Has your bikini line turned darker than the rest of your skin? This is a common problem many women have and is a cause of concern, especially when you want to show off your body at the beach. There are certain areas your body, such as the bikini line, that tend to darken more than others and can suffer the appearance of marks that can ruin the unified tone of your skin. However, there are some natural remedies and treatments that can thankfully help to whiten the bikini area and keep it looking beautiful. Keep on reading this oneHOWTO article to discover them all.
Apart from the fact that the skin in the bikini area is darker than in other parts of our body due to the fact that it is always covered by our clothes, it can darken more intensely due to several factors:
- Skin dehydration or excessive accumulation of dead skin cells in the area.
- Exposing the bikini area to the sun without sunscreen.
- Some hair removal methods that don't take away the hair from the root such as shaving creams or razors can produce darkening.
- Excessive sweating in the area.
- Suffering from certain diseases and lesions such as diabetes, infections or hormonal imbalances, which can also make your skin prone to develop marks in this area. If this is the case, you should follow a doctor's instructions.
Once you know all the possible causes and are sure your skin darkening is due to an aesthetic problem, you can try out these tips shown below.
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Among the most effective home remedies to whiten the bikini area, we'd like to highlight those made with lemon as its main ingredient. This citrus fruit has high amounts of vitamin C, a nutrient that inhibits melanin production and, therefore, helps skin lightening. There are several whitening treatments with lemon, here are the most effective:
- Yogurt and lemon: Mix natural lemon juice with 1/2 natural yogurt and apply the cream on the area. Leave it on for around 30 minutes. Rise off after this time has passed.
- Lemon honey and oil: Mix the juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 spoonful honey and 1 spoonful olive oil. Apply the paste on the bikini area and leave it on for 20 minutes. You will exfoliate and hydrate your skin as well as lightening it with this method.
- Lemon and coconut oil: Mix the juice from 1/2 lemon with 3 spoonfuls coconut oil. Massage the are with the mix and leave on for 20 minutes, rinse with cold water.
It's very important not to expose the area to the sun while doing this treatment, as you risk new marks appearing.
You can also take advantage of the properties of rice to make your bikini area look lighter and beautiful. Rice is a cereal that contains niacin, a type of vitamin B that gives it its whitening properties. To use it, you only need to boil the rice as you would do normally and, instead of straining it, keep the cooking water, as this will be the part you'll use to lighten the area. Wait for it to cool down and apply it on the bikini area before going to bed, this way it will work overnight and the results will be visible much quicker. Repeat this treatment during several days until you get your desired skin tone.
Hydrogen peroxide is a common product so, if you have some at home, you can also use it to whiten the bikini area. Due to the fact that it can irritate your skin, you should not use this product if you have sensitive skin. Test the hydrogen peroxide on a small area of the skin beforehand to see how it reacts.
Clean your skin well, dampen a cotton swab with hydrogen peroxide and wipe it on the area softly. Leave it on for 20 minutes and rinse with water. It's important to make sure this product doesn't touch the genitalia, so be careful.
A great combination that allows to repair and lighten bikini area skin at the same time is aloe vera with almond oil. The first ingredient regenerates the skin, which is why it can repair the dermis in no time; whilst the second ingredient is rich in vitamin E, which helps lighten dark areas.
Mix 3 spoonfuls of aloe vera gel and 2 spoonfuls almond oil. Spread the mixture on the area of dark skin and leave it on for 20 to 30 minutes. Last but not least, rinse with lukewarm or cold water so the treatment is completely effective. Repeat for several consecutive days.
Apart from these remedies to whiten the bikini area, there are several tips that will help you prevent the appearance of new dark patches in the area:
- Exfoliate the bikini area once or twice a week to get rid of dead cells.
- Avoid removing hair in the area with razors or shaving cream and choose more effective methods such as waxing.
- Keep the skin properly hydrated and apply body lotion on the area.
- Don't expose the area to the sun unless you have applied sunscreen on it.
- Avoid using tight-fitting pants to avoid excess sweat.
- Shaving can cause razor bumps that redden the skin. Make sure you know how to shave the bikini area without red bumps.
- Do not use these methods on your vaginal area, as it's more sensitive. If you want, you can take a look at how to lighten the vagina area and discover specific methods for this particular area.
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