch of turmeric powder and milk.
• Apply this on your face and let it dry.
• Rinse with lukewarm water.

Frequency of use

You can repeat this process daily until the tan fades away.

#10. Bitter Gourd

Yet another vegetable remedy which works wonder for your skin. It is high in antioxidants and is often used to relieve burns and tans.

Ingredients required

• Bitter gourd – 1

Procedure

• Grind the bitter gourd and sieve out its juice.
• Apply the juice on the affected, tanned areas.
• Massage for a couple of minutes and leave it for 10 minutes before washing it off.
• Store the rest of the juice in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freeze it as cubes for easy use next time.

Frequency of use

This remedy can be used twice a week.

#11. Aloe Vera with Multani Mitti

Multani mitti, which is also known as Fuller’s Earth, helps to cool and soothe the acne and sunburns within just a few days of use. It cleans your skin thoroughly and also stimulates blood circulation imparting a natural glow.

Frequency of use

• Multani mitti – 2 tablespoons
• Aloe Vera gel – 1 tablespoon
• Rose water – 2 to 3 teaspoons

Procedure

• Mix Multani mitti and aloe gel in a small bowl.
• Add in rose water to make a smooth paste.
• Apply this mixture on the face and neck and keep it on for 15- 20 minutes.
• Scrub the pack with wet fingers and then rinse off with cold water.

Frequency of use

You can use this pack twice a week.

#12. Fresh Cream and Saffron

Kesar or saffron is an age-old ingredient that helps for a healthier skin when mixed with fresh cream it can remove sun tan in the most natural way. Not only does it help beat suntan, but also fights acne and pimple.

Ingredients required

• A few saffron strands
• milk cream – 1 tablespoon

Procedure

• Dip a few strands of saffron in two to three teaspoons of warm milk.
• When you see that the saffron has seeped well into the milk and a yellow color is visible, mix this with the milk cream.
• Blend well and apply this on your skin.
• Leave it on for 15 minutes.
• Rinse off with lukewarm water.

Frequency of use

This remedy can be used every alternate day for best results.

Check out – Best face cream for daily use in India

#13. Potato and Pomegranate Juice

As discussed above, Potato is known for its bleaching properties. Pomegranate juice is rich in antioxidants, which work wonders on the skin. Suitable to remove fine lines, wrinkles, and uneven skin tone, this remedy helps your skin will feel lighter and refreshed after the first use itself.

Ingredients required

• Medium-sized potato – 1
• Pomegranate seeds – ½ cup

Procedure

• Take a potato, clean it, and grate it.
• Mix the grated potato with the pomegranate seeds and grind the mixture
• Squeeze the juice through the strainer and freeze it in an ice-cube tray.
• Take out one cube for a single application and rub it all over your face and neck.
• Leave it on for 15 minutes and then rinse it off. Pat dry.

Frequency of use

You can use these ice cubes every alternate day for great results.

Patience is the key with all the natural remedies. But remember that prevention is always better than cure so if you are going to spend some time in the sun, also use a good sunscreen on your skin to prevent skin damage and suntan.