Dark underarms are quite an embarrassing issue for every woman, especially for the
ones who love to wear sleeveless tops and tees.
More than 60% of women will face ‘dark armpit skin issues,’ and among these, a few could experience deep dark patches in their armpits that are ugly and stop them from wearing sleeveless dresses. Don’t be disheartened if you are one of them.
Stop worrying and asking why my armpits are dark!
You can easily prevent and get rid of the dark armpit with little effort and care.
Here, let us discuss 3 important issues:
- Causes For Dark Armpit
- How to prevent the darkening of underarms
- Underarms Whitening With Natural Remedies
Reasons for the Darkening of Armpit
The causes that lead to the development of dark underarms are many and varied. It is the lack of care and awareness of skincare that leads to the discoloration of the underarms’ skin.
Shaving
The razor blades do not remove the hairs completely and leave the dark cut ends (roots) of the hair above the skin surface and may also cause Ingrown Hairs. Razor blades also inflict numerous tiny cuts on the skin that lead to dark pigmentation over the area and make the skin coarser.
Deodorants
Most of the deodorants have harsh chemicals. Regular usage of DEO will gradually damage soft skin tissues in the armpit causing discoloration of the skin.
Dead skin tissues
The dead skin tissue always turns black. The armpit is shaped in such a way that the dead skin tissues have enough room to remain deposited there.
Acanthosis Aigricans
It is a skin condition of brown to black, poorly defined, velvety hyperpigmentation of the skin. Pigmentation due to Acanthosis Aigricans usually takes place in skin folds, especially armpits, groin, and neck.
Synthetic clothing
Dark underarms can be caused by friction between cloth and skin. The chance of this friction is very high with people who are wearing tight-fitting clothes made of synthetic materials.
Erythrasma infection
It is a bacterial infection of the skin that commonly occurs in skin folds. Erythrasma affected areas of the skin turn dark or brown due to the pigmentation that follows it.
Chemical bleaching and waxing
Many of us are oblivious to the long-term side effects of skin bleaches and waxes that have harsh chemicals in them. Some of these bleaching solutions are so powerful that they not only lighten or remove the hairs but also damage the delicate skin tissues. Underarm skin is susceptible to damage and discoloration.
Simple Ways to Prevent Darkening of Armpits
As we have said before, most of the instances of the dark armpit are because of poor skincare awareness and protection initiatives.
Most women limit their skincare only to the face and arms and do not give sufficient attention to hidden and delicate areas like the armpit, groins, elbows, knees, etc.
There is no doubt that prevention is better than cure. With little care and attention, you can prevent the occurrence of discoloration of the underarms. Below are some of the simple steps that you can adopt for this:
Stop using razors
Stop using razors to shave the underarm hairs. It is better to use tweezers to remove your underarm hair instead of the razors. You can also think of permanent hair removal with natural waxing done by an expert cosmetologist.
Avoid deodorants
Stop using deodorants under the armpit as the harsh chemicals in it gradually get deposited in the pores of the armpit, leading to damage to skin tissues. Alternatives to deodorants are an application of lemon juice or organic DEOs.
Choose the right clothing.
Better to avoid using tight-fitting, synthetic clothes, especially those that cause severe friction in the armpit area.
Good hygiene
Deep cleanse the armpit regularly with the help of a good organic body wash to avoid any bacterial infection in the armpit.
5 Herbal Remedies for Dark Underarms
Underarm whitening is possible with the help of simple home remedies. Only when the simple natural remedies are not responding to the underarm skin lightening then you think of using good quality natural skin lightening creams like Meladerm to get rid of the dark armpit.
Let us look at a few well-known home remedies that are proven to lighten underarms.
1. Pure Baking Soda for Getting Rid of Dark Armpit
Baking soda is a proven home remedy for dark armpits. This treatment works extremely well when the dead skin tissues cause discoloration in the armpit.
Pure baking soda has a deep cleansing and exfoliating effect on the skin. It removes all the dead skin tissues from the armpit.
This is also good for oxidation as it clears the clogged pores. You can also get rid of
foul body odor emanating from the armpit with the help of pure baking soda.
Most of the natural pigmentation removal treatments also have baking soda as an essential ingredient.
As for usage, take a sufficient amount of baking soda (20 grams) and knead it into a paste with the help of clean water. This paste must be gently applied to the underarms and after 20 minutes wash it off with lukewarm water or organic body wash.
It is good to repeat this process 3 to 4 times a week until you see satisfactory results.
2. Lemon Juice Extract for Underarm Whitening
Lemon juice extract is an excellent home remedy for several health issues. Lemon is rich in natural alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA) and ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), both are good for skin bleaching and deep pores cleansing.
The ascorbic acid readily available in lemon helps the skin to produce collagen which removes the
discoloration of the skin.
The therapeutic ingredients in lemon juice extract have a powerful antiseptic and antibacterial agent.
The acid contained in lemon gradually lightens the darkening pigmentation of the skin. It also removes the foul odor in the armpit. It is highly recommended, instead of chemical-based deodorants, to apply the lemon extract daily in the armpit to avoid foul odor.
As for the application, you can directly rub the sliced lemon into the armpit while squeezing it gently to extract the juice.
However, the skin whitening results can be greatly enhanced, if the pure lemon juice is mixed with equal amounts of turmeric powder, honey, and plain yogurt. Kneed these four ingredients into a paste and gently apply the paste underarms.
Wash off the applied paste with clean water after 20 minutes.
If you are using lemon juice extract alone, it may make your skin dry, and thus, you have to use a good organic moisturizer to prevent dryness of the skin.
3. Orange Peel Extract for Armpit Whitening
Usually, the orange peels everyone casually throws in the waste bin. Little do most people know the excellent medicinal richness hidden in those orange peels.
Orange peels are rich in pantothenic acid, folate, and ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) which are excellent for skin bleaching and collagen development. These are powerful ingredients that whiten the underarm skin through exfoliation and pigmentation removal.
For this underarm skin whitening treatment, we use dried and powdered orange peels (you can prepare them at home or available to buy them in beauty shops).
For best results, you can take 4 teaspoons of orange peel powder and then mix it with an equal measure of milk and rose water, and knead the mixture into a paste.
The paste needs to be gently applied underarm by massaging in a circular motion over the area. You can wash off the applied paste with clean water after 20 minutes.
If this process is repeated daily for a couple of weeks, you will find that the discoloration has gone and the color of your underarm skin is the same as the rest of the body’s skin texture.
Another benefit of this remedy is the pleasant aroma of rose petal water and orange that will keep lingering around you. You can surely stop using DEO for the day after this therapy.
4. Cucumber Juice Extract to Whiten Underarms Fast
There is nothing to worry about how to whiten underarms fast. The humble cucumber in your home kitchen backyard can help you easily in this matter.
Cucumber juice extract can exfoliate the dead skin cells from your underarm. It can also, rejuvenate and moisturize your skin; making it appear supple and soft.
As for the usage, you can slice the cucumber in short round pieces and directly scrub it in your underarms.
However, the underarms skin lightening effects will be greater if you can extract the cucumber juice with the help of a juice crusher and mix 4 teaspoons of cucumber juice with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder. Make it into a paste and apply it to the armpits. After 20 minutes you can wash off the applied paste with the help of lukewarm water.
Repeat this process once a day for a few weeks and you will find the underarms’ discoloration has vanished.
5. Coconut Oil Therapy for Underarms Skin Lightening
Coconut oil is a very good natural remedy that helps a lot in moisturizing and lightening the underarm skin. This natural oil is an essential ingredient in several natural health remedies. Unlike the other oils, it does not clog the skin pores or promote bacterial infection.
It is rich in caprylic acid and Vitamin E, which are excellent for exfoliation and skin rejuvenation. Coconut oil also keeps the skin supple and glowing.
Almost all mild skin discoloration issues can be rectified only by using this oil. But if the darkening is chronic and rampant, then you may have to use it in tandem with baking soda or lemon juice extract therapies mentioned above.
You can apply Coconut oil and leave it overnight to get deeply absorbed into the skin. If you feel uncomfortable with the slight stickiness of the oil, then you may gently wash it off after 20 minutes.
It could be used after you have administered anyone of the other remedies we have mentioned above to get rid of dark underarms quickly.
Coconut oil also works well for common psoriasis, acne, eczema and hair loss, dry skin, etc. Olive oil is another good natural oil that is good for skin lightening.
Final Thoughts
To get rid of dark armpits, use natural remedies like lemon juice or baking soda, maintain proper hygiene, exfoliate regularly, and consider professional treatments like laser therapy or chemical peels.
Natural remedies are the best answer to the question ‘how to lighten underarms.’ All of the five natural remedies above work excellently well to get rid of dark underarms.
All-natural remedies indeed work at a little slower pace than prescription medicines and creams. But they are free of all side effects and affordable for all. You need to be a little patient and consistent with these remedies to get the best results out of them.