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You may remember my recent post about drinking herbal teas to clear up acne where I mentioned that turmeric is one of many acne-clarifying herbs and spices. Well, it turns out turmeric is great for treating melasma too.

Turmeric has antioxidant properties, and it has been found to slow down melanin production. So, in addition to drinking tea spiced with turmeric, try applying a turmeric paste directly to your skin to treat pigmentation problems, such as melasma.

Traditionally, turmeric is used a spice in different Indian dishes. It is yellow in color and is soft and powdery to the touch. When choosing to apply it to your skin, add a sprinkling of lemon juice and water to create a paste. Cleanse the skin, pat dry, and then apply the mixture to the areas of your face you want treated. Let it sit for 10 minutes, rinse, and moisturize.

Like with any new skin care regimen, test a small area of your skin first and see how your skin reacts. If within a day or two you have no adverse reaction to the treatment (i.e., no redness, no bumps, no itchiness), then apply it to your face. Start out using the mixture once every three days for a week, then once every two days for a week, and then once every day for one week.

Be sure to take pictures of your skin as you go through this process. Before committing yourself to the regimen long term, you need to be sure it is actually working.

There are professional products that will give you more bang (and more buck too, of course). One of my favorites is  Juara Skincare Turmeric Antioxidant Facial Mask. While I’ve only used it on a few occasions, I do like the way it makes my skin feel, and I have noticed some of my smaller spots fading. With persistence and my own do-it-yourself turmeric treatment, I’m confident I’ll see more results, but I’ll keep you posted.

If you are a regular reader here, then you know how I feel about drinking more than eight glasses of water every day – skin fitness requires hydration. Drinking water helps maintain an acne-free, clear complexion.

By running fluids through your body you not only push toxins through and out of your body, but you also keep your skin supple, taught, and moisturized (with the help of products too, of course). But the problem is that some of us get bored drinking so much water with little flavor.

So why not add herbs to the water for some flavored pizzazz? On top of the added flavor, the herbs will improve your skin fitness too.

Purifying herbs can do wonders for maintaining a healthy complexion, especially for acne-laden skin.

Herbal teas—including mint, ginger, and cinnamon—cleanse the blood and liver helping your digestive system to push those pesky toxins out of your system and to keep your digestive system working regularly. The condition of your organs is often apparent by the clarity of your skin. So if your insides are in good condition,  then so will your skin.

Here are a few more herbs beneficial to skin fitness:

• Tumeric
• Chamomille
• Pansy herb
• Aniseed
• Birch leaves
• Cumin

Teas are a great morning beverage, but it wouldn’t hurt to have an afternoon and evening dose too. Most skin clarifying teas are caffeine-free so they won’t interfere with sleep or your coffee drinking, if you are so inclined.

One last tip … avoid sweeteing your tea with white sugar (white sugar doesn’t help skin fitness, at all). Instead, use honey or other natural sweeteners.

There’s no denying that some of the fancy and expensive skin care products we know and love improve our skin fitness, but so can a few items from the produce aisle at the grocery store.

Carrots and spinach are great sources of vitamin A. It’s not a magical cure, but it certainly helps. Vitamin A promotes cell turnover and decreases the production of oil, which leads to overall healthy (clear) skin.

A little bit of lemon juice can go a long way to clear skin. Combine juice from one lemon with a 1/3 cup of water. Use a washcloth to pat the mixture onto your skin — let it set for 20 seconds — then rinse. The alpha hydroxy acid (which is found in really expensive skin products too!) kills bacteria and helps to kick dead skin to the curb. Think of a lemon acne rinse like an exfoliator and an astringent in one.

Okay, chickpeas aren’t necessarily in the produce aisle, but they are only a few aisles away and they’re good for your skin. Chickpeas contain zinc, which is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and its ability to control oil production.

What acne treatments do you find in the grocery store? Share your treatments with us here.