Sandalwood and Almonds

• You could mix sandalwood powder, available at Indian grocery stores, and rose water until it forms a paste. Apply it on your face and neck every day and keep undisturbed until it dries. Perform this routine for a few weeks for a lighter skin tone. The sandalwood powder can be replaced with ground almonds, too. Another natural skin lightening method involves soaking four almonds overnight, removing the skins in the morning, grinding them and making a paste of the same with 1 tablespoon of gram flour, 1 teaspoon of milk and 4 drops of lime juice. This paste applied on the face and left for a quarter of an hour, before rinsing alternately with hot and cold water is a potent natural skin lightening agent.
  
  

Turmeric and Orange

• One of the most important herbs for skin lightening is turmeric, available easily at any grocery store, or where Indian products are sold. The powder of this herb can be used to make a paste with milk cream, a few drops of lime juice and plain yogurt. For better results, you could add either sandalwood powder and tomato pulp or cucumber juice and papaya paste. Each of these has natural skin lightening substances in its composition. Apply this paste on the face and neck or any area exposed to the sun, and leave undisturbed for 15 minutes or until it dries on the skin. Scrub it off with a towel and rinse with cold water. Regular application of these pastes can lighten your skin drastically. Another remedy involves collecting orange peels and drying them in the microwave or sun. When fully dried and hard, grind them in to a powder and use a tablespoon of it mixed with raw or whole milk for application on face and neck on a daily basis. Rinse with warm water after it dries.
  
  

Chamomile and Mint

• Make a mixture with a cup of boiling water and 3 teaspoons of dried chamomile flowers (available at specialty grocery stores). After keeping it on the flame for about 10 minutes, cool and strain the mixture, add a tablespoon each of honey and rose water. Rub your face with the solution and let dry. Rinse with cold water for effective skin lightening. A pack made of a paste of mint leaves, applied to the face on a daily basis, can lead to fairer skin too.
  
  

Other Remedies

• A paste of grated cucumber with coconut water or a paste made from grape seeds or even fresh water-soaked potato slices will help lighten the skin when you apply directly on the face and neck. A mask made with oatmeal and yogurt or honey, a tomato and lime juice solution or honey and milk or almonds is equally effective for skin lightening as well.