Many fruits have been shown to lighten the skin when eaten or applied directly to the skin. Chemicals in the fruit play a role in repairing skin damage, encouraging the growth of new skin cells, and inhibiting the production of melanin, the pigment that darkens the skin. Instead of spending money on expensive lotions and creams, try using the following fruits to help whiten skin.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Whiten Skin with Antioxidants from Orange or Papaya
Step 1. Drink orange juice
Drinking citrus fruit juices such as sweet orange juice can help inhibit pigmentation caused by ultraviolet light.
Step 2. Use citrus fruits to make a mask
Citrus fruits contain vitamin C, which promotes the production of collagen (needed for the formation of new skin cells), is a powerful antioxidant and has been shown to inhibit skin darkening due to ultraviolet exposure.
Lemons tend to work best, but any type of citrus fruit can be used, including sweet oranges, limes, and grapefruit. You can also get the same result from papaya
Step 3. Squeeze the water from the fruit and dissolve it with water
You can apply this water solution directly on your face, or mix it with honey to make a mask. Honey can thicken fruit juice to make a mask and has its own health benefits: it is antimicrobial, moisturizes the skin, and prevents wrinkles.
Step 4. Consider using whole fruit
The peel and fleshy parts of citrus fruits contain compounds that help whiten the skin. For better results, consider adding the orange peel and flesh in one of two ways:
- Dry the orange peel, mash it, and add it to the mask. Consider mixing it with yogurt for a soothing mask.
- Cut whole oranges into small pieces and puree, skin and whole flesh, in a fruit processor. Use this orange paste as a base for a mask.
Step 5. If using papaya, use the seeds and skin
Although the flesh of this fruit is beneficial, the skin and seeds are the most effective parts of papaya.
- Consider mashing papaya with the skin on to make a mask. For better results, mix it with lemon juice.
- You can buy papaya seed extract and use it with honey to make a mask or mix it with mashed papaya.
- Make your own papaya seed extract by crushing papaya seeds and soaking them in water for two weeks. Shake every day. Strain and use the water in the mask.
Step 6. Do not go out of the house while wearing a mask
The water in citrus fruits can react with ultraviolet light to cause photodermatitis, a painful condition that causes a rash of blisters or scaly skin.
Step 7. Leave the mask on for 15-20 minutes
Wash your face with lukewarm water.
Method 2 of 3: Whiten Skin with Fruits That Inhibit Melanin Production
Step 1. Use Asian pears as a mask
Puree the skin and fruit together with honey as a binder to make a mask. Pears contain arbutin – a naturally occurring form of hydroquinone, which has been shown to be an effective tyrosinase inhibitor. Tyrosinase is an enzyme that helps produce melanin, the pigment that darkens the skin, so its inhibition will produce a skin whitening effect.
- Be sure to use the peel, which contains a higher concentration of arbutrin than the fruit.
- Asian pears (pyrus pyrifoli) contain far more arbutrin than pear varieties from America or Europe.
- The best types to work with are yaquang pears, hongpi, quingpi, or guifei.
- Be warned, arbutin has been reported to cause skin irritation for some people. If you suffer from skin irritation, stop using this pear-based mask.
Step 2. Make a mask with pomegranate
Puree half a pomegranate, 2 tablespoons of almond oil, and tablespoon of honey to make a pomegranate mask. Pomegranates contain punicalagin – a compound that has been shown to directly inhibit melanin production.
Step 3. Use pineapple to make a mask
Puree four slices of pineapple in a food processor with half a tablespoon of honey. Pineapple contains compounds that act as tyrosinase inhibitors, so they can whiten the skin.
Step 4. Make a face mask using figs
Compounds in figs have been shown to decrease melanin production and can moisturize the skin. Puree figs and apply in a mask.
Method 3 of 3: Whiten Skin Using Fruit Extract
Step 1. Make malacca fruit oil and apply it with a moisturizer or use it as a mask
Malacca fruit extract contains powerful antioxidants that help repair damaged skin, as well as phenols that inhibit tyrosinase activity to lighten the skin. You can buy malacca oil or make your own.
- To make your own malacca oil, grate the malacca fruit and squeeze the grated fruit to get the water. Add coconut oil to the juice in a ratio of 1 part of malacca juice and 2 parts of coconut oil. Simmer gently for 10-15 minutes. Take the best yield and save the resulting oil.
- Add the oil to honey and yogurt to make a mask, or add it to other fruit masks.
- Alternatively, you can dissolve malacca oil in a moisturizer and apply it once a day.
- Be careful using homemade extracts, as you won't know for sure the strength of the extract, and using too much can cause an allergic reaction.
Step 2. Use the bearberry fruit or its extract
Bearberry shrubs are ground cover plants that can be grown alone in acidic, open soil. The fruit, and even the leaves, contain arbutin, which has been shown to lighten the skin. You can puree this fruit and apply it to a mask with honey, either by buying bearberry extract or making your own.
- To make your own extract, slice the bearberry leaves and fruit. Put it in a large jar and soak it in diluted vodka or ethanol (containing about 40 percent alcohol). Close the jar and store in a dark place at room temperature.
- Shake the bottle once a day for two weeks. At the end of the allotted time, place the gauze over the bottle and pour the bearberry extract into another container.
- Dissolve bearberry extract in moisturizer and apply to face twice a day.
- Be careful using homemade extracts, as you won't know for sure the strength of the extract, and using too much can cause an allergic reaction.
Step 3. Consume grape seed extract
Grape seeds contain proanthocyanidin, a powerful antioxidant that has been shown to inhibit tyrosinase production and whiten skin. Proanthocyanidins also have a range of other health benefits, including reducing the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
- You can buy grape seed extract in pill form or make your own from red grapes.
- You can also get the benefits of proanthocyanidins by drinking red wine or eating red grapes with their seeds.
