Due to the accumulation of dirt, dust and sweat, some body parts naturally turn dark or dry. For example, the all-time problem is about our underarm skin being darker than our regular skin. If you've been an outdoor player as a child, you are no stranger to dark and dry elbows or knees. But what to do when this dark skin causes serious problems with cosmesis?

Here are some easy and natural methods available to get rid of dark and dry skin from parts of your body so that they match your actual skin colour.

1. Aloe Vera gel

 Although it helps greatly in sunburns, aloe gel is also very useful in curing dry and dark skin. Just apply some gel directly over the darkened areas and keep it for about 20 minutes. Wash it off and practice this once daily for good results.

2. Baking soda

 All you need to do is, make a paste which is 3 parts baking soda and one part water. Mix it up until its smooth and apply the paste on the affected region. You can do this twice daily.

3. Lemon

 It is an excellent exfoliating agent and all you need to do is squeeze some juice out of the lemon and apply it on the dark and dry area. Leave it on for 15-20 minutes and then wash it off.

4. Sugar and olive oil

 The small granules in sugar effectively help to remove dry and dead skin. You can make a thick paste out of sugar and some Olive oil. Gently massage the dry area with the help of this paste for 5-10 minutes and wash it off.

5. Cucumbers

 They are very useful for dark underarms. Blend some cucumbers, lemon juice and turmeric together to lighten underarms naturally.

6. Milk

 A mixture of milk and curd can do great benefits for dark and dry skin.

7. Almond oil

 Simply massage the darkened areas with almond oil once a day to get brighter skin.

8. Potatoes

You can grind some potatoes with water. Apply this mixture on the dry and darkened areas of your skin and then wash it off. Due to the enzyme Catecholase, the breakdown of dead skin is faster.

All these are completely natural remedies to lighten skin.

You can practice them at your home and they would have no whatsoever side effects on your normal skin.