Dear Dr. Fritz,
I hope you are doing great. I knew that you are an aesthetic dermatologist. This is the reason why I came to you, because I am problematic with my melasma. I am really losing
confidence every time I see myself in front of the mirror or meeting friends. I used to have
fair skin. I already had skin peeling, but I think my problem got worse.
Are there natural ways to help me? I would really appreciate it if you could tell me some.
Thank you very much for your help. More power to you always!
JeGr of Tibungco
Dear JeGr of Tibungco,
Of course, there are natural ways, but they are slower. You won’t see the result right away. However, if this is what you really want, then let’s get on to the ways to naturally lighten your skin. Be sure to hang on, because the list is quite long. You have to have a load of patience.
1. Lemon juice
Here’s what you have to do:
Apply fresh lemon juice directly to affected areas. Leave it on for 30 minutes before you rinse it off with cold water. Repeat this twice a day for about two months to get some positive results. But if you have sensitive skin, you have to add some water, rosewater, or honey to your lemon juice.
You can also mix enough sugar with your lemon juice to make a paste. Use it as a scrub on your face, and concentrate more on your problematic brown spots. Leave it on for 30 minutes and then rinse it off. Do these two to three times a week.
2. Buttermilk
There are three ways to apply this:
Apply it to your brown spots using a cotton ball. Leave this for a few minutes before you rinse it out with water. But if you have oily skin or acne, you can add some lemon juice.
Mix four teaspoons of buttermilk and two teaspoons of tomato juice or calamansi juice, then apply this mixture to the affected skin.
You can do either of these methods once or twice a day.
3. Castor Oil
If you can’t get castor oil, you can use vitamin E oil, coconut oil, olive oil, or almond oil.
So, here’s how you do this:
Apply the castor oil using a cotton ball on the affected area.
Massage the area gently for a few minutes.
Leave this for a few hours and then rinse it off.
You can do this once in the morning and once at bedtime.
Well, as we are running out of space this time, let me continue this topic in my next issue.
Until then!
Dr. Fritz
(Dr. Fritz Legarde Espedilla is an aesthetic dermatologist, surgeon, and clinical sexologist. She is also trained in hypnotherapy and Medical Acupuncture. She has been in the broadcast media for more than a decade and has written a book based on her 15-year stint with her radio program, “Healthy is Sexy Secrets ni Dr. Fritz.” For your questions, you may send them to Dear Dr. Fritz, c/o Sunstar-Davao Publishing Inc., Door 11, Ebro-Pelayo Building 1, Juan Luna St., Barangay 29-C, Davao City, or you e-mail them to dokatlaw@gmail.com. If you don’t wish your letter to be published, we regret that we cannot answer them. Thank you for your understanding.)