As you get older, you tend to begin noticing various changes in the body. Some of the more noticeable changes take place outside the body though. Age spots are also known as liver spots due to the fact that they were once incorrectly believed to be caused by liver problems, although they have nothing to do with the liver.

Tiny brown or dark spots that usually develop on the face or on the hands, and are usually blamed on the ageing process, but are in fact a result of too much sun, or changes in hormones. They are not serious but are often wished away by those who suddenly notice them. 

If however, you have the time to try a few at home remedies, our list below could help you in relieving those “aging spots” over time.

Lemon Juice

The citric acid and vitamin C that a lemon contains makes for the perfect bleaching agent. By squeezing some lemon juice into a small bowl of water, use a cotton ball to apply the lemon/water mixture to the affected areas of your skin. Leave on for up to 20 minutes and then rinse with water, not soap. After a few days of repeating this, you should notice a difference.

You could also use lemon juice without diluting it, however this could be too harsh for your skin. You will need to conduct a test on the skin to check beforehand.

Cucumber

No longer just used on your eyes during a facial, cucumbers are renowned for moisturising the skin but are also cooling and soothing to the skin. Cucumbers have an extremely high water contact, contain many vitamins and contain antioxidants that can be used against several skin discolorations, including dark circles and acne scars. By rubbing the juice from the vegetable on the dark spots, and then leaving the slices on your skin for around 20 minutes, this should greatly help the colouring of the dark spots to lighten.

Potato

Potatoes are high in starch. This, along with the sugar found in potatoes can work wonders for the skin.  They tend to exfoliate and remove dead skin cells, all while boosting the growth of new cells. Furthermore, the potassium, zinc, vitamins C and B6 as well as the phosphorus in potatoes all work to rejuvenate the collagen in your skin. Just cut them into thin slices, apply a little water to the slices and place on the dark spots for around 10 minutes. It’s best to apply the potato to the skin in the evenings, to allow the vitamins and minerals to soak into the skin. It is extremely mild so this process can repeated every evening until you reach your desired result.

Oats

Oats are great in the skincare industry. Believed to have numerous health benefits as well, they are great for exfoliating the skin. It has an anti-inflammatory quality that can be extremely soothing to irritated skin. Mix 3 tablespoons of oatmeal with 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of milk and make a paste. Apply to your skin and leave it until it dries completely, then rinse with water. This combination is especially good for your skin, as the oats exfoliate, the honey moisturises, and the milk helps to remove the dark spots. Only use this mixture three times a week.

Buttermilk

With high amounts of lactic acid, buttermilk also contains Vitamin D and B12, all of which can help in lightening the skin. Also high in this, is milk and yoghurt. By applying the buttermilk directly to the skin, it can help to fight age spots. Leave on for about 20 minutes and then rinse off. You can use milk, yoghurt or buttermilk daily until you reach your desired results.

Orange Peel

Oranges, along with their peels contain high levels if vitamin C and calcium. The antioxidants that they contain can rejuvenate the skin and promote the growth of new skin cells, all while fighting free radicals. They can also draw toxins and impurities out of the skin and therefore lighten the dark pigmented areas. Apply the juice from the peel to the dark spots and leave on for about 20 minutes. Rinse with water.

One way that we can recommend preventing aging spots is to take good care of your skin. Try to prevent dark spots from occurring by protecting your skin from the sun as best possible.

We recommend using BWG Botanics Super Solo Sun Cream to protect your skin from the sun.