Having black elbows and knees are quite embarrassing. Women get more conscious on wearing dresses which are short or sleeveless. The prime reason for this condition is because our elbows and knees don’t have oil glands and makes the skin dry in these areas. Dirt is more prone to get stuck in these zones, when we don’t cleanse properly. Sometimes the dead skin cells caused by pressure or friction can also be a cause of darker patches in the skin. Other than these three reasons sun exposure is also one condition which can lead to dark patches in these zones. At time, we support our elbows on desks or kneel down during prayers or sports, and these too could be gradual processes of having darker skin. Thus, there are numerous reasons which lead to darker patches in these two areas and they should not be neglected.
Rather than spending money excessively on salon treatments, you can simply follow some natural remedies at home. These are safe and cost effective. These will heal you gradually but leave you with lasting results.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is one effective cleansing formula for the skin. It reduces darkening and gives you a cleaner look.
- Take 1 tablespoon of baking soda and add milk
- Apply the combination on elbows and knees and then scrub in circles
- Follow this easy remedy on every alternative day.
- Repeat till you notice significant change in color.
Turmeric with Milk and Honey
With the antiseptic property of turmeric and the bleaching effects of milk, you get an amazing combo! This is further added on with the moisturizing effects of honey and makes it a complete remedy.
- Grind raw turmeric and add honey and milk to make a smooth paste
- Apply to both the zones and let it dry for 20 minutes
- Now wet your fingers and rub the areas for 2 minutes.
- Rinse off with water and repeat on alternative days.
Olive Oil with Sugar
Olive oil would keep your skin moisturized while sugar helps you exfoliate the skin.
- Make a thick paste by adding sugar to olive oil
- Apply the combination to the dark areas
- Rub the combination on your skin for 5 minutes
- Clean it with a mild soap and water
Honey with Lemon
Lemon juice has wonderful bleaching properties but is quite harsh for sensitive areas. This is why honey is added for moisture and softness. Repeat this remedy three times a week for significant results.
- Extract the juice from 1 lemon
- Add 1 tablespoon of honey
- Apply the mix to affected area
- Let it dry for 20 minutes
- Wash off with water and see your skin glow
Lemon and Gram Flour
Gram flour cleanses the darker areas and helps you exfoliate slightly. Lemon acts like a natural bleach and helps you reduce darkening.
- Add lemon extract to gram flour
- Make a smooth paste and apply in the areas
- Massage circularly
- Let it dry and wash off
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera helps reduce darkening of skin, in these areas, which are caused due to sun exposure. It also helps the skin hydrate and prevent further dryness.
- Extract aloe vera gel from fresh leaves by breaking them.
- Apply fresh gel to elbows and knees
- Let it dry for 30 minutes
- Wash off and find fresh and light skin
Vinegar in Yogurt
A combination of these two ingredients, will free you from dark skin, and keep it hydrated.
- Take adequate amount of yogurt to be applied to your elbows and knees.
- Add a little bit of vinegar to smoothen the combination
- Rub the area when the mixture starts to dry
- Massage in circular motions and wash off after a couple of minutes
Bleaching Fruits
Fruits, such as tomato and grapes, make a nice bleaching element. It helps you tone your skin and reduce blackness of the concerned zones.
- Extract the juice of either of the ingredients and apply to your skin regularly
- You could alternate these two and apply on alternate days!
Pumice Stone
A pumice stone is used for cleansing dirtied and polluted parts of our body. It also helps us remove the deal skin cells and lets the new ones breathe.
- Apply mild soap in the concerned areas
- Rub it with pumice stone
- Rinse with water and see your skin lighten.
Natural Oils
Oil massage has been a traditional remedy for ages. People apply oil all over the body before taking a bath, to keep their body hydrated, and get rid of dirt while cleansing. Our elbows and knees are the most dried regions in the body which is why they should moisturized. Use any natural oil like olive, sesame, coconut or almond. But it should be the purest form.
- Apply the oil on the concerned zones
- Massage for 5 minutes
- Let the body soak it in for 1 hour
- Wash off with water
- Repeat daily till darkness lessens. Reduce repetitions henceforth.
Onion and Garlic
Onions and garlic not only make our recipes palatable, but they are effective for this purpose as well. They have minerals and volatile oils which lighten dark areas on our skin.
- Take 1 fat garlic clove and peel off
- Grate or crush in a way to form chunks and not paste
- Take 1 onion and grate
- Combine the two and apply on your elbow and knees
- Gently rub for 10 minutes
- Rinse with water
Mint
Mint is widely known as refreshment, but did you know that it helps brightening dark skin? It has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, along with some essential oils which synthesize the collagen and the white bloods cells in our body.
- Take a bowl and add water
- Boil the water and add a handful of mint leaves
- Take ½ of a lemon extract and add to the water
- Turn off the flame and let it cool
- When the temperature can be tolerable for your skin, take cotton and soak it in the water
- Dab the areas with the cotton
- Let it remain like that for 15 minutes
- Repeat the process regularly for getting rid of dark elbows and knees.
Turmeric, Milk and Gram Flour
The goodness of these ingredients has been mentioned in the remedies above. Let us see how this combination could work out for you.
- Take a pan and add milk which contains high fat. You could also replace it with cream
- Boil till it gets thicker
- Add ½ teaspoon of turmeric and ½ cup of gram flour
- Combine well to make a thick paste
- Apply to the concerned zones
- Rub circularly and let it dry for 15 minutes
- Rinse off with water
Butter
Butters like cocoa or shea have natural fats which act like a great moisturizer. This will make your skin softer and brighten it. This also helps you heal flaky and dry skin and is really effective when applied to elbows and knees.
- Take sufficient amount of either of the two ingredients
- Apply on dark elbows and knees
- Massage well and let the butter absorb into the skin
- You can let it be for a few hours or wait till the skin feels a little dry
- Apply at night, just before going to bed and get the best possible results
Potatoes
Potatoes not only accompany tasty dishes but also help you exfoliate your skin. They have bleaching components to reduce the marks of your body. When you apply this regularly, you will see a lighter skin tone and healthy feel.
- Take a potato and chop it into small pieces
- Take a bowl and place them in
- Add yogurt and make paste
- Now mash the ingredients together
- Apply on the dark areas of your elbows and knees
- Let it sit for 30 minutes
- Wash off with water
- Repeat regularly to see faster results.
Tips for preventing dark elbows and knees
- With the regular usage of sunscreen lotions, you can reduce the chances of having dark skin. Apply sunscreen before you go out and make sure that it is more common during the summer season.
- Moisturizers hydrate our skin and avoid further dryness. This also prevents skin darkening and reduces friction. Apply moisturizer after taking a bath, especially on your face, elbows and knees.
- You can use a Loofah or an exfoliating brush for removing dead cells. While you are taking a bath, use either of these for scrubbing, and remove the dead skin cells. This would help you clean dirt and brighten skin tone.
- Apply olive oil every night before you go to bed. Keeping it overnight would bleach the areas naturally and lighten your skin. Olive oil also softens rough skin and adds glow.
- Applying plain lemon, on your elbows and knees, regularly for few weeks would be a nice exfoliating treatment.
- You can also apply cucumber juice or cut slices of cucumber and attach to the elbows and knees.
- Never apply salt or lemon if you have cuts of bruises, on or around these areas. It would add to the burning sensation and increase irritation on skin.
- If there is any skin bleaching lotions that you’d want to opt for, you must get in touch with a doctor who could help you out in this. This should be tried if home remedies do not help.
- You must apply coconut oil, petroleum jelly or moisturizers like Vaseline after using any of the above remedies. These remedies would leave your skin dry, and they need instant moisture to prevent further darkening.
- Never overdo on scrubbing, as they could make the areas produce more cells, and in turn make them darker. Apply scrub 2-3 times a week.
- Moisturizers which contain Shea butter, cocoa butter, jojoba oil or some other natural oil would have a better lasting effect. Massage gently and keep your skin hydrated.
- Exfoliation and moisturizing are two prime ways to keep skin healthy. This goes same for elbows and knees. You could use bleach but try to avoid the ones with harsh chemical components.
- Drink more water to remove the toxin from your body. Water is an essential ingredient to maintain healthier skin.
- Reduce the consumption of sugar or processed food like cereals, breads, soft drinks, caffeine, etc.
- Stop leaning or stressing on your elbows and knees. They will lose the moisture and the remedies won’t be effective enough.
- Avoid ingredients which are allergic to you. You can test one remedy, and if it seems good enough, continue with that. Use the effective resources from your household and see which ones would be easy to combine and follow. If you find itchiness or redness in skin, avoid using those ingredients.
These home remedies are gradual processes towards improvement. They will not magically heal your problems within 2-3 week. You need to be consistent and see effective results over a period of 8 to 12 weeks. They are time consuming but have a lasting effect. Gain back your confidence while your skin gets an even-tone.
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Originally posted in Beauty & Health Tips
