Cosmetic grade turmeric has been a long-time natural remedy for hyperpigmentation and other skin issues. And while it absolutely works by itself when mixed with a little milk or yogurt, it works the best when combined with other powerful natural ingredients that are typically used to combat similar problems. This is especially true when you’re trying to treat difficult areas such as your armpits, knees, and elbows.
This is what you need:
Combine 1 tsp of turmeric powder with 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1 tsp of honey, and 2 tsp of chickpea flour and mix until a thick paste forms. You can always gradually add more of each ingredient if you need more mixture.
Thoroughly clean and exfoliate your problem areas before you apply the mask as this will help remove dirt and dead skin. Using a brush or back of a spoon, apply the mask to your problem areas for 20 minutes and then rinse with warm water. Work carefully and slowly with the mask because turmeric stains. Use this mask 3 times a week, every week, until you see a significant difference. Always apply sunscreen to your knees and elbows if you plan on going outside afterward.
Strawberry Skin
Have you ever noticed that even when you shave every last strand of hair off your arms and legs, you still have this small, dark, textured dots on your body? And no matter what you do, they kinda just hang around? You may have a very common and completely harmless skin condition called Keratosis Pilarsis, which is just when an overproduction of keratin in your body begins to block your hair follicles.
Keratosis Pilarsis, or strawberry skin, is actually pretty easy to treat. All you need to do is exfoliate often, remove hair correctly, and moisturize intensively—but there are rules to how this should be done.
- You must exfoliate 5-7 times a week in 3 different ways: With exfoliating gloves, a liquid exfoliant that includes lactic or glycolic acid, and with a regular body scrub.
- Shaving in the direction that your hair naturally grows in is the best body hair removal method. While waxing is okay, it could cause more ingrown hairs to form.
- Moisturize on damp skin. Use an alpha hydroxy lotion as this will effectively treat and prevent strawberry skin.
Ingrown Hairs
If not picked at and irritated, ingrown hairs typically go away all on their own. But if you can’t stand to deal with them for a few days and would like to speed up the process, simply apply tea tree oil directly to the area. A mix of crushed asprin, a little honey, and some hot water will also get the job done.
Asprin contains salicylic acid, meaning it’s actually pretty effective when it comes to getting rid of bumps, ingrown hairs, and all things alike.
Dry & Dull Skin
Dull and dry is typically a layered problem. Sure, everyone has dry skin from time to time, but when you go to apply a perfectly good lotion and it doesn’t get the job done, it could be because you’re trying to moisturize already dead skin. So what do you do? Remove it! Exfoliate your whole body 3-4 times a week to ensure that your moisturizer will actually penetrate your skin.
Instead of applying lotion at a random point before leaving the house, apply as soon as you dry off from your shower. The trick is to maximize hydration by putting on lotion while you’re still damp.
Finally, apply a thin layer of oil or body butter to seal in moisture. Shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil, sweet almond oil, mango butter, or any other natural product is best.
