November 04, 2019

6 Natural Ways To Brighten Your Skin

Change is in the air. The temperature is dropping and the dry fall and winter weather can give your skin a dull and fatigued complexion. What are some natural ways to keep our skin bright during this time of year?

In our NENA Mineral Toner and NENA Cleansing Cream products, we use a Fruit Acid Blend derived from botanical sources like bilberry, sugar cane, orange, lemon, and sugar maple. These ingredients produce Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) that contain active ingredients known to be an effective yet gentle method for brightening your skin. AHAs have shown the ability to exfoliate, moisturize, and even increase cell regeneration, leaving the skin with a bright and even tone.

As part of your glacial clay skincare routine, here are six more natural and easy ways to brighten up your skin (and your day!).

Glacial Clay

Only harvested once a year on the Northern coast of British Columbia, glacial clay works to exfoliate the skin while simultaneously restoring skin tissue. It is also gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin. If you are looking to introduce glacial clay into your skincare regimen, our 4 Step Natural Skincare Kit is a great way to start. The cleanser within the kit is rich in botanical extracts which leaves the skin soft to the touch.

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Get a FREE limited-edition NENA tote bag (value $16) with every Skincare Kit purchase (until supplies last).
Receive a free skincare sample with each online order.
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Shop our natural skincare kit this holiday season and receive a FREE tote bag.

Lemon

Lemon is packed with Vitamin C and citric acid which are both natural skin brighteners. The citric acid serves as a bleaching agent while the vitamin C is noted as an “antioxidant for neutralizing free radicals and boosting collagen." Squeeze the juice from a few fresh lemons and gently apply to your face using a cotton ball or face cloth. Note that if you have sensitive skin, the acidity of the fruit may cause a stinging sensation.

Turmeric

Turmeric is an herb from the ginger family; you probably recognize the spicy flavour of this yellow powder in foods like curry. Curcumin is the antioxidant within turmeric; its anti-inflammatory properties help reduce redness and improves the skin’s overall texture. This will also help reduce the look of dark under-eye circles, which is especially important to those pushing long hours in the workplace or for someone who is simply not getting enough sleep.

Papaya

Photo by Ed O'Neil on Unsplash

Another fruit that can work to brighten your complexion is papaya. Not only is it rich in vitamin C but papaya also contains enzymes that work together to brighten and tone the skin. Aside from working as a skin brightener, papaya can also aid sunburnt skin, due to its high concentration of antioxidants. For the best application, blend papaya into a pulp-like paste and apply directly to the skin.

For more natural remedies on treating a sunburn, click here.

Orange Peel

Photo by okeykat on Unsplash

Like the other fruits on this list, oranges are rich in antioxidants. However, it’s the orange peel that is highest in vitamin C, a key ingredient for brightening your skin. In addition, orange peels can also work to exfoliate the skin’s surface due to its high concentration of citric acid. If you decide to try out orange peel as a skin brightening remedy, the best way to use it is to (1) dry the peel, (2) crush to a powder, (3) then re-add liquid and (4) apply as a mask.

Foods Rich in Beta-Carotene

While not a topical remedy like the others, eating foods that are rich in beta-carotene can also help promote a brighter, even skin tone. Beta-carotene is a natural plant pigment that can be found within foods like mangoes, carrots, and dark leafy greens. When digested, your body breaks down the beta-carotene and converts it into vitamin A, which then works to promote the production of new skin cells and helps repair damaged skin.

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If these DIY remedies for skin brightening take too much time out of your busy schedule, keep things simple and use our NENA Mineral Toner and NENA Cleansing Cream to brighten up your skin instead.