When you go to school and office you often keep your elbows on the desk for long hours and this result in darkened elbows that are dry and hard. Do you want to get rid of them and have soft and supple elbows as you had when you were a little child? If yes, here is the solution for you!!
How to Get Rid of Dark Patches on the Elbows:
Procedure 1: Using Different Scrubs
Use of different scrubs on elbows – when you have your bath, use the following scrubs to scrub your elbows and get rid of the patches.
Scrub 1:
One of the easy ways to get rid of dark patches is to use baking soda. Take some baking soda or sodium bicarbonate and mix it with 1 teaspoon of orange juice or lemon juice so that you get a paste. Massage this on your elbows gently for 1 to 2 minutes and then wash off as you have your bath.
Scrub 2:
A scrub made of pumice stone in the dust form and lemon juice is an excellent remedy for removing patches on the elbows. You can mix one teaspoon of lemon juice with more than half a teaspoon of pumice stone. Mix them well and then scrub your elbows gently with this paste for 1 to 2 minutes. Then have your bath and wash off the scrub.
Scrub 3:
Grind plain sugar so that you get coarse grains after you grind it. Store it in a jar and mix half a teaspoon of this sugar with lemon juice whenever you require it. Apply this scrub on your elbows and massage gently for one or two minutes. After that you can have your bath. If you use this daily, you can slowly get rid of the dark patches on your elbows.
Scrub 4:
If the skin of your elbows is very dry and scaly then you must give extra treatment for it. Splash warm water on your elbows and then scrub the area with pumice stone. You can also use any scrub made of apricot for scrubbing your elbows as apricot has coarse grains and help in better scrubbing. Scrub for about 5 minutes and then you can wash it off with warm water. With regular use your elbows will become soft and light.
Scrub 5:
You can grind brown sugar and keep it in a jar. Whenever you wish to scrub your elbows, take half a teaspoon of the powdered brown sugar from the jar and mix it well with half a teaspoon of lemon juice. Massage your elbows gently with this mixture for a few minutes and then have your bath. You can increase the ratio according to your convenience.
Procedure 2: Moisturising:
After you have your bath, you must always moisturize your elbows with a rich creamy moisturizer so that your elbows remain well hydrated and do not get dry. You can also use petroleum jelly or glycerin for moisturizing the area.
[Also Read: Moisturizers for Oily Skin]
Procedure 3: Night treatment:
Before you go to bed at night, take care to treat your elbows. You can apply any of the lotions mentioned below on your elbows. Massage your elbows in circular motions with the lotion and leave it overnight. Applying it daily is very beneficial for your elbows. This will provide you positive results within a week.
Remedy 1:
Take baby oil, pure olive oil and petroleum jelly in a bowl and mix them well. Keep this mixture in a dry container so that you can use it every night before you sleep. Massage your elbows with this lotion every night. With regular use, you will see that the dryness of the elbows is gone and it has become soft and supple.
Remedy 2:
Take one fourth cup of beeswax that is finely chopped, one cup of cocoa butter, one cup of shea butter, half a cup of jojoba oil and half a cup of olive oil. Melt all these ingredients in a bowl either in indirect heat or in an oven at 180 degree F. Once they are fully melted, mix them well and then store it in a dry container that is airtight. Take a portion of it every night and massage your elbows for 1 to 2 minutes. Using this regularly will help in getting rid of dry and scaly elbows.
[Also Read: Glowing and Radiant Skin Tips]
Procedure 4: Extra Care:
Cut a pair of socks in the shape of elbow bandages and then apply a mixture of glycerin and petroleum jelly on the inner surface of the bandage, so that this mixture will stay in contact with your elbows after you wear it. Massage you elbows first with the night lotion as explained in step 3 before you wear this sock bandage. Wear this sock bandage overnight and you can take them off in the morning. This is an old fashioned remedy that was practiced by our grandmothers, and is still found to be very effective.
This bandage helps in keeping the elbow area warm. This way the petroleum jelly and glycerin will be absorbed better by the skin. You may also use any shortening fat for this like Crisco or vegetable oil. With regular use you will see a significant change in the appearance of your elbows.
There are many other ways also to treat dry and dark elbows. Rubbing banana peels on the elbows is said to be very effective. Rub your elbows with banana peel in circular motions. This helps in keeping the skin well moisturized and prevents drying of the skin. Moreover, banana is rich in Vitamin C and the peel of banana has antibiotic and antifungal properties.
You can apply the same treatment for your knees also. Now that you have seen how you can prevent dark and dry elbows, try the above mentioned remedies and see how it makes your elbows smooth, soft and supple.
