The skin around the elbows is usually darker than the skin on the rest of the body. This is because the elbow skin is made up of fine folds, to facilitate the bending of the arms. Due to this dust, sweat and oil accumulate in these folds, and make it dark.

At times, darkening may also happen due to the friction between the elbow and the surface like tables, desks and armrests, on which you rest them. This also makes them dry. Also, sometimes due to some fungal infections, the skin around the elbow can grow dark and dry. Dark and rough elbows can be embarrassing at times.

Easy remedies for dark elbows

There are some simple remedies that can help you soften and lighten your elbows. Lemon has natural bleaching properties and it can substantially lighten the skin tone. Rub the skin around the elbow with lemon for 10-15 minutes.

One reason why the skin gets darker is that the dead, old cells are not removed. One must regularly exfoliate the dead elbow skin using either a homemade or market bought scrub.

A simple scrub can be made at home by mixing yogurt with coarsely powdered almonds, olive oil and lime. Mix them well and scrub the elbow with this mixture. Lime and yogurt will lighten your skin tone while olive oil will keep your skin moisturized and soft. Almonds will help in scrubbing the dead skin.

Another good scrub is chickpea flour. Rub a bit of its paste, made with water, on the elbow while bathing. Regular use of it will make your skin very soft and lustrous.

Later, application of olive oil or aloe gel can be used to get rid of the roughness. Or else, apply a good moisturizer on your elbow. Get this into your beauty routine and make sure to follow it at least once a week.

And finally remember to use a good sunscreen lotion with a high SPF factor, whenever you step outside the house. Also, it’s good to wear full sleeved shirts most of the time to avoid accumulation of dirt in the skin folds of the elbow. This will also prevent the elbow skin from getting damaged when you rest your arms or elbows on rough and hard surfaces like desks and tables.

Source : http://www.gracenglamour.com/