Home Remedies For Freckles

What are Freckles?

Freckles are small, flat spots of unevenly distributed melanin on the skin. More often than not, Freckles trouble the fair skinned individuals. These small spots are light brown in color.  Exposure to sun rays (UVB radiation) tends to increase melanin production in the skin thereby darkening these spots.

Freckles are usually found on the face and upper shoulders, though they can appear anywhere on the skin depending on the part exposed to sunlight. In medical terminology, Freckles are known as Ephelides. These multiple and random spots are more common in fair complexioned individuals with reddish hair and light colored eyes. Moreover, overlapping of the spots makes them look larger.

Basically, there are two types of Freckles, Simple Freckles and Sunburn Freckles. Sunburn Freckles are generally darker as well as larger than Simple Freckles. Simple Freckles tend to appear in the summer season and fade in the winter season. But, Sunburn Freckles, also called Lentigines, do not usually disappear in the winter season. Older individuals are more prone to Sunburn Freckles due to genetic tendency.

The best means of prevention and cure for Freckles is avoidance of over exposure to sun and sun protection. Many costly and chemically prepared over the counter creams are also available in the market to lighten Freckles. On the other hand, these embarrassing spots can be cured naturally and effectively with the help of several the natural home remedies for Freckles. Freckles are not considered harmful but they may become a source of social embarrassment as they are easily noticeable.

Causes and Symptoms of Freckles

A combination of hereditary factors, type of skin and exposure to sun causes Freckles. They usually appear on the nose, cheeks, arms and upper shoulders. They can also appear on skin folds such as underarms. A genetic disorder, known as Neurofibromatosis may also lead to the formation of Freckles on the skin.

Sometimes, malignant freckle and melanoma are confused with the normal harmless Freckles. Malignant freckles and Melanoma are dangerous conditions related to skin cancer. Freckles are usually red, yellow, tan, light brown or black in color. Generally, they have no associated symptoms. Though, they make the affected individual more at risk of developing skin cancer.

Natural Home Remedies for Freckles

• Applying lemon juice on the affected area for about 10 minutes is one of the most popular and equally effective natural home remedies for Freckles as it serves as a natural bleaching agent. Sugar or honey can also be added to the lemon juice to make it more effective.

• Washing the Freckles with sour milk helps in curing Freckles without the risk of skin irritation and dryness of the skin. Buttermilk is also beneficial in the treatment of Freckles.

• Prepare a paste from yellow mustard and milk. Apply this paste on the face overnight and wash it off in the morning to reduce Freckles. Simply applying a mixture of one teaspoon of cucumber juice in some milk is also beneficial in dealing with such spots.

• Soak one tablespoon of lentils in water overnight and grind them in milk in the morning. Applying this resultant paste on the skin is one of the most highly beneficial natural home remedies for Freckles, especially for individuals with oily skin.

• For dry skin, a combination of almonds and milk serves the same purpose. For this, soak 4-5 almonds in water overnight and grind them with milk in the morning.

• A mixture prepared from turmeric and sesame sees grinded together can be safely applied on the affected area to cure Freckles naturally.

• Prepare a paste by mixing crushed mint leaves and mashed banana. Regularly applying this paste on the skin is a valuable natural home remedy to get rid of Freckles and Blemishes.

• Putting fresh aloe vera juice on the Freckles helps in lightening the color of such spots.

• Regularly applying odorless castor oil or any vitamin E oil helps in preventing Freckles to a great extent.

• Applying fruit and vegetable packs prepared from cucumbers, red currants, strawberries, apricots and similar natural ingredients is one of the most successful natural home remedies for Freckles’ treatment. These natural face packs should be applied on a regular basis to give encouraging results.

• Rubbing a slice of red onion on the Freckles, two times per day on a daily basis acts as a therapeutic natural remedy to remove Freckles.

• Mix some parsley juice or parsley infusion with equal amounts of orange juice and lemon juice. Applying this mixture under the routine cream is useful in dealing with Freckles.

• Heat some honey and add a little bit of wheat germ in it. Then, apply this paste on the affected area of the skin for about 15 minutes. Next, wash it off with some warm water followed by cold water. The regular application of this home remedy is sure to give encouraging results.

• Take one tablespoon of unpasteurized honey, add a quarter cup of unripe currants in it and mash them. Apply this sticky paste on the affected area for about 30 minutes and then wash it off with the help of warm water and then apply some fresh lemon juice on it to control this problem.

• Put some grains of rice in a watermelon by making a hole in its rind. Leave these grains of rice in the fruit for about a week or so and then grind them to make a paste like mixture. Applying this paste on the Freckles is regarded as a complex yet valuable remdy to lighten Freckles.

• Horseradish juice, horseradish vinegar and oatmeal are considered excellent home remedies for Freckles. Any of these can be applied on the affected area to heal the problem.

Diet for Freckles

Though there is no particular diet to cure Freckles, still a healthy diet with a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, etc with special emphasis on vitamin A, vitamin B complex and vitamin C is beneficial for the skin in general. Fruits like apples, peaches, oranges, grapes etc should be positively included in the diet. Cabbage, milk, eggs, wheat germ and nutritional yeast are useful for Freckle treatment for dry skin.

Consumption of eggplant internally and external application of eggplant slices on the skin is a highly recommended natural remedy for Freckles. Cranberries juice and strawberries are also beneficial in this regard. Apart from these dietary and remedial measures, preventive measures in the form of sun protection are also recommended. Good quality sunscreens with high SPF (Sun Protection Factor) and broad rimmed hats can be used for this purpose to avoid Freckles.