Oh My Face Looks Like a Map! On Blotchy Skin - Causes and Remedies

Have you ever looked in front of a mirror and notice how your skin looks uneven, with patches that appear red or brown? No, you don't have to just be a woman to see these on your skin. You can be a man or a woman, young or adult. These patches or blotches do not come with age alone. A lot of different factors can cause these to appear on your skin. If you are someone who has been dealing with these skin problems, continue reading the rest of this post as you might find something that can help you.

Okay, okay, I know that photo of me looks exaggerated but there are certain people in this world who are battling with such patches and blotches on their skin and that isn't even a funny thought. To some, having such skin problems may even cause lack of confidence and low self-esteem. Good thing is there are natural remedies for these conditions without even having to go under the knife and those painful cosmetic procedures (injection with huge needle alert!). But before we go ahead and tackle these natural remedies, let's discuss and educate ourselves a little with these blotches, shall we?

What is blotchy skin?

These are discolorations or pigmentation on the skin that appears like brown or red patches or blotches (hello, freckles!) on the skin caused by several factors such as skin damage due to excessive sun exposure without wearing proper sunscreen, rosacea, dermatitis, allergies, hormonal changes, acne, too much stress and anxiety, aging, intake of certain medications, and even genetic predisposition to name a few.

What can cause blotchy skin?

Here are some common and known causes of blotchy skin.

• Are you expecting a baby and so excited about motherhood? Aside from a baby, you can also expect hormonal changes during pregnancy. This is one of the factors that may cause you to have blotchy skin. Although not everyone experiences this which is really good, there are a few women who are dealing with this at this very moment. Imagine all the emotional roller coaster a pregnant woman has to go through and add the horror of seeing these discolorations and pigmentation on her skin. Not a very pretty thing to experience, right?

• I must admit that I am guilty of not religiously using sunscreen or sun protection and I take a huge risk exposing myself to the harmful rays of the sun. I have seen an increase on my freckles and sunspots on my arms, shoulders, and some on my cheeks. Freckles are cute on kids but not on adults so don't be like me and wear sunscreen whenever you have to go out or even inside the comforts of your own home as the lights on your ceiling also need some protection from. 

• Your boss sets a target unrealistically high, your co-worker stole your idea and presented it as her own, you got several Fs on your report card, your baby is crying non-stop and your husband won't even take shifts with you, and the pizza parlor delivered pepperoni when you wanted all the works on your pizza. Aren't all these stressful? Believe it or not, stress and anxiety can even cause all those bumps and blotches to appear on your skin. Acne is a classic example. When I get anxious over something, I get a nasty zit or two.

• I have atopic dermatitis and allergies so I easily get rashes on the affected area. Sometimes, just leaning on a table can cause these to appear on my arms. It's difficult but I have both medical and natural remedies for that.

• We all age, don't we? Unless you have found the Fountain of Youth (by all means, spill the beans!), you will age too. And sometimes, seeing age spots is inevitable so at a young age, go find skin care products that work for you. You might not see the effects right away but give it 30-40 years and you will be thankful you heeded my advice.

I can go on and on about what causes all these and if I do, it will probably take you an hour to finish reading so let's just skip to the natural remedies which is brilliant because you can find most of these in your kitchen.

• Who loves oatmeal? I do! Simply mix oatmeal with olive oil honey, or milk til you make a paste. All these ingredients have natural soothing properties. 

• I love yogurt especially mango-flavored ones but this time, let's use unflavored and plain ol' yogurt. All you have to do is apply it on your face and that's an instant yogurt mask. The say it's good for the tummy. What they fail to mention is that it's also good for your skin.

• Green tea. I can't think of anyone who hasn't heard of green tea as a natural remedy for acne and skin irritation. Make a green tea mask by adding rice flour on it until a paste is formed.

• Bananas. This is perfect especially for those who have dry skin. Mash a ripe banana and add olive or almond oil, lemon juice, egg yolk, and voila! You got yourself a banana mask. BUT be sure that you are not allergic to nuts before you add almond oil as it will just worsen your skin problem.

• Unrefined cocoa or shea butter. This is my personal favorite as it works quickly and the irritation is gone in just a few minutes. This is what I apply whenever my allergies flare up.

• Aloe vera gel. This is one of the most popular natural remedies for inflammation and skin irritation. Just be sure you don't get too much from your mom's plant, okay?

• Egg white. You can mix this with oatmeal or use it alone. I especially use this when I get burn marks from cooking. I continuously apply it on the burned part and like magic, it doesn't hurt and I no longer get blisters. BUT make sure you're not allergic to poultry.

• Lemon juice. I see this all the time when it's all about getting rid of hyper-pigmentation and dark spots. So it must really work. Just make sure you don't apply a little too much as it might inflame the skin even more because lemon juice is about 5-6% citric acid.

These are just some of the natural remedies that can be commonly found at home, perhaps the unrefined cocoa or shea butter an exception. But all these have been proven to work at some point all these years. Of course, taking care of your skin and body is the best preventive medicine from all these. Derma visits are a lot of times needed depending on the severity of the skin condition.

So do you have other natural remedies or insights on blotchy skin?

TGIF, everyone!

Cheers,