How To Lighten Your Armpit Naturally

Dark armpits can be really embarrassing and can cause low self esteem. I can remember when I was still in the University,


I was in the basketball team and dark armpits were usually horrible to see. Dark coloration of the skin in the underarms / armpits region is usually not a disease or medical condition. The main causes of dark underarms are shaving, using chemicals laden hair removing creams, buildup of dead skin cells, poor ventilation in the armpits region, and regular use of alcohol based deodorants and antiperspirants.
You can think it as your skin’s response to exposure to some elements, just like a suntan that occurs from exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Nothing dark is good, everything should be bright including your underarms. I know how embarassing it is to have dark underarms. You cannot raise your hands even if you dare to wear a sleeveless top! Being cautious everytime means so much sacrifice of freedom. Let’s not do this. Your underarms may have gone dark due to some of your mistakes, let’s not leave them dark. After all, there are so many home remedies for whitening dark underarms. They may need your efforts and time as well as patience but you can sure get whitened underarms.

Remedies For Lightening Armpit

Potato

True. When you can use lemon for its bleaching properties, why leave potatoes behind. They too are good natural bleaching agents. More so for those who have sensitive skin because lemon’s acidic nature can irritate their skin a lot. Potatoes, due to their mild acids do not irritate the skin. And how to use potatoes for whitening your dark underarms? You know that well, you have read it hundreds of times. Still I’ll write them down.

• Take a thin slice of potato and rub your underarms with it for about 5-10 minutes and then wash off with lukewarm water.
• Alternatively, grate a potato and squeeze out the juice from the grated things. Apply this juice to your underarms with the help of your fingers or a cotton ball. Leave it for about 10 minutes and then wash off.

Use potatoes at least twice a day to see faster results which you can expect to see in seven days time with lightened skin under your arms.

Cucumber

Just like potatoes, cucumbers also have natural bleaching properties to help lighten discolored skin.

• Simply rub a thin cucumber slice on your underarms or grate a cucumber and apply the juice under your arms. Do this once or twice daily until you are satisfied with the results.
• Another option is to extract the juice from a cucumber and mix it with a little turmeric powder and lemon juice. Apply this paste on the affected area. Leave it on for 30 minutes, and then wash it off with water. Repeat this home remedy once daily or every other day for best results.

• Lemon

  
  Lemon works as a natural bleach and a powerful antibacterial and antiseptic agent. This is why lemon is used in the treatment of various skin-related problems including dark underarms. Lemon can dry out your skin, so apply a moisturizer after using these remedies if needed.
• To remove dead skin cells and lighten your underarms, rub a lemon wedge on the skin for a few minutes. Leave the juice on your skin for about 10 minutes and then wash the area thoroughly. For better exfoliation, you can sprinkle a little sugar on the lemon wedge and then use it. Do this a few times a week.
• Another option is to mix a little turmeric powder, honey or plain yogurt in some lemon juice and apply it to your underarms. Leave it on for about 10 minutes and then wash it off. Repeat three or four times a week.

• Baking Soda

  
  Baking soda can be used to make an exfoliating scrub to get rid of dark underarms. This will help remove dead skin cells, which is one of the main causes of dark underarms. It will also help unclog skin pores.
  1. Mix baking soda and water to make a thick paste.
  2. Use this paste to scrub your underarms.
  3. Wash it off and pat dry the area thoroughly.
  4. Repeat a few times a week.
  You can also apply a light dusting of equal parts of baking soda and cornstarch to neutralize body odor.

  Orange Peel

  
  Orange peels can be used to lighten the skin under your arms, thanks to their skin lightening and exfoliating properties.
1. Put some orange peels in the sun for a few days until they dry out completely.
2. Grind the dried peels into powder form.
3. Mix two teaspoons of powdered orange peels with enough rose water and milk to make a thick paste.
4. Gently scrub your underarms with the paste and then leave it on for about 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Finally, wash the area with cold water.
6. Repeat the process two or three times a week.  

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is another good option to get rid of dark underarms. Coconut oil contains vitamin E that can help lighten the underarms. At the same time, it will also work as an effective natural deodorant.

1. Massage the dark underarms with coconut oil.
2. Leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Wash it off with mild soap and lukewarm water.
4. Repeat two or three times daily until you achieve the desired results.

Milk

The vitamins and fatty acids present in milk can help minimize underarm darkening. It will soften the skin and make the skin tone much lighter.

• Mix two tablespoons of full fat milk, one tablespoon flour and one teaspoon of pain yogurt to make a thick paste. Apply it on your underarms and leave it on for about 15 minutes before wash it off with cold water. Repeat a few times a week on a regular basis.
• Another option is to soak a couple of strands of saffron in two teaspoons of milk for 15 to 20 minutes. You can also add a little honey. Apply the mixture on your underarms and leave it on for at least 20 to 30 minutes before washing it off. Follow this remedy daily until you are satisfied with the results.

8. Vinegar

Vinegar can also come to your rescue when you wish to get rid of your dark underarms. This remedy will not only lighten the skin color, but will also kill germs and bacteria that feed on dead skin cells causing underarm odor.

1. Mix rice flour with vinegar to form a thick paste.
2. Take a hot shower and then apply this paste on your underarms.
3. Allow the paste to dry for 10 to 15 minutes, and then rinse it off with warm water.
4. Repeat a few times a week.

Don’t Do These Things

Prevention is always better than cure. If you are reading this article after seeing someone else’s dark underarms and want to know how to prevent this dreadful thing for your own arms, you better take some precautions by avoiding the causes of dark underarms. Here is a list of som ‘don’ts’ for those who do not want dark underarms and even for those who have successfully whitened their underarms and now don’t want it to recur.

• Don’t shave your underarms if you can. Shaving only removes hair from surface leaving an ugly stubble to give an appearnce of dark underarm. Also, your skin becomes rough with time when you shave again and again. Instead, wax your underarms. Take help of some professional and everytime you need to clean your underarm, get waxing done at a parlour. Waxing removes hair from its roots as well as remove the dead skin cells to give your underarm a soft and brightened feel. When you start waxing underarms, you will feel intense pain but only for a couple of sittings. After that your body, mind and skin becomes used to the procedure. If your skin is sensitive, ask your beautician to use some herbal wax or special wax formulation made for sensitive skins.
• Don’t use hair removal creams.Almost all of them contain harsh chemicals that are so unfriendly to your skin. They lead to rashes, itching, irritation and sometimes serious skin disorders. Prolonged use of hair removing creams and lotions can cause permanent damage to your skin. Best option is to adopt waxing to remove your underarms hair.
• Don’t do electrolysis. If you are not a woman with dark skin, you have the risk of hyperpigmentation due to electrolysis. Waxing again is the solution for you.
• Don’t use deodorants and antiperspirants. At least limit their use if you can’t totally stop using them. Their harsh chemicals can give you dark and rough underarms. They can even cause pigmentation resulting in permanently darker underarms. Those which do not contain parabens, PEGs, synthetic ingredients and hormone-disrupting fragrance and antibacterials, petrochemicals, alcohol or aluminum compounds. Even better, start using natural deodorants and antiperspirants like baking soda, coconut oil, sandalwood essential oil, rosewater etc.
• Don’t skip having shower. More so if it’s hot weather. In fact, in such a weather, you should bathe more often. Not taking bath can lead to build up of bacteriacausing smelly sweat and pigmentation. You may like to mix few drops of certain citrus oil to your bathing water so that you smell heavenly all through the day and the citrus oil may prevent darkening your skin under arms.
• Don’t wear too tight clothes. If possible, avoid wearing synthetic clothes too. Tight and synthetic clothes lead to friction leading to rashes and then pigmentation. Synthetic clothes doesn’t let your skin breathe and trap the sweat inside to give birth to bacteria that may cause skin darkening. As far as possible, wear cotton or other skin friendly fabric. Keep your clothes lose enough to give your arms enough room to move without friction.
• Don’t let your weight go out of control. Lose weight if you are obese. Not only tight clothes, even fat of your body that gets accumulated under the arms rub against the clothes and lead to dark underarms.
• Don’t take birth control pills.There are other contraceptives that you can use instead of these oral ones. These pills sometimes lead to such hormonal imbalances that may lead to dark underarms.
• Don’t compromise with basic hygiene. When you do not properly clean your underarms, it leads to accumulation of dead skin cells under the arms causing bumps and dark spots there. Regularly exfoliate your skin under the arms too. However, be gentle while exfoliating your underarms because it is a thin skin and harsh scrubs or rough handling while rubbing may cause scars and rashes.
• Don’t let your diabetes go out of control. If you suffer from Type 2 diabetes, high levels of insulin can lead to overproduction such skin cells that may cause pigmentation.

Visit the Doctor if No Home Remedy Works, Know Why!

You may be suffering from the medical condition called acanthosis nigricans. This may be the cause of your dark underarms and this can not be cured with home remedies. Acanthosis nigricans can cause dark spots and marks on your body, especially around the underarms, groin, inner thigh and neck. You are at risk of this condition if you are obese or some of your glands are not working properly or even if you have type 2 diabetes. As we have already listed this in ‘Don’t’s’ section, you should keep a check on your sugar levels. High levels of insulin can lead to pigmentation. If obese, you have to lose weight and if there is disorder in glandular level, you must consut some endocrinologist. Sometimes, acanthosis nigricans is inherited or may develop due to certain medications as well as oral contraceptives. All of these conditions can only be handled by your doctor and not by any home remedies for dark underarms. So, if you have tried any or every home or herbal remedy without any positive results, do go to your doctor to get rid of your dark underarms.