Even Out your skin tone naturally

As we get older, acne and aging occur, skin tone can become uneven and discolored. There are a lot of skin toning products out there, but there are less harsh, natural methods that can help even your skin tone as well.
Washing your face with a natural, organic cleanser like our traditional black soap is key. Look for a cleanser with a glycerin or castile soap base that cleans without stripping the skin's protective acid mantle.

Lemon Juice 

Lemons are fruits that are acidic, so applying lemon juice to skin can help maintain the proper pH, which is important for keeping skin tone even. The citric acid in lemons is a natural way to lighten and even out skin tone by applying the juice to skin for 15 minutes once weekly and then rinsing it off. One important thing to remember when using lemon juice is that if you have any cuts or scratches, it will cause them to burn. Using it as a toner is a perfect way of including it in your beauty regime. Fill a water bottle or other container with one part freshly squeezed lemon juice and five parts filtered water. Apply the lemon juice toner with a cotton ball and do not rinse off.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal can be a natural way to even skin tone because it can act as an exfoliating agent, that breaks up dirt and bumps on your skin for a more even surface and tone. Before applying oatmeal, mix it together with a bit of honey so that it is more of a paste. You should leave it on your skin for a few minutes before rubbing it with your fingers. Make sure to wash all the paste off and apply sunscreen.

Using a high SPF sunblock that contains vitamin C and E is your first line of defense in treating your uneven skin tone, and getting the bright, even skin you desire. Even if you don't believe the sun is the cause of your problem, sun will make the marks darker and possibly create more. If you don't have the time to make your own lemon juice, look for products containing vitamin C. Studies have shown that vitamin C exhibits skin brightening and bleaching properties. Vitamin E protects against damage from reactive oxygen-free radicals and UV rays, natural Shea butter has loads of Vitamin E.

Honey   

Honey can be used to even skin tone because it works as a moisturizer and has antibacterial properties that can reduce the size of acne scars and blemishes, it also has a bleaching effect on the skin. I suggest using natural honey because it has even more antibacterial properties than any other honey. The honey adds moisture thereby preventing your skin from drying out. 

Milk 

Milk is a great way to naturally soften and lighten your skin for a more even tone. It works on melanin to lighten the skin, diminishing the appearance of darker blemishes and scars. It also softens the skin, which is great for people with dry or flaky skin. Just dab a little on after cleansing your face with a gentle, natural cleanser, I'll recommend black soap any day, any where; and allow to sit for 20 minutes, then rinse off.

Natural Oils   

Massage your face with nourishing oils -- sweet almond, coconut, olive, shea butter and jojoba oils are good choices -- before going to bed, allowing oils to soak into the skin overnight can contribute to glowing skin in the morning. Apply the oil to the skin using your fingertips. Use caution when massaging the sensitive tissues around the eyes.

Mask 

Apply a homemade, natural face mask once or twice per week. Mash one ripe banana with one egg white and coat your face, neck and decolletage with the mixture. Leave the mask on for 15 minutes, then rinse it off with warm water.

Eat Nutritiously

If you want beautiful skin, you must eat nutritiously and drink plenty of water. Water helps keep your skin hydrated and moisturized, making it less prone to wrinkling and losing elasticity. Eating a healthy diet that includes a wide variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy foods, and lean meats or protein sources, is very important. Foods that are high in antioxidants are especially important to eat, as they help fight the damaging effects of the environment that build up in the body and cause aging. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps protect skin from the sun, and is found in fruits and vegetables such as strawberries, oranges, tomatoes, blueberries, cabbage and raspberries. Vitamin E is another nutrient that is vital to skin health, as it helps skin maintain its vitality and youth while fighting the harmful effects of environmental pollutants. Good sources of vitamin E include spinach, turnip greens, peanuts, wheat germ, almonds, sunflower seeds, vegetable oil, coconut oil, Shea butter and whole grains.

Make Healthy Lifestyle Choices

Practice healthy lifestyle choices. Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol, as they pump harmful toxins into the body that trigger stress and aging. Smoking causes wrinkles and sagging of the skin, and drinking alcohol depletes moisture in the skin and can trigger broken blood vessels and uneven skin tone. Develop healthy habits such as exercising regularly, which gets blood circulating in the body and stimulates skin cell growth, regeneration and moisture. Also use stress management techniques to reduce stress in your life, as stress can contribute to aging of the skin, breakouts and other skin imbalances. Manage the stress in your life by getting enough sleep, taking time to relax each day and slowing down your pace of life.

In order to see result from any treatment, it's important to continue using it for at least 3-4 weeks.

Making your own sugar scrub

Sugar is the generalized name for a class of chemically-related sweet-flavored substances, most of which are used as food. They are carbohydrates, composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. There are various types of sugar derived from different sources (sugarcane and sugarbeets).
Sugar is not healthy for you to eat, but these sugar body scrub recipes are great for your skin! Sugar cane produces glycolic acid, which is a natural alpha hydroxy acid that exfoliates the skin. The roughness of the sugar also exfoliates and the oils moisturize and hydrate the skin.
Homemade sugar scrub, is extremely moisturizing and exfoliating and costs very little to make. These scrubs can be used on your face, feet or as a homemade body scrub.
These sugar scrubs can last for up to 3 weeks (You do not need to keep them in the fridge). They are all easy to make, just mix the ingredients in a bowl and store in a air tight container. Also keep your scrub away from water or bacteria to prevent it from going rancid.

Some of my favorite natural sugar scrub recipes

Cinnamon brown sugar body scrub recipe
1 Cup brown sugar
½ Cup of jojoba oil
½ tsp of Vitamin E oil
½ tsp Cinnamon

Lemon brown sugar scrub recipe
1 Cup brown sugar
½ Cup coconut oil
½ tsp Vitamin E oil
½ tsp of Lemon essential oil

Vanilla sugar body scrub
1 Cup brown sugar
½ Cup Jojoba oil
½ tsp Vitamin E oil
1 tsp Vanilla extracts (extract from vanilla pods)

Eczema Mint foot & hand scrub
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup olive oil
½ tsp Vitamin E oil
5 drops clove oil which is antibacterial.
5 drops Shea butter oil, which has anti-aging properties
5 drops Wintergreen oil, which is good for treating skin diseases such as eczema and other skin infections.
10 drops peppermint oil

Peppermint body sugar scrub recipe
1 Cup white sugar
½ cup jojoba oil
½ tsp Vitamin E oil
5 drops of peppermint essential oil

Fresh homemade facial scrubs to be made as you use them:
Lemon, honey scrub
¼ cup brown sugar
1/8 cup of Grapeseed oil

1 Tablespoon of Raw honey
¼ tsp Vitamin E oil
A few drops of fresh lemon juice

Almond scrub
¼ cup white sugar
1/8 cup Almond oil
1 Tablespoon raw almond pulp
¼ tsp Vitamin E oil
2 drops of essential almond oil
(If you have leftovers, use it as a foot and body scrub)

Creating your own sugar body scrub recipe
You should add 1 part sugar with ½ part oil, I like adding vitamin E oil, because it is so good for your skin. Vitamin E oil is also a natural preservative. Then just add any essential oil of your choice.
Here are some ingredient options:
Sugar: Use either white or brown sugar, some like to use organic raw sugar.
Oil: Olive oil, Almond oil, Coconut oil, Jojoba oil, Grapefruit oil, corn oil, Peanut oil, Avocado oil, Shea butter or any other oil of your choice
Essential oil: Peppermint oil, Lemon oil, Lavender oil, Chamomile oil, Rose oil, Rosemary, Juniper oil (great for eczema) and many others.
How to use your sugar scrub:
How to exfoliate: Massage the scrub into your feet, hands and any other area; leave on while applying instead of rinsing off as you go along. Massage gently using your fingers or a face cloth in circular motions.
Use it as a shower scrub: You could get into the shower before-hand, scrub all over and then have a lovely wash, no mess no fuss!
Extra notes on sugar face scrubs
If you have oily skin, its best to use Bergamot, Cedarwood, Cypress, Frankincense, Geranium, Juniper, Lavender, Lemon, Sage essential oils, and jojoba oil as a base oil. You can also use less oil in the mixture, if you have oily skin, add just enough to moisten the sugar.

You only need to exfoliate with your homemade sugar scrubs, once per week to make a difference to your skin.
The ingredients in the scrub will settle, so they need to be mixed up a little before use every time.