White Is the New Tan

by Shannon Larsen — April 6, 2008

The days of the bleach-blond, sun goddess look of Pam Anderson are fading fast. Today's contemporary woman strives for a polished look - something to bring out your natural beauty that doesn't give you skin cancer. The great thing about having a tan is that your skin appears even-toned and makeup can often be thrown out altogether. The not-so-great thing about having a tan is that one day it fades, and leaves behind ugly traces of a carefree time. In order to restore your face to the clean palette it started off as, there are a few tricks that undermine expensive laser treatments.

To start, exfoliation is absolutely essential. This can be as simple as smearing an orange slice over your face and letting it dry for a minute to slough off dead skin cells, or using an Alpha Hydroxy Acid, such as glycolic acid in your face wash. The key is to find something, like a glycolic acid, that aids in the cell turnover rate and removes unhealthy layers of skin cells where hyperpigmented cells - the cause of sun spots, liver spots, and blotchiness - accumulate. But don't be fooled into equating a hard scrub as an effective one. The apricot scrubs at the store that feel like sandpaper are actually doing harm to your skin, causing tiny tears and permanent damage.

Unfortunately, sloughing off the first couple of layers of skin isn't enough if you're trying to achieve that porcelain look. This is where a little skin lightening comes into play, and it doesn't always have to mean harsh chemicals or a Michael Jackson transformation. An easy, cheap, and healthy way to balance your skin's tone is to use plain yogurt on your face three times a week. As the yogurt dries, it slightly bleaches and evens the skin tone, and even fades a tan. Vitamin C and licorice extracts have also been praised for their skin lightening abilities and won't break your bank. To inhibit melanin production (the cells that surface when you are exposed to the sun and cause you to look tan), oral supplements of pomegranate extract and Vitamin E can be taken. Of course, with all of these treatments, UV protection is the only thing that will keep your skin bright and white. As hard as you work to get rid of your sun spots, they'll only come back just as fast when you're in the sun unprotected.