How to Fade Freckles Naturally

By Claire Bush

While a smattering of freckles is cute, sometimes you can have too much of a good thing.Banish freckles naturally with these tried-and true-suggestions. The treatments are gentle and non-toxic, and most only require ingredients already in your kitchen cupboard.Try these treatments one at a time for three weeks and monitor your results to see which ones work best.

Step1

Begin a nightly ritual of washing your face with sour milk or buttermilk. Make your own sour milk by adding a teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a cup of milk (whole, low-fat or skim are all acceptable to use). The lactic acid in the milk promotes peeling without over-drying skin.

Step2

Another method is to wash your face each night with lemon juice. Again, the juice will dry the skin and the citric acid will act as a natural bleaching agent.

Step3

Make a boiled oatmeal face mask. Prepare old-fashioned (not quick) oats, using milk instead of water. When the mixture cools enough to handle, spread it over your face. Keep it on until it's dry (about 15 minutes), then rinse off with cool water.

Step4

Moisturize your skin with elder cream every evening. The cream, made from the elder flower herb, is known for its bleaching properties. Some day spas and salons carry it, or you can order it online (see Resources).