For most people, freckles are, at most, a minor concern. Nevertheless, some individuals are not so fortunate. Those with lots of dark freckles often consider them as a beauty concern. But how do freckles appear? Because they sure don’t come from an angel’s kiss, although we often hear this.
Summary
- Freckles are usually a minor concern for most people.
- Their appearance is due to a combination of genetics and sun exposure.
- Freckled skin contains clumps of melanocytes, which produce pigment upon UV ray exposure.
- Individuals who tan instead of freckling have evenly spread melanocytes.
- There’s a genetic link between freckles and red hair.
How do freckles form
Freckles are a combination of genes and sun exposure. The skin of freckled people has clumps of melanocytes (the skin cells that produce pigment during exposure to UV rays).
Those who have melanocytes evenly spread in their skin tan when exposed to the sun, instead of having freckles.
When you think of a person you know with lots of freckles, chances are that person also has red hair. That is because the same gene that causes freckles also causes red hair. However, it doesn’t mean there are no exceptions to this.
Some think freckles are simply part of their natural beauty that makes them….themselves. Some of the hottest stars are freckled beauties, including Lindsay Lohan, Megan Fox, Emma Watson, Lucy Liu, etc. Nevertheless, if you don’t like your freckles, there are several easy and affordable ways to fade them naturally at home.
Honey
Honey is a classic ingredient in homemade facial and hair masks, but you might not have known it contains traces of hydrogen peroxide (the same substance used in hair dyes). Honey is a natural bleaching agent; the results won’t fail to show, but you’ll have to follow the treatment for at least one month.
Combine 1 part honey and 1 part water. You may need to heat it a bit so the mixture becomes even. Apply it on your freckles, dry it, then rinse it with warm water. You can do this every day.
Lemon Juice
The citric acid in lemon juice is a natural bleaching agent. Lemon juice is used in DIY teeth whitening treatments and to lighten hair. But it also works great to lighten freckles. You must apply freshly squeezed lemon juice on your freckles, massage for 5-10 minutes, and rinse with lukewarm water. Do this once a day to get the best results. Be patient; this is a natural, mild treatment….those freckles won’t disappear overnight.
Don’t apply lemon juice on sensitive and/or irritated skin; it may worsen the problem.
Horseradish
Horseradish is one of the traditional skin-lightening treatments. It’s very effective for lightening dark skin, but also to fade age spots, blemish spots, and freckles. Grate one horseradish and mix it with the juice from one lemon.
For sensitive skin, you can mix the grated horseradish with yogurt. Apply either of these mixtures on your freckles and allow it to dry naturally, then rinse it off with warm water. You can perform this routine every other day.
Buttermilk
Buttermilk contains lactic acid, which has a mild peeling effect on the skin. It also has moisturizing properties, improving your skin’s hydration and elasticity.
You can apply buttermilk directly on your freckles and leave it on for 10 minutes, then rinse it with water. Combine oatmeal with buttermilk to form a thick paste for a more effective treatment. Apply it on your freckles and leave it on for half an hour before you wash it off with water. You can do either of these treatments daily.
Parsley
This herb has natural bleaching agents, plus it’s also rich in vitamin C, calcium, manganese, and potassium, which stimulate the skin’s collagen production.
For this treatment, you’ll first have to grind fresh parsley leaves and squeeze the juice out of them. Mix the parsley juice with an equal amount of lemon juice and apply the mixture to your freckles. Leave it on for 10 minutes, then rinse it with warm water. You can do this routine every day.
