Get clear skin naturally

Toning is an important step towards proper skin care. It soothes your skin and removes extra dirt left over even after cleansing. Toning also improves skin hydration and nourishment, which helps in reducing scars and blemishes from your face, making it look clearer and healthier.
Although various brands have launched their own natural and chemical based toners you can also use rosewater in place of other market bought products. Rosewater is an excellent toner and hydrant for your skin. It is also well suited to every skin type. Just pour some rosewater on a cotton ball and apply it all over your face.
If you have oily skin, you can also use diluted lemon juice as a natural toner on your dark patches.
Alternatively, you can go for witch hazel and walnut tree bark extracts. These are not as easily available but they can be found at a good store. These plants are loaded with plant bases compounds known as tannins, which apart from clearing your skin also tighten skin pores and removes excess oils. Leaving you with a younger looking and refreshed skin.

Moisturising your face and skin is not just another boring routine. It helps lock in hydration and get rid of rough and dry skin. Furthermore, the nutrients from the moisturizer will penetrate the skin, giving you a natural and healthy glow.
For best results use a light and natural moisturizer and massage your face gently with it after every wash. Don't press too hard. Gently move your fingers in a circular motion. A massage will help your skin soak in all the water and nutrients and improve blood circulation in your skin, helping reduce acne and blemishes naturally.

Once you have cleansed dirt and excess oil from your skin, use a facial scrub to remove clogged dirt particles and dead cells from your skin pores. Put a few dabs of the scrubber over your face and rub it gently with your fingers along the lines of your face. Try not to press or rub too hard since it may just irritate your skin and lead to scrapping and inflammation. When done properly, exfoliation deep cleanses your skin and also helps in treating blackheads and whiteheads.
You don't have to repeat this step daily. Just exfoliate your skin twice (for oily skin) or once (for dry skin) a week.

The first and most important step is to cleanse your skin properly with a mild face wash. Rub your fingers gently all over the face in a circular motion while cleaning. Use lukewarm water to rinse off all the soap properly. If possible use an antibacterial face wash. This will also free your skin from infectious bacteria, reducing the chances of infections and acne.
If you have an acne prone skin, you can also buy some anti-acne face wash. These formulations contain special ingredients such as salicylic acid that help clear clogged pores easily and reduce those pesky pimples on your face.

Comfrey is yet another flowering plant known for its skin healing properties. It contains a potent ingredient known as allantoin, which helps in relieving the pain from sunburns. It also has healing, soothing and anti-irritating properties that help alleviate common skin problems. Application of comfrey extract on the skin can lead to skin softening and also helps the skin to retain water keeping it hydrated. These properties of comfrey plant make our skin look refreshed, younger and clearer.

Marigold is not just another decorative flower in a vase. It is also one of the best skin care ingredients you can find in your garden. Marigold has a soothing effect on the skin which helps in treating sunburns. It also has anti-inflammatory properties with other burns and bruises. In fact, a lot of commercially available creams and cosmetics have marigold as one of their primary ingredients. Application of marigold extract on the affected area helps in collagen synthesis and sub-epidermal connective tissue repair. Thus, it heals the burnt or damaged skin effectively. For best results, apply marigold paste or cream topically on your skin around the affected area.

It is a very common Indian herb also known as guggul. Consumption of this herb shows great results in people with acne within just 3 months. Apart from acne, guggul is also said to cure many other skin disorders as well. It is a great remedy for people with oil-prone skin. Guggul also enhances skin complexion. Fresh juice extract of seeds of guggul, if consumed daily can give you great results curing many skin disorders.
It is strictly advised not to take guggul during pregnancy or in case of bleeding disorder. 

Also known as Apamarga, it is a common Indian weed and very useful in treating acne and many other skin disorders. Traditionally, a decoction prepared from apamarga leaves is used to relieve inflammatory conditions and its leaf juice is applied topically to treat skin conditions like scabies and pruritis. Research studies indicate that this herb exhibits antiallergic and wound healing activities and is also effective in reducing free radical damage of the skin. This means it can slow down skin ageing and get rid of wrinkles apart from providing you with a clearer and healthier looking skin.

Bitter herbs are an all-inclusive remedy for most health conditions. Intake of bitter herbs stimulates the digestive system and triggers the production of acids, which may ultimately help in balancing body energetics and improving skin problems. They also help detoxify the body and remove accumulated toxins and free radicals, giving you a younger and clearer looking skin. But what exactly are herbal bitters? These are herbs or plants which have an inherently bitter taste, such as orange peels, cinnamon, dandelions and even neem. To get all the benefits of these bitter foods, you can just add more of these in your daily recipes.

Since the age of puberty, almost all of us must have been advised by someone to use neem to cure our skin problems. Did you ever wonder why? Neem possesses potent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, which makes it effective in relieving most common skin problems like acne and dark spots. Neem is also said to be a great blood purifier. It helps in eliminating all the toxins in blood, providing you with a clearer and healthier looking skin.
For quick results, neem leaves paste can be directly applied to the affected area in the form of a paste. Alternatively, you can clean neem leaves and soak them in water overnight to drink it in the morning.

Turmeric is one of the most commonly used spices with the most number of medicinal properties. For starters, it is an anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and substance that helps reduce common skin problems and infections. Apart from this, turmeric also exhibits antioxidative properties that eliminate free radicals. Free radicals can lead to skin cell destruction and are an important cause of dull and damaged skin. Antioxidants, by removing free radicals, provide a better environment for the growth and proliferation of healthy skin cells. It has been found in many studies that turmeric can induce recovery in many conditions like acne, atopic dermatitis (condition of red and itchy skin), and radiodermatitis (rashes due to exposure to radiation). 

To get that clear looking skin you can either take turmeric orally in the form of turmeric milk or as a condiment in foods or you can add a pinch of this spice to your regular face masks.

In fact, aloe vera is said to be an all in one solution for skin problems. It contains eight enzymes including aliases, amylase, catalase, cellulase, lipase, peroxidase, bradykinase and alkaline phosphatase, which perform different functions for improving skin tone and health. The branykinase enzyme of aloe vera gel specifically helps in reducing inflammation of the skin. This means it can help you get rid of acne breakouts and itchy skin conditions.
Aloe vera is also a natural moisturiser along with an excellent source of beta carotene. It not only retains skin hydration but also it provides your skin with that soft red glow that is considered a sign of healthy skin.
Aloe vera gel helps reduce sunburn, though it is best not to go out in the sun right after applying aloe vera on your skin as it may just make your skin get burned more easily.
When you think that is it, aloe vera gel hosts an array of antioxidants which help slow down skin ageing. It also has cohesive effects on skin cells, making your skin look taut and young.

(Read more: Face skin tightening remedies)

Tomato is a huge source of ascorbic acid, which is known to be essential in maintaining skin health. Insufficient amount of ascorbic acid can lead to dry skin and open pores. This is because the pH of human skin is quite acidic. Hence it is important to maintain this pH for proliferation and maintenance of skin cells. A regular dose of tomatoes will help you attain just that.
Try using tomatoes that are not fully ripened as they contain more amount of ascorbic acid. Amount of ascorbic acid decreases as the tomato gets old. Ascorbic acid is also correlated with antioxidant function in the body. Hence tomatoes also help in the maintenance and regeneration of skin cells. It also helps in removing tanning in the skin due to UV radiation.
Tomato can be used directly on the skin by cutting it in half and rubbing its inner side on the skin. Our skin soaks the tomato juice to maintain its pH and nourish skin cells.

Onion is known to have antimicrobial and antifungal properties, useful in the treatment of many skin problems including acne. It also helps reduce skin redness and improve skin texture.
Instead of directly applying onion paste on the affected area you can make orange juice and mix it with some honey or rosewater to reduce the sulphur smell. Just strain onion paste into a clean bottle using a strainer to get instant juice at home. Apply this paste or juice daily on your skin for quick results.

Potato juice is said to have various therapeutic properties for your skin. It reduces dark circles and pigmentation and is an excellent remedy for getting an even toned skin. Potato also possesses antioxidative activity, which helps in repairing skin and giving you a clean and spotless look. The antioxidants in potato eliminate the free radicals in the body which disturb and damage skin cells leading to pigmentation.
You just need to extract fresh raw potato juice and apply it directly on the affected areas. Keep it until it dries off and then wash with cold water. Try doing this daily for fast results.

(Read more: Home remedies for pigmentation)

Extracted from leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia of Australian origin, tea tree oil helps in reducing dryness, irritation, itchiness and burning sensation in skin apart from curing acne. It is also a great source of antioxidants that help in cell repair and regeneration. Regular application of tea tree oil will not only prevent blemishes and wrinkles but also it soothes and relaxes your skin, making it look healthier and clearer.
For best results, you can dab a few drops of this oil on the affected areas of your skin. However, direct application of essential oils is usually advised against. So, you can add a few drops of this oil in your regular moisturiser or a carrier oil like coconut oil or almond oil and apply it gently and evenly on your face or skin. As a word of caution, it is advised not to ingest tea tree oil as it can be poisonous.

It might just be wrong to begin any skincare routine without the mention of honey. This supersaturated solution of fructose and glucose is loaded with nutrients and minerals. These nutrients provide nourishment to skin cells and help in cell regeneration, leaving you with healthier and clearer looking skin in no time. Not only this but also it soothes and hydrates your skin, helping to lock in moisture and prevent dry and scaly skin. Honey has a balancing effect on skin pH and it also helps prevent skin inflammatory conditions and blackheads.
And the best part about honey is its antioxidant action which it imparts deep inside the skin cells, promoting skin cell regrowth and preventing the first signs of ageing. Yes, it can help you get rid of wrinkles and dark spots! So what are you waiting for?

Acidic fruits like lemons and tomatoes are your skin’s best friend when it comes to removing pigmentation, acne and blemishes. They have a bleaching effect on the skin, which lightens your skin tone, clearing out all the dark spots.
Furthermore, it has been found that fruit acids like citric acid, gluconic, gluconolactone, malic and tartaric acids are very effective in reducing inflammation and blackheads.
You can either rub them on your skin in the form of scrubs or add a few drops of their juice to your daily face pack.
Depending on your skin type and sensitivity, you may feel a little burn on the application of these acids, so it is advised to use them post-dilution. If not diluted, these acids can disturb your skin causing more blemishes and hyperpigmentation. Also, don't go out in the sun after using lemon on your skin as it can cause more tanning.