Home Remedy for Dark Neck, Armpits and Inner Thighs

Nowadays everybody is self conscious. We all want to look good and be comfortable in our own skin. Dark hyperpigmentation of  Neck,Armpit, inner thigh or even elbow can be very embarrassing especially on people with a fair skin tone, they limit your choices  of what to wear and nobody wants to go through the stress of having to hide these things.  so why not just look for a way to completely get rid of them without breaking your bank on products.
We call them home remedies because they are basic things we can find at home.

Home Remedy for Dark Neck

Having your neck like two shades darker than the rest of your body could be very embarrassing. It makes people assume you are dirty or not just taking baths properly. We can get rid of it with the following items.

1. Almonds

Almonds contain vitamins that are essential for skin health. Almonds also have properties that can nourish the skin and remove discoloration. You can use almonds in different ways to treat dark skin on your neck.

For a simple remedy, make a thick paste of half a teaspoon of powdered almonds, and one teaspoon each of milk powder and honey. Apply the paste on the sides and back of the neck, leave it on for half an hour and then wash it off with water. Do this two to four times a week. Slightly heat almond oil and massage your neck with it. Do this few times a month to improve blood circulation in the neck area. The oil also acts as a moisturizer and will help make your skin glow. Soak four or five almonds in water overnight. In the morning, grind the almonds into a paste. Apply the paste on the neck area and gently scrub for a few minutes. Wash it off with cold water. Do this once or twice a week.

I usually get my almond from Payporte food store or Gloo.ng because I am too lazy to go and search for it in the market. It is not uncommon though. Pretty sure you can find them in stores (they are also healthy nuts for people trying to lose weight)

2. Oatmeal scrub

In Nigeria we have different types of  oats Quaker Oats etc. Oat meal and weight loss are closely related to each other, but it is also an effective home remedy for various skin problems. It not only exfoliates the skin in a gentle manner, but also heals acne and soothes dry and irritated skin. It is one of the best natural scrubs of all skin types. It is also effective in lightening dark complexion, which makes it one of the most powerful home remedies for dark skin. Take two tablespoons of coarsely ground oats and pour 2 tablespoons of freshly pureed tomatoes to it to make a thick paste. Smear this paste on your neck and leave it on for 30 minutes. Then wet it with some water and scrub your neck in a gentle circular motion.
Wash your neck with cold water and put moisturizer to the area. Repeat it twice a week for best results.

3. Baking Soda

Baking Soda Many people use baking soda for the skin and hair as it’s a natural exfoliate that removes dark and discolored patches on the skin it can also remove excess oil from the skin, which make it great for eliminating pimples and acne. Make a paste mixing 3 parts of baking soda to one part of water. Apply this place to the dark areas. Wait until it dries completely it usually takes 10 minutes and wash it off. Apply this to your face 3 times a day until it lightens.

Home Remedies for Dark Armpit 

1. Raw Potatoes

Potatoes have a mild bleaching property that will lighten dark skin, unlike other strong skin bleach, potatoes wont irritate the skin. This property in potatoes are just good for underarms it’s also great for dark circles. Potato juice Using a medium potato, grate it to get the juice out from the pulp. Using a cotton ball apply the juices under the arms and wait until it dries, it usually takes about 30 minutes. Once it’s completely dry wash it off with warm water. Appldy this remedy 3 times a day from two weeks.


2. Aloe Vera

 Aloe Vera is a kind of natural skin lightener and also moisturize the skin. It can lighten the skin color to a great extent and reduces various skin spots. Aloe vera is also rich in antioxidants and various other compounds that help repair and produce new skin cell Extract pure Aloe Vera gel from the leaf. Apply it directly on the neck and gently massage it. Leave it on for about 20 minutes. Wash it off with water.
Repeat this once daily for fast results

 3. Cucumber

Cucumber can also be used to improve the appearance of your neck area. Cucumber has soothing properties that help repair skin cells, remove dead skin cells and add glow to the skin. Apply grated cucumber or cucumber juice all over your neck and gently scrub for about 10 minutes. Wash it off with rose water or cold water. Another option is to mix equal amounts of cucumber juice and lemon juice and apply it on your neck using cotton balls. Leave it on for 10 minutes and then wash it off with cold water. Follow either of these remedies daily for a few months or until you are satisfied with the results.

 4. Lime

 Lime has citric acid, which is a natural bleaching agent. Also, the vitamin C present in lime helps remove dead cells and lighten skin tone. Hence, lime can be used to effectively lighten the dark complexion of your neck area. Apply lime juice to the dark skin using a cotton ball.  If you have sensitive skin, dilute the lime juice with water. Leave it on for 20 minutes and then wash it off with cold water. Make sure not to expose your neck to direct sunlight after applying lime juice. Another option is to mix equal parts of lime juice and rose water.

Apply this mixture around the neck area before going to bed. Do this daily for about a month to see visible results.


Home Remedies for Dark Inner Thighs 

 1. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is great for the skin and hair. Coconut oil has whitening properties that will lighten this area and will moisturize the skin. Mix coconut oil with lemon juice is very effective as it remove dead skin cells and blemishes. Mix together 3 tablespoon of virgin coconut oil with half a lemon, apply this mixture to your inner thighs. Massage this area for about 15 minutes and wash it off. Repeat this once a day until you see results.

2. Honey , lemon and sugar scrub

Application of honey on chapped lips is an age old home remedy for dryness of skin. What better way to lighten the skin of the inner things than with a nourishing honey, sugar and lemon Scrub? This is a moisturizing scrub that contains the hydrating properties of honey, which soothes the dry skin of the inner things and the exfoliating power of sugar, which helps in stripping off the coats of dead skin cells from the region.
Mix 1 tablespoon each of honey and lemon juice, and add 2 tablespoons of sugar to it. Apply it on the inner thighs and gently scrub the region using firm circular motions for 10 minutes, leave the mixture on for another 15 minutes and then wash off with lukewarm water. Repeat this remedy 4 times a week for 2 weeks for amazing results.

Say Goodbye to Soda

Today we are taking two big steps.

First step is to replace Soda with a Fruit anytime you are craving something sweet.

Second step is to replace your everyday dinner with fruit salad.

Isn't so hard, Hey???

By Soda I am talking about the likes of Coke,Fanta, Pepsi, Lemonade,Malt, Sprite and even bitter lemon.
Avoiding these things aren't just for people with diabetics though , too much sugar is bad for everyone  and drinks have a lot of calories  (I will talk about calorie counting much later)

In Nigeria, we love our soda. I mean after a long day at work or a day in the sun you just want to pop open a chilled bottle of Soda (I know this is me though).
So now I am going to be giving you a list of things you can use to suppress your soda craving.

The solution is Fruit.

Apples
Watermelon
Pineapple
Banana
Grapes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Oranges 

I mean it is a very long list. 

Anytime you start to crave something sweet you can just eat a fruit. If you have a Coke craving, Just chew on an Apple,if you are craving Fanta , go and suck on an orange. If you want 7up simply squeeze lemon juice and mix it with Honey.

There are other things you can do to curb your soda cravings. If you are at work and there is no way you can get fruit and you need a cold drink,  there's this super awesome drink called 'Cold Water' and the thing about this drink is that it has great benefits, satisfies and refreshes you and it comes with zero calories

Now let's talk about our new form of  Dinner! The appropriate thing for everybody trying to lose weight is to eat before 7pm. Instead of eating something heavy how about we eat Fruit salad.

So what I started to do was to make fruit salad ( diced apples, bananas, pawpaw pineapple  and watermelon) in my fridge every night before I go to bed so when I get home I have it as dinner, make a new one for the next night. You can change the fruits and switch things up whenever you want.

If you do this for at least a week. You will start to feel some difference in your body. We are taking baby steps in the weight loss journey so for now the only thing we are adding into our regular lifestyle is

*Taking lemon and warm water every morning

* Saying goodbye to Soda and Hello to Fruits

* Replacing our heavy dinner with fruit salads.

This is our one week journey and believe me this is as simple as it gets. There's no rush here. We taking baby steps together.

Have a lovely day guys. Feel free to ask me questions.

Step One : Detoxification

We are taking baby steps in this whole #fitfam thing today.
For now we have just one thing to add to our everyday routine and that is Warm water and Lemon/Lime.

In Nigeria, limes are easier to find than Lemon, so if you can't find lemon you can substitute it with Lime. Although Lemon has more health benefits in that they are higher in vitamin C which helps the liver to produce glucathione,  a regenrative antioxidant that helps the liver to eliminate toxins (detox) .

If you are trying to get pregnant I would personally advise you to avoid Lime juice entirely. Lemon on the other hand helps increase the flow of cervical fluids which is very important in conception. However , if you have passed the child bearing age or you are not ready to get pregnant anytime soon then go ahead and use Lime as a substitute for Lemon.  Men are also safe to take the Lime juice.

So every morning we are to take a cup of warm water and a slice of lemon/ lime to detoxify our bodies. Taking this every morning is also a way of curbing hunger and giving you energy to begin the day. It also enables fast digestion.

Here are some benefits of Lemon water

1. Boosts your immune system
2. Balances PH
3. Helps with Weight Loss ( goals)
4. Aids digestion
5. Is a diuretic
6. Clears skin
7. Freshens breath
8. Relieves respiratory problems
9. Keeps your zen
10. Helps kick coffee habit.

When going to the gym I also throw slices of lemon into my water bottle. But that's for much later. We are still in step one. (baby steps) 

So apart from detoxification you can also use lemon/lime juice for your skin. Just cut a slice of lemon or lime and rub it on your face before every bath to get rid of acne, hyperpigmentation and sunburn. WHAT A FRUIT!!!!!!!!!! 

How To Fit Working Out Into a Busy Schedule

So at the beginning of my fitfam journey I got a treadmill and bike in my house and felt I'd work out every night. Most times I would work out for like 5 minutes and end up getting carried away by what was happening on that days episode of Twist of Fate (yeah I was kinda going through a Zee World phase).
I noticed I wasn't really doing much, like I basically just did 5 minutes on the treadmill and 5 minutes on the bike. So I decided to join a gym, where I'd see people around working out and I would be motivated. The first gym i joined was a standard gym , paid for a month and felt I could go to the gym at least three times a week. The people there were awesome and all but due to the whole 9-5 work schedule it was difficult for me to go regularly. I ended up going to that gym just 2 times in the whole month.
Stuck to my diet righteously though! So now I am thinking. There should be a work out schedule for people with 9-5 jobs too. I mean having a house gym could work for some of you because obviously not everyone has the attention span of a 5 year old like me . 

If you are having the same problem I had with my house gym then I think I have a few tips that could help

1. Get a gym that is close to your house/work

2. Make sure you have a Strict instructor.  

           My gym instructor literally bullies me to come to the gym every time. *In his voice' : Dammy if you don't come to the gym today I will add 40 minutes to your next work out session and extra squats. That actually works for me and I end up going because really? Who wants extra squats and workout time ? Deffs not me!

3. Make friends with people who go to the gym regularly. That's another motivation to go to the gym

4. Create time after work. Even if it is 10-20 minutes to hit the gym and do some light workout.

5. Get a gym with a pool. Sometimes I really don't do much in the gym. Swimming/learning how to swim is another way of burning calories.

6. Put your sneaker, gym/swimming clothes in your car boot. Or work drawer. Sometimes you can just decide to get changed and head to the gym .  It's okay to be spontaneous.

For those who don't have a lot to do after work . Instead of heading home immediately after work and going to bed. You could just get changed and head to the gym. When you have a stressful day at work just head to the gym and get into the pool. It relaxes you and it's also a way to burn calories . Win-win! 

For those who really don't have time to go to the gym at all there's nothing to worry about. There are also ways you can stay active and burn calories with your day to day activities. That doesn't work for me though because 'desk job' but I will be sure to write up some tips in my next post. 

Have a nice day guys.

Health is Wealth

My new years resolution was to join fitfam and live a healthier lifestyle.  And it has been working out great so far. I joined a gym and started dieting. It is really hard to eat healthy in this country though. Really hard for the love of Jollof and Egusi.

It was a struggle though but I eventually got a hang of it. I will put everyone through my step by step journey.
Over the next few weeks I'll post the way I started and the products I used along the way. And I would show you guys the calorie breakdown of Nigerian foods and also give you recipes of healthy Nigerian foods you can prepare. Yup! There shall be smoothie recipes too!

We about to make healthy living the new cool!

Na the work wey we dey do! *In bisola's voice*

Glad to be back

Hey guys! So I haven't posted anything on here since 2015. Yup! It's been two years already, it's amazing how time flies .

So in the gap of those two years I finished school (Benson Idahosa University) *throws confetti* and the whole adult thing literally kicked me in the face, I wasn't readddaaaay (in Kevin Hart's voice)

Now I have gotten a hang of things and I decided to 'Suit Up' like Barney Stinson

and get back to what I love to do the most BLOGGING!

Really glad to be back guys. A lot of new content coming up real soon! So excited!!! 

Beauty Secret:How to Lighten Dark Knees and knuckles

Most people naturally have Hands,Knuckles,Elbows,Knees and feets darker than the rest of their body while others acquired the dark parts due to the type of skin products they use. Well now there is a solution. I was introduced to an Anti taches Gommant Serum called Floris Duo. 

And as you all know I do try out these products before recommending them for yall. And I dont get paid by any of these brands to advertise their product so my reviews are 100% spot-on. 

I decided to order the Floris Duo. 

It came in 2 bottles (lotion and the serum) 

I decided to test it out on my hand and on the 3rd day the peeling started. I was amazed ! On the 5th day of use i was very satisfied with the result i was getting. The darker skin started peeling and i could see the light skin underneath it. I was a very generous applier so i finished the two bottles on the 5th day. Had to re-order another pack . It works wonders guys. 

 HOW TO USE

-Dab a little of the lotion on a cotton wool or q-tip

-Apply it on the place that needs lightening (elbow,knuckles,hands,knee and feet only) 

- Do the same thing with the pinkish serum 

- let it dry. 

I advise you to moisturise a lot during this process. You could use Shea butter or Cocoa Butter. Any moisturiser that suits you. 

Check out the peel

It is quite affordable. I got mine off one of our Nigerian online stores and its less than 3000naira. 

P.S: please do not use on your face or any other areas that are not mentioned above. And remember to MOISTURISE.