Lighten Your Age Spots With These Simple Home Remedies

Regardless of your ethnic background or skin color, eventually most of us will develop some kind of brown or age spots. *sigh* These age spots generally appear on exposed skin areas like the face, back, neck, chest, shoulders and hands. The MAIN culprit being sun exposure. When skin is exposed to the sun, it causes an increase in the production of cells known as melanocytes that increase melanin in the skin, which turns the skin darker.

Even if age spots are harmless, I personally am not a fan. ;-) My carefree youth spent soaking up the California sunshine has come back to haunt me. So when I started noticing more and more of them on my face and arms I started doing some research and it turns out there are lots of simple, all-natural remedies you can use to lighten age spots that you can probably find in your kitchen right now!
 
1. Lemon Juice
The citric acid in lemon juice is a natural bleaching agent and exfoliates the skin, reducing the appearance of age spots.
 
Simply dab fresh lemon juice directly onto the spots twice daily and you should begin to notice improvements in about two months. Leave the juice on the skin for at least 30 minutes, or as long as you are comfortable with it. You can also leave the juice on the skin overnight.

Notes: If you plan to go outdoors, wait for the juice to dry as it increases the skin’s sensitivity to sunlight. Do not use bottled lemon juice because it may contain other chemicals that may damage the skin. In addition, the amount of citric acid present may have weakened during the time it remained in the bottle.

 2. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar contains natural alpha hydroxy acids, which are known to help lighten sun and age spots.

To combat the acidic nature of vinegar, you can mix it with olive oil which will protect the skin from dryness. Apply every day on the skin and remove it after 20 minutes. Your skin will be left soft and smooth.
 
It is normal to experience a little redness or stinging at first (just like you would with a toner). If you have sensitive skin, or if it feels too strong, dilute with water.
 
3. Onion Juice
Onions contain sulfur compounds that act as an antiseptic. They also contain acids that facilitate exfoliation. Lemons smell better but some people may find them irritating to the skin. If your skin is intolerant to the lemon juice, try fresh onion juice.
 
Simply slice up some onions and rub the slices over the affected area two or three times a day.
 
Another option is to mix one tablespoon of onion juice with two tablespoons of honey and apply the mixture on the affected area. Leave it on for about 15 minutes before washing the area thoroughly so that the strong smell goes away. Do this once or twice a day.
 
4. Horseradish
The Vitamin C in horseradish slows production of melanin, the substance responsible for skin pigmentation. Another ingredient in horseradish is glucosinolates. Glucosinolates increase circulation, work as antioxidants, and flush waste from the body.

You can make a horseradish paste and apply it directly to the skin. Leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes before washing it off. Use it a few times a week.
 
Another option is to grate a four-inch piece of horseradish with mix it in one-quarter cup of apple cider vinegar and allow the mixture to sit for two weeks. After two weeks, strain the mixture. Use a cotton ball to apply it on the affected skin. Follow this remedy three times a day for at least one month.
 
5. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is commonly used to treat a number of skin ailments, including age spots.

Simply rub a little fresh aloe vera gel (taken directly from the plant) onto the affected area and leave to soak in. As aloe vera is very gentle, there is no need to rinse it off. However, you may want to rinse it off if it starts to feel sticky.
 
If you don’t have access to the gel from an aloe vera plant, you can buy fresh aloe vera juice at the market or health food store. This works just as well.

6. Papaya
Certain enzymes and alpha hydroxy acids present in papaya can help exfoliate your skin and reduce age spots, skin blemishes, acne and other skin problems. It will also give your skin a cleaner and brighter look.

Cut a thin slice of the skin from a green papaya. Press the fleshy side of the skin to your age spots for 15 to 20 minutes.
 
Alternatively, you can cut the papaya into small chunks and press them into a pulp with a fork or potato masher. Apply the pulp to your age spots with your fingers, allowing the mask to sit for 15 minutes before rinsing. Use daily.

Note: As some people can be allergic to papaya, it is advisable to do a 24-hour patch test before following this remedy.

7. Yogurt
The naturally occurring lactic acid also found in yogurt gently removes dead skin cells. As the discolored skin sloughs off, fresh healthy skin is revealed.

Apply some plain yogurt directly on the spots. Let it dry on its own for about 20 minutes before rinsing it off with cold water. For faster results, apply yogurt on the affected area before going to bed and leave it on overnight.
 
Alternatively, you can make a skin pack by combining one tablespoon of plain yogurt, two tablespoons of ground oatmeal and one teaspoon of fresh lemon juice. Apply this pack on the spots and allow it to sit for 30 minutes before rinsing it off with cold water. Then apply some moisturizer. Follow this remedy a few times a week.

8. Castor Oil
Castor oil is known for its skin healing properties and has proven effective in the treatment of age spots.

Apply a little castor oil directly onto the age spots and massage into the skin for a minute or two until absorbed. Do this once in the morning and once in the evening, and you should start to see an improvement in about a month.
 
If you suffer from dry skin, you can mix a little coconut oil, olive oil or almond oil in with the castor oil for added moisture.

9. Buttermilk
Buttermilk is often used to reduce brown spots and skin pigmentation because it contains lactic acid which tends to lighten the skin safely without causing any irritation.

Dip a cotton swab in buttermilk and apply it on the affected area. Wash your skin after 15-20 minutes. If yours is oily skin or acne prone skin, mix a little lime juice or tomato juice to the buttermilk before applying it to your skin.

10. Sandalwood

Sandalwood is believed to contain effective anti-aging properties, and is often used to reduce the appearance of age spots.

Massage a drop of pure sandalwood essential oil directly onto the age spots.
 
Alternatively, you can mix a pinch of sandalwood powder with a couple of drops each of rose water , glycerin and lemon juice. Apply this paste onto the age spots and leave to dry for 20 minutes before rinsing off with cold water.

You will need to have patience when using these home remedies. The brown spots will not disappear in a week or two, so you need to follow the remedies for several weeks to notice positive results.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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Diet With Higher Fruit And Veggies Intake Linked To Fewer Menopausal Symptoms

The fluctuation of hormones is to be blamed for most of the menopause complaints. A recent study has suggested that a healthy diet, rich in fruits and veggies, may help in lessening several menopausal symptoms.

Menopause is the phase that brings huge change in a woman's life. It marks the end of her menstrual cycles and fertility, which is confirmed 12 months after the last period she has. Cessation of menstruation is associated with several symptoms - weight gain, mood fluctuation, vaginal dryness, headache etc. The fluctuation of hormones (particularly the decline in oestrogen and progesterone) is to be blamed for most of the menopause complaints. A recent study has suggested that a healthy diet, rich in fruits and veggies, may help in lessening several menopausal symptoms. This study was published in the Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society.

As per the study, it has focused on identifying modifiable lifestyle factors to prevent menopausal symptoms. However, hormone therapy has been proven to be an acceptable method for menopausal symptoms; rather the search for nonpharmacological treatment options is ongoing, especially for women with certain risk factors and those who are not candidates for hormone therapy.

"This small cross-sectional study provides some preliminary evidence regarding the influence of fruit and vegetable intake on menopause symptoms," said study researcher Stephanie Faubion from The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) in the US, as per an IANS report.

Previous studies suggested that consumption of fruits and Mediterranean-style diet were linked to decrease of menopausal complaints. Taking this a step ahead, the new study found 'an apple a day might help keep menopause symptoms away'.

Researchers also stated that though several fruits and veggies had inverse association with menopause symptoms, higher intake of several other kinds of fruits (like citrus fruits) and vegetables were associated to more urogenital problems.

"There is ample evidence that a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables has a beneficial effect on health in a myriad of ways, but additional study is needed to determine whether various menopause symptoms may be affected by dietary choices," Faubion concluded.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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Various Ways to Use Black Pepper You Never Knew About

Black pepper, just like table salt, has an unexpected list of alternative uses that extend beyond seasoning your meals. In fact, as you're about to find out, there's a lot more to black pepper than meets the eye. Let's take a look:

 

1. Keep colors bright

After your favorite bright-red top has been worn and washed a couple of times, its color will start to fade. However, pepper can be used to help your fabrics retain their bright color and prevent them from running too. Just add a teaspoon of pepper to the wash load.

2. Keep your plants bug free

Pepper can also be used as a natural pest control in the garden - after all, there's nothing more frustrating than a swarm of bugs nibbling at your plants. To keep bugs at bay, mix black pepper with flour and sprinkle around the soil.  

3. It will keep deer away too

While deer may enjoy dining on a freshly budding garden, spraying your plants and bushes with a cayenne pepper and water mixture will have them dining elsewhere.

4. Keep ants out of the kitchen

Though pepper's uses in the garden are bountiful, this powerful ingredient can be used to keep ants away inside the home as well. The ants in your kitchen are actually looking for sugar, so keep them at bay by sprinkling cayenne pepper in spots along the backs of your counter tops and on your baseboards.

5. Keep rodents from chewing on cable wires

Keep rodents away from your cable wires by spreading some black pepper on them.

6. Seal a leaking radiator in your car

Buy yourself some time before taking your car to the repair shop. Pour a spice-rack sized container of black pepper into the radiator. This will flow into the split or pinhole, plugging the leak.

7. Stop a minor cut from bleeding

Pepper may be applied to the body too. Prior to doing so, thoroughly rinse the cut and dab the bleeding area with a clean, sterile cloth or paper towel. Then, sprinkle some ground black pepper on the cut and secure it with a bandage. This remedy will only work on small cuts. For deep cuts, with heavy bleeding, seek professional medical attention.

  8. Use pepper essential oil to alleviate arthritis pain

To soothe the pain, create your own home-made warming massage by combining the following oils together: 1 drop of almond oil, 2 drops pepper, 1 drop ginger and 2 drops lavender.

9. Use pepper to stop a migraine in its tracks

If you feel the beginning of a migraine coming on, add a 1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon of cayenne pepper to half a glass of water. If the migraine doesn't subside 30 minutes later, drink another glass.

10. Use pepper to help your liver detoxify

Combine the following ingredients and drink up each morning: 1 lemon, squeezed, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 cup filtered water, 1 teaspoon maple syrup.

If you enjoyed reading through this post, we've got 20 more uses for black pepper that may surprise you.

  here's a good reason why black pepper is considered the 'king of spices'. With its aromatic taste, large selection of culinary uses, and great variety of medicinal advantages, black pepper has gained a place of honor in any kitchen or spice rack, and even in the medicine cabinet. Since ancient times, pepper has appeared in many medicinal arts, for its ability to calm stomach aches, reduce liver problems, lung diseases, and digestion problems. It can also improve blood flow, act as an anti-depressant and reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. 

1. To keep your cholesterol low - Add 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper to a glass of buttermilk. Mix in some finely cut onion and drink.

2. To lose weight - Mix 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper, one glass of water, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and one of honey. Stir well and drink daily.

3. To reduce fever - Take 7 or 8 leaves of basil and 3 or 4 grains of black pepper and chew them together.

4. To relieve a dry cough - Grind 5 or 6 seeds of black pepper and mix with natural honey. Swallow a spoon of this mix daily until relief is achieved. 

5. To relieve asthma attacks - Boil 8 to 10 grains of pepper, 2 clove buds and 10 to 15 basil leaves in water. Let the brew sit for about 15 minutes, strain it and add 2 spoons of honey.
Tip: Drink with milk!

6. Treating a sore throat - Squeeze some lemon juice, add a bit of salt and ground black pepper - and gargle.

7. To treat a cold - Make some tea and add 2 or 3 grains of ground black pepper, a piece of ginger and basil leaves.

8. To treat a chronic cold - Consume ground black pepper with dates.

9. To open a blocked up nose - Mix equal amounts of black pepper, cinnamon, cumin and cardamom seeds. Grind to a thin powder and smell or inhale the mixture. This will cause healthy sneezing and will open the nose ducts.

10. To relieve any kind of cough - Grind some black pepper and add sugar. Consume the mix with clarified butter.

11. To ease a heavy cough - add 2 or 3 grains of black pepper to a glass of boiling hot milk, wait for it to cool a bit and then drink.

12. Treating a toothache - Mix ground black pepper with clove oil. Smear the ointment on the afflicted area. 

13. To treat indigestion - Mix some black pepper with ginger juice and sip after every meal.

14. Relieve nausea - Mix black pepper and water in a glass, add some fresh lemon juice, mix and drink slowly.

15. Treating skin conditions - Prepare an ointment from ground black pepper and refined butter. Apply to skin conditions such as allergy rash, Eczema and scabies.

16. To fight baldness - Make a thick paste from black pepper and lemon seeds. Apply it daily to balding areas about 10 minutes before showering. The solution should help revitalize hair growth.

17. To deal with hemorrhoids - Grind together 20 grams of black pepper, 10 grams of cumin and 15 grams of sugar. Mix in water and drink morning and evening, every day.

18. To stop bleeding - Cover the bleeding wound with ground black pepper. Bandage with a paper towel and tighten with sellotape (scotch tape). Wait 10 minutes and the bleeding will stop.

19. To stop hiccups - Hold a small plate with black pepper to your nose, inhale strongly a few times and the hiccups will cease.

this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.      https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations   https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes     https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

Asprin may help reduce harmful effects of air pollution on lungs

The findings published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine highlight that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin may lessen the effects of air pollution exposure on lung function.

Researchers analyzed a subset of data collected from a cohort of 2,280 male veterans from the greater Boston area who were given tests to determine their lung function. The average age of participants was 73 years.

 

The researchers examined the relationship between test results, self-reported NSAID use, and ambient particulate matter (PM) and black carbon in the month preceding the test, while accounting for a variety of factors, including the health status of the subject and whether or not he was a smoker.

They found that the use of any NSAID nearly halved the effect of PM on lung function, with the association consistent across all four weekly air pollution measurements from same-day to 28 days prior to the lung function test.

Because most of the people in the study cohort who took NSAIDs used aspirin, the researchers say the modifying effect they observed was mainly from aspirin, but add that effects of non-aspirin NSAIDs are worthy of further exploration.

Researchers speculate that NSAIDs mitigate inflammation brought about by air pollution.
“It is still important to minimize our exposure to air pollution, which is linked to a host of adverse health effects, from cancer to cardiovascular disease” said first and corresponding author.

this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   
https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement            

Meditation could lessen cancer symptoms

Researchers at the University of Montreal, has suggested that mindfulness-based meditation could lessen some symptoms associated with cancer in teens. 

Catherine Malboeuf-Hurtubise of the university's Department of Psychology and her team asked 13 adolescents with cancer to complete questionnaires covering mood (positive and negative emotions, anxiety and depression), sleep and quality of life. The group was divided in two: a first group of eight adolescents were offered eight mindfulness-based meditation sessions and the remaining five adolescents in the control group were put on a wait-list. The eight sessions were 90 minutes long and took place weekly.

After the last meditation session, patients from both groups filled out the same questionnaires a second time. Differences between both groups were not large enough for the researchers to impute observed benefits solely to the mindfulness component of the sessions. "The social support provided to the adolescents in the mindfulness group could possibly explain observed benefits on mood and sleep," Malboeuf-Hurtubise said.

"Nonetheless, mindfulness-based interventions for teenagers with cancer appear as a promising option to lighten psychological inconveniences of living with cancer." The researchers intend to offer members of the control group an opportunity to undertake the meditation sessions.

ps- this is only for information, always consult you physician before having any particular food/ medication/exercise/other remedies.

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