How To Clean Inner Thighs

Are you conscious while sporting your favorite pair of shorts or bikini? Is it because of your dark inner thighs?

Pigmented inner thighs not only cause embarrassment but also affect your self-confidence. But, the good news is that there are various natural as well as OTC treatment options to get rid of discolored inner thighs. Read on to find out what they are.

Why Are My Inner Thighs So Dark?

Anyone can develop dark inner thighs, regardless of their complexion. One of the main reasons for this is the excess production of melanin, a pigment that gives your skin its tone. Medically, this is referred to as hyperpigmentation.

Some factors that can cause your inner thighs to darken are:

Chafing that may occur while walking with wet or sweaty clothes on
Medications like chemotherapy drugs or oral hormonal contraceptives
Increased exposure to the sun
Dry skin
Friction on the skin due to tight clothing

Dark inner thighs may force you to limit your choice of clothing and make you extremely self-conscious and hesitant. If you are seeking natural alternatives to this problem, we have your back. Listed below are some excellent home remedies that can assist in lightening dark inner thighs.

11 Natural Home Remedies To Lighten Dark Inner Thighs

1. Baking Soda

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You Will Need

1-2 cups of baking soda
Water

What You Have To Do

Fill your bath with water and add baking soda to it.
Allow it to dissolve completely.
Soak in the baking soda bath for 10-15 minutes.
Pat your skin dry and apply a moisturizer.

How Often You Should Do This

You may do this once every alternate day.

Why This Works

Baking soda acts as a mild exfoliant on dry and scaly skin. Its alkaline nature can increase the skin's pH and facilitate the removal of scaly skin (1). This may also help you get rid of dark inner thighs caused by dry skin.

2. Apple Cider Vinegar

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You Will Need

2 tablespoons of organic apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon of water
Cotton balls

What You Have To Do

Add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to one tablespoon of water.
Mix well and dip a cotton ball in the mixture.
Apply the solution to the affected area. Leave it on for 15-20 minutes.
Rinse it off.
You can also mix a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water and drink it up daily.

How Often You Should Do This

You may do this once daily.

Why This Works

Dark inner thighs are often caused due to obesity. Regular consumption of apple cider vinegar can help you lose weight and battle obesity. Its antioxidant property can help reduce the oxidative damage that your skin is exposed to daily (2).

3. Aloe Vera

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You Will Need

Aloe vera gel (as required)

What You Have To Do

Take an aloe vera leaf and scrape out its gel.
Blend the gel using a fork.
Apply the aloe gel to the affected areas.
Leave it on for 20-30 minutes and rinse it off.
Freeze the remaining gel.

How Often You Should Do This

You can do this once daily.

Why This Works

Aloe vera leaf extracts exhibit melanin aggregating effects and can help with skin lightening (3).

4. Lemon Juice

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You Will Need

½ lemon
Cotton pads

What You Have To Do

Squeeze out the juice from half a lemon.
Apply the juice to the affected area with a cotton pad. If you have sensitive skin, dilute the lemon juice with an equal volume of water.
Leave it on for 20-30 minutes and rinse it off with water.

How Often You Should Do This

You may do this once daily.

Why This Works

Lemon juice is a rich source of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) – a natural skin lightening agent. Vitamin C can help treat dark inner thighs by decreasing melanin synthesis in the affected area (4).

5. Coconut Oil

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You Will Need

1 tablespoon of virgin coconut oil

What You Have To Do

Apply virgin coconut oil gently to the affected area.
Leave it on until it dries.

How Often You Should Do This

You may do this 1-2 times daily.

Why This Works

The moisturizing and soothing property of coconut oil exhibits protective effects on the skin (5). It can also help with dry and chafed skin, which can cause your inner thighs to become dark.

6. Turmeric

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You Will Need

1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
A few drops of water

What You Have To Do

Add a few drops of water to a teaspoon of turmeric powder.
Mix well to form a paste.
Apply the paste to the affected area.
Leave it on for 20-30 minutes.
Rinse it off with water.

How Often You Should Do This

You may do this once daily.

Why This Works

Curcumin, the active component of turmeric, can inhibit melanogenesis and lighten dark inner thighs (6).

7. Cucumber

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You Will Need

½ cucumber
A blender

What You Have To Do

Take a refrigerated cucumber and cut it into half.
Blend one half of the cucumber.
Apply the cucumber paste to the affected skin.
Leave it on for 20-30 minutes.
Rinse it off with water.
You can also consume cucumber daily.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this once daily.

Why This Works

Cucumber soothes your skin and can help reduce skin irritation and swelling (7). If your dark inner thighs are a result of constant chafing or dry skin, cucumbers are your best bet.

8. Sugar Scrub

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You Will Need

1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
1 tablespoon of coconut oil

What You Have To Do

Add a tablespoon of coconut oil to a tablespoon of granulated sugar.
Mix well and use the sugar scrub to exfoliate the skin in the affected area gently.
Do this for a minute or two and rinse it off with water.

How Often You Should Do This

You can do this 2-3 times a week.

Why This Works

Sugar scrubs help in exfoliating your skin. It helps in getting rid of dead skin cells that may have accumulated in your inner thighs and caused darkening in the area.

9. Yogurt

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You Will Need

1 tablespoon of yogurt

What You Have To Do

Apply yogurt to the affected area.
Leave it on for 20-30 minutes and rinse it off with water.
You can also consume a small bowl of yogurt daily for additional benefits.

How Often You Should Do This

You may do this one time daily.

Why This Works

Yogurt is a good source of a compound called L-cysteine. This compound is a skin lightening agent that may also help in getting rid of dark inner thighs (8).

10. Oatmeal

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You Will Need

1 tablespoon of powdered oatmeal
Water (as required)

What You Have To Do

Take a tablespoon of powdered oatmeal and add a little water to it.
Mix well to form a thick paste.
Apply the paste to the affected skin.
Leave it on for 20-30 minutes and rinse it off with water.

How Often You Should Do This

You may do this once daily or every alternate day.

Why This Works

Oatmeal has various benefits for your skin. It can protect your skin against ultraviolet damage and can also prevent it from drying (9). Thus, it may lighten dark inner thighs caused due to dry skin or overexposure to the sun.

11. Almond Oil

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You Will Need

Almond oil (as required)

What You Have To Do

Take some almond oil on your fingers and gently apply it to the affected area.
Leave it on until it dries.

How Often You Should Do This

You may do this 1-2 times daily.

Why This Works

Almond oil has been used for ages to treat dry skin due to its emollient properties. These activities also help improving skin tone and complexion, which makes almond oil a suitable remedy to get rid of dark inner thighs (10).

These remedies will undoubtedly do an excellent job in treating dark inner thighs.

If you are looking for other treatment options, there are many over-the-counter (OTC) formulations to treat hyperpigmentation.

OTC And Prescription Treatments

Many OTC treatments can help in lightening your dark inner thighs. Some formulations are based on natural ingredients like:

Soy
Niacinamide
Ellagic acid
Lignin peroxidase

These ingredients do not have any side effects.

Arbutin, kojic acid, and licorice are other natural ingredients that may help with pigmentation. However, the OTC ointments containing these compounds may show some side effects like increased sensitivity and peeling of the skin.

When these don't help, you can consult a dermatologist for your problem. The common prescription treatments for hyperpigmentation are:

Hydroquinone
Retinoids
Laser treatments

These treatments should address most of your issues related to hyperpigmentation and dark inner thighs. Additionally, here are some amazing tips that can help prevent hyperpigmentation in your inner thighs.

How To Prevent Dark Inner Thighs

Wear bicycle or nylon shorts to prevent chafing.
Keep the affected area clean and dry.
Exfoliate the affected area regularly.
Wear loose and breathable clothing when the weather is hot and humid.
Avoid shaving/waxing in the affected area to prevent further irritation.
Always wear sunscreen with SPF 40 or higher whenever you venture out.

Following these tips regularly can reduce your chances of getting hyperpigmentation on your inner thighs to a great extent.

Certain factors may put you at a higher risk of developing dark inner thighs. They are as follows.

Risk Factors

The factors that may increase your chances of getting dark inner thighs are:

Obesity – It increases the risk of chafing.
Hormonal imbalance
Certain medical conditions like diabetes or acanthosis nigricans
Occupations that require you to stay out in the sun for long periods

If there is no improvement in your skin despite trying the remedies and tips discussed above, consult a doctor to find out the root cause and avail treatment accordingly. All these remedies can also be used to assist any ongoing medical therapies in giving better results.

Do you have any remedies up your sleeve that can help with dark inner thighs? Share them with us in the comments section below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are my inner thighs itchy?

Your inner thighs can get itchy for many reasons. Jock's itch and fungal infections are the main causes of itchy inner thighs. Chafing may also be one of the causes.

Why do the inner thighs get dark?

One of the leading causes of dark inner thighs is hyperpigmentation. Other factors like chafing, certain medications, hormonal imbalances, and increased sun exposure can also contribute to dark inner thighs.

Does shaving underarms make it dark?

Shaving your underarms don't make them dark. However, it will give an impression of darker underarms as it results in the formation of an unsightly stubble as the hair in the underarms grows back.

Can waxing cause dark underarms?

No, waxing doesn't darken your underarms. It is better than shaving as your hair will not grow back in a stubble. Instead, it will grow thinner and will be less evident.

References

"Scaly skin and bath pH: Rediscovering baking soda" Journal Of The American Academy Of Dermatology.
"Apple Cider Vinegar Attenuates Oxidative Stress and Reduces the Risk of Obesity in High-Fat-Fed Male Wistar Rats." Journal of Medicinal Food, US National Library Of Medicine.
"On the novel action of melanolysis by a leaf extract of Aloe vera and its active ingredient aloin, potent skin depigmenting agents." Planta Medica, US National Library Of Medicine.
"The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health" Nutrients, US National Library Of Medicine.
"In vitro anti-inflammatory and skin protective properties of Virgin coconut oil" Journal Of Traditional And Complementary Medicine, US National Library Of Medicine.
"Curcumin inhibits melanogenesis in human melanocytes." Phytotherapy Research, US National Library Of Medicine.
"Phytochemical and therapeutic potential of cucumber." Fitoterapia, US National Library Of Medicine.
"Systemic skin whitening/lightening agents: What is the evidence?" Indian Journal Of Dermatology, Venereology, And Leprology, US National Library Of Medicine.
"Oatmeal in dermatology: a brief review" Indian Journal Of Dermatology, Venereology, And Leprology, US National Library Of Medicine.
"The uses and properties of almond oil." Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, US National Library Of Medicine.

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Author

Shaheen holds a postgraduate degree in Human Genetics and Molecular Biology. She is a Geneticist with proficiency in Biotechnology, Immunology,... more