Go Out in the Sun without the Fear of Getting Tanned, 10 Home Remedies for Removing Tan and 4 Tips to Avoid Getting One!

When we are out in the sun, our skin gets tanned. While tanning may be a fashion trend, but it can wait in the hot Indian summers. The ultraviolet (UV) rays are harmful, and it can penetrate your skin if you are outdoors for too long. The RNA and DNA – the building blocks of life are damaged, and it can lead to skin cancer. The body has its protection mechanism and darkens the skin using pigment melanin that reduces the amount of UV penetration into the cells. On the other hand, people with fair skin cannot effectively create as much pigment, and they are at greater risk.

However, help is at hand. Several quick hacks can cure your skin tan. We have discussed a few of them in this article.

Lemon and honey are good for your skin and can help you in removing the tan as well. All you need to do is take a lemon and squeeze out the juice. To the lemon juice, add some honey and apply it on the tanned portions of your body. Keep it for around half an hour and then wash off using a cleanser. You may also add some sugar to the juice as it can help you in removing the dead cells from your skin.

Applying on the tanned portion of your skin is useful as lemon has a bleaching effect. It is due to the Vitamin C present in it. Lemon also has citric acid, which helps in acne removal. The honey will help you in softening your skin. However, you must keep it on for a long time as it could turn the skin oily.

You need to take half a tomato and squeeze out the juice and add it to some yoghurt or homemade curd. Use it on the tanned portion and keep it for around twenty minutes. Then you can wash it off with cold water and pat it dry.

The combination of probiotic milk and tomatoes are fantastic. The probiotic, healthy fat and lactic acid will allow the tanned portion to cool and hydrate it. It also helps in moisturizing and soothing the skin. On the other hand, tomatoes have an abundance of antioxidants that helps to brighten the skin. It is also rich in vitamins and minerals that help to reduce the pigmentation and the dark spots caused by the sun.

Cucumber extract is an ideal face pack and helps in removing suntan. You need to peel a cucumber off and squeeze the juice. A blender can help and strain the pulp. Apply it on the skin using cotton swabs and keep it for some time before washing off. You may add some lemon juice to the cucumber extract for a better effect.

Cucumber contains nutrients like Vitamin A and B1. They help in improving blood circulation and the growth of blood cells. These characteristics help in removing the suntan from your skin. Continue using the cucumber extract for a few weeks, and the results will be visible to you.

During summer, we are usually out in the sun for a greater part of the day. It results in the exposed portions of the body like the face and the neck to get tanned. Home remedies, like oats, are effective in reducing the effects of skin tan. You need to take two spoons of oats, crush it and mix it with milk and form a paste. Apply it on your face and other tanned portions for some time. Remove it after 15 – 20 minutes with cold water. Oats helps in improving the blood circulation and exfoliating the skin. It cleans the skin and improves the skin tone.

While lemon is known to be good for your skin and has bleaching properties, it may not suit everyone. In such a scenario, lemon can be mixed with numerous other ingredients like cucumber. You will need to squeeze out some lemon juice and add to it some cucumber juice. You can add few drops of rose water for added effect. Use a cotton swab to dab the face pack on the affected areas. Keep it for around fifteen minutes and then wash it off using cold water.

The rose water is known to regenerate the skin tissues and strengthen the cells. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and improves the condition of the skin. When combined with lemon juice and cucumber, it becomes effective in removing skin tan and soothing inflammation.

Aloe Vera is the most common ingredient among all beauty products. No wonder it finds a place in this list! You need to take a leaf and scoop out the pulp from inside. It needs to be refrigerated for a few days and then mixed with water and oils of your choice. Tea tree oil is an ideal option. Use the paste by applying in on the affected skin and keep it for 10 – 15 minutes and then wash it off. You will see the result very soon.

Aloe Vera helps to soothe the skin and lightens the affected areas very fast. It also reduces the redness and nourishes the skin surface. It also has antioxidants in abundance that moisturizes the skin and heals the sunburns fast. 

While we have discussed the benefits of tomato juice and aloe vera before, adding some masoor dal to the face pack can work wonders. To make the face pack, you need to have a cup of soaked masoor dal and to it add two to three spoons each of tomato juice and aloe vera. Apply this face pack and sit still for around half an hour. Then wash it off with cold water.

The masoor dal will help in removing the suntan and exfoliates the skin at the same time. Your skin is also cleaned and made oil-free. The aloe vera will smoothen and nourish your skin while the tomato juice acts as a natural tan remover due to the presence of citric acid in it.

While tomato is known to improve skin texture due to the presence of citric acid, sandalwood is a known ayurvedic treatment for the skin. You have to take some tomato pulp and mix with sandalwood powder. Apply it on the tanned area and keep it for half an hour. Then wash off with lukewarm water and tap dry the area.

Chandan, as sandalwood is commonly called, is a cure for dark spots and acne too. It is a one-stop-shop for all needs for your skin. Tomato is known to have antioxidants along with vitamins and minerals. Both of these together team up to work wonders by removing the skin tan within no time.

If we are talking about skincare, aloe vera should be occupying an important part in it. We can make several face packs with aloe vera as an ingredient. For this face pack, you must mix two spoons of Multani mitti and one spoon of aloe vera extract. If you like, you may add a spoon of rose water also. The paste must be applied to the tanned portions on the skin. Wait for 15 minutes before cleaning it with cold water.

The critical ingredient here is the multani mitti that cools the skin. The skin looks radiant, and the sunburnt portion of the skin is soothed. It is usually combined with other skincare options.

Removing tan will not be a cumbersome affair, only if you know the correct home remedies. And that too within a short time. A face pack made from orange juice and yoghurt can come to your help. You will need to squeeze out some orange juice and add to it one spoon of yoghurt or homemade curd. The mixture can be applied at the tanned area and kept for 20 minutes to half an hour, and then rinse with cold water. The curd or yoghurt will help to moisturize the skin. The mixture is rich in citric acid and Vitamin C that helps to revitalize the skin and remove the effects of skin tan faster.

Spending long hours in the sun can lead to darkening of your skin. It happens due to melanin pigmentation. While some of you may love to have a regular tan, the Indian summers are too harsh that you must avoid the direct sunlight. Excessive exposure to sunlight can lead to severe skin rashes or lead to ageing and eye damage. Sometimes it may also lead to skin cancer.

Do you need to stop all your normal activities because of the warm summers? No, you cannot, but you must take adequate protection when you are outdoors. We have listed out some of the precautions you may take.

The best way to prevent a suntan is to stay away from direct sunlight. The peak hours of sunlight are from 10 AM till 4 PM. It serves best for your skin to stay away from sunlight and stay indoors. If you have to go outdoors, you must use a moisturizer and try not to stay out for too long.

Ultraviolet rays are harmful but are more intense in higher altitudes, and if you are closer to the equator. You must also bear in mind that the sun rays are more severe during peak summer. Still, if you have to go out in the sun, you must stay in the shade unless required. It will help to keep out most of the harmful UV rays and also protect you from direct sunlight.

Another way to protect your skin is to wear protective clothing. While most of us despite full sleeves, it is ideal for your skin as it is covered. You must also prefer dark colours for your clothing as they are known to absorb UV rays more than the light coloured ones. Densely woven fabrics are also helpful to stave off the harmful UV rays.

Wearing a hat or a sunglass is ideal if you have to go out in the sun. A wide-brimmed hat will protect your head and neck to a great extent. You should choose sunglasses that provide UVB and UVA protection with wraparound ones giving protection to the area of the face surrounding the eye.

If you are unable to get hold of a hat or a sunglass, you may cover your face with a shawl or a dupatta or any piece of cloth that you have.

It is safe to use sunscreen before stepping out into the sun as sunscreen prevents tanning of the skin, and it is a must if you have to stay outside for long hours. You must choose a sunscreen that provides UVA/ UVB protection. A good sunscreen can prevent skin ageing and avoid tanning and burning of the skin.

The sunscreen should have a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of more than 15 to be effective. Depending on your skin tone, you must select a sunscreen with SPF between 15 to 30. You may also consult a dermatologist to help you in choosing one.

You must apply around 20 -30 grams of sunscreen at least half an hour before stepping out in the sun. Ensure that you apply to all parts of the body that are exposed to direct sunlight.

Does summer mean you must stop all sporting activities? Do you have to stop swimming every day? No, but you take adequate protection against the sun. It may be tempting to wear minimal clothes during sporting activities, but it is advisable to protective clothing like full sleeves clothes and full trousers.

While golfing, you must wear wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses. Long trousers are ideal for preventing direct sunlight. If you are into playing tennis and running, you must utilize adequate sunscreen, usually with SPF more than thirty, to stay safe from the sun.

While biking, you must wear knee-length shorts with a long-sleeved shirt. You must cover your head with a biking helmet, wear biking gloves and wear a proper pair of sunglasses. Swimmers must wear sunscreens that have titanium dioxide or zinc oxide that can effectively block UV rays.