Garbanzo Beans: Natural Remedy for Age Spots

Age spots become more like an aesthetic issue than a health problem. Although they are unsightly due to their appearance, they are harmless. Elderly people are more susceptible to age spots than youngsters because they have been exposed to the sun longer than younger people. The best way to prevent age spots is to use lot of high quality sunblock and avoid as much exposure to the sun as possible. However, before looking for ways to treat age spots, it is always important to confirm that they are age spots and not something else, like symptoms of skin cancer or any other skin disease, for that matter. If the spots keep changing color, please see a dermatologist for proper diagnosis. Once you are sure that the spots are due to sun exposure and aging, you can use following natural remedies to treat them.

Natural Remedies for Age Spots

Although there are several medical treatment options, many people prefer natural remedies to treat their age spots in order to prevent possible side-effects of medical treatment. Here are some recipes that feature garbanzo beans as their key ingredient, take a look at them for treating your age spots.

Garbanzo beans are used to make the basic hummus (the base) essential for a face pack which is combined with various mildly acidic ingredients like garlic, lemon, apple-cider vinegar, etc., to remove age spots. Let us first learn how to make hummus mixture.

Making the Hummus Mixture
Ingredients:

• Garbanzo beans
• Tahini
• Water
• Food processor

Preparation:

1. Cook 1 cup garbanzo beans.
2. Blend the cooked beans in a food processor.
3. Add ¼ cup tahini.
4. Now, start adding water until you get the texture of a thick pudding and you're done.

As we have learned this mixture is the base for the face pack, following are various items to be added to the hummus to make the face pack.

Garlic-Hummus Pack
Ingredients:

• 5-6 garlic cloves
• Hummus mixture

Preparation:

1. Mash the garlic cloves to get a paste.
2. Mix it with the hummus base and apply it on the face and the areas where there are age spots.
3. Leave it for at least half an hour and then wash it off with water.

For the Lemon Juice Hummus Pack, you will need juice of 1 lemon mixed with 1 cup hummus. Once you obtain the mixture, repeat the same procedure as above.

For the Apple-Cider Hummus Pack, you will need juice of 1 onion, part apple-cider vinegar and the mixture of hummus. Mix the apple-cider vinegar and onion juice with 1 cup of hummus and apply it to the affected area. Leave it on for 30 minutes and wash off. The mixture of onion juice and apple-cider vinegar can be applied directly on the age spots provided, you do not experience a burning sensation. If so, combine it with the hummus mixture as it minimizes the burning sensation.

Turmeric-Garbanzo Beans Pack
Ingredients:

• ¼ tsp. Turmeric powder
• Milk
• 2 tsp. Garbanzo bean flour/Gram flour
• Honey

Preparation:

1. Mix garbanzo beans flour and turmeric powder in a bowl.
2. Mix both the ingredients well. Then start adding milk and honey simultaneously, to obtain the consistency of a paste.
3. Before applying the mask on the face, wash your face with water and soap or face wash, whichever is suitable for your skin.
4. Apply the paste on the face including other areas like the back of your hands, neck, and chest evenly, avoiding your eyes.
5. Let the face pack dry for at least 10 minutes.
6. Now, wipe your face gently with your fingers and then rinse it with warm water to remove the pack completely.

One more simple method to use garbanzo beans for treating age spots is to cook the beans, mash them properly, mix them with water to get a thick paste, and apply it to the age spots. Let it dry completely and then wash it off with water.

Diet to Reduce Age Spots

Eat

• Green vegetables like spinach, cabbage, fenugreek, etc.
• Drink fruit juices
• Raw vegetables containing fiber and vitamins B and C
• Soybeans, eggs, and cheese products

Avoid

• Oily food
• Junk food
• Foods that contain psoralen like parsnips, limes, turnips, and parsley

There are a number of home remedies for treating age spots which are natural, therefore with minimal side-effects. If you use these remedies consistently and follow a balanced and healthy diet, it will make a lot of difference to your skin by lightening the age spots and removing them eventually.