Solving Your Skin Woes

Q: I am a twenty-year-old girl and I am extremely disturbed by my skin woes. I have dark circles under my eyes, even though I eat and sleep well and drink a lot of water. I also have a lot of patches on my face. My skin is very pale and of three different shades. Please help me improve my complexion and get rid of dark circles. Nabiha
A: It seems that you have freckles on your skin; the best remedy for treating and fading away these freckles is by using lemon juice and cucumber juice. These are widely accepted as safe natural bleaching agents for the skin. However care must be taken as you may develop an allergic reaction to any of the ingredients, especially lemon. Some people withsensitive dry skin may display an adverse reaction to lemon juice, since it has strong astringent properties. Take a lemon and slice it into two. Take one half of the lemon and wring out its juice and strainthe liquid. Add to this juice a couple of drops of warm water. Take fresh cotton pods and dip them in the liquid. Dab these soaked cotton pods onto the freckles one at a time. Let the mixture stay on the freckles for as long as 20 minutes and wash them off with cool water. Do not put the lemon juice on any other part or skin that has not been affected as it may cause irritation. As you continue with this application on a daily basis you will notice your skin lightening up and the freckles slowly fading off within a month's time.
Q: My skin is really oily and I have yet to find a face cream that suits my skin. I have used all the top brands but all they do is clog my pores. Please let me know which fairness cream is best for my skin? Mehreen
A: I cannot recommend a face cream until I examine your skin for myself. The efficiency of different whitening creams varies with different skin types, sometimes one works and sometimes not. I suggest you to start a good skin care routine with a balanced diet and stress free lifestyle. I believe this would work wonders to you. Here is a simple home remedy for attaining a fair complexion with no side effects, however, it must be done regularly and best results are obtained if they are inculcated as a part of daily routine. Mix 1 tsp of milk powder, 1 tsp of honey, 1 tsp of lemon juice, and 1/2 tsp of almond oil. Apply on face and wash off after 10-15 minutes. This pack helps bring shine to the skin and also removes tan.
Q: I am 13 years old. I have a lot of dandruff in my hair. Can you please give me an easy home remedy? Anon
A: This is the easiest remedy that is great for doing away with dandruff; use the lemon juice that comes in squeezed bottles, not fresh lemons. Over a sink, squirt lemon juice directly on your scalp and gently massage the juice in with the tips of your fingers. Make sure you cover your entire scalp to get best results. Let the lemon juice work its wonders for about 15 minutes, then wash your hair as you normally would. If you used enough lemon juice, your scalp shouldn't itch after the first or second treatment. Dandruff may require multiple treatments to the full effect (keep in mind that this is a temporary treatment, repeat this process if you get dandruff again later).
Q: I am a 15-year-old boy and I have oily skin. My problem is that I have many small scars on my face. Kindly suggest a good and effective remedy for this problem. Sherry
A: You have not told me what kind of scars you have; I am supposing they are acne scars. Acne scars and acne can be treated by many natural fruits, vegetables and home remedies. These remedies are not only healthy for our body but also help our skin. Besides eating them we can use them as a mask and lotion on our scars. Just be careful when selecting a mask because some fruits and vegetables are good for normal skin but not for oily skin and vice versa. Massage olive oil on your scarred skin. Alternatively you can try honey; it will fade away scars and make your skin look gorgeous. Apply a little honey on your scars and leave it as long as you want. You should use these remedies in combination with a balanced diet and a good water intake.
Q: I am 23 years old and I have dark circles around my eyes. Please suggest some home remedies for me. Fatima Malik
A: Dark circles are not a major cause of worry as many people suffer from this ailment. Factors that play an important role in this kind of a problem are your increasing age – as the skin becomes thin making it more vulnerable and saggy, some kind of an allergy which affects your nasal passage, lack of sleep, pregnancy, smoking, menstruation and heredity. Yoga is a great natural way to overcome dark circles. Apply cucumber, potato or tomato slices over your eyelids for 10 minutes and relax. This encourages the blood circulation and helps remove the dark circles. You can also use cucumber juice for this purpose. Dab cotton pods in cucumber juice and place over your eyelids.