9 Best Products To Lighten Dark Knees and Elbows

Being a little darker around the knees and elbows than the rest of your body is quite natural. They can, however, come across as intrusive and stressful. Especially when you see that your elbows are getting rougher, drier, and darker as the weather changes.

To learn how to take care of your elbow and knee problems, continue reading as we attempt to identify the causes and remedies

Why do my elbows and knees look darker?

Darkened elbows and knees can be caused by several variables, sometimes a combination of them may be the cause of your condition. Ascertaining the root cause simplifies the process of coming up with solutions.

Friction:

As a result of our ingrained movement patterns, the elbows and knees experience friction, and the skin eventually darkens and thickens.

Dead skin cell build-up:

Due to the extra skin in that location, elbow skin is prone to accumulating dead skin cells.

Disorders:

Unnatural blackness is frequently caused by PCOS, diabetes, eczema, and psoriasis.

Deficits in Nutrition:

In this case, the absence of Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D is the reason for the darkness, as bodies might occasionally lack the proper amount of nutrients to appear their best.

Hyperpigmentation:

Compared to lighter skin tones, this condition is more prevalent in skin with higher melanin content. Hyperpigmentation can result from excessive melanin production, which is frequently stimulated by the sun.

Dry skin:

In this situation, the only thing missing from your skin is moisture, which gives it a slightly calloused, wrinkly, and dull appearance.

Tackling Dark Knee and Elbow Skin Issues

Until you’re completely ignoring body care, taking care of your elbows and knees doesn’t need you to go above and beyond. It’s relatively simple once you get the hang of it.

They must be cared for daily. The cleanse, moisturize, and protect mantra applies to your entire body just as much as your face. This will assist in reducing discoloration and keep your skin from darkening or hardening further. The following are some techniques for getting even-looking knees and elbows.

Exfoliate

You can choose to exfoliate using a combination of chemical and physical methods. Exfoliating is unavoidable, though, as it’s likely the most crucial step in clearing the skin of a build-up of dead skin cells, and making way for fresher and smoother-looking skin.

Every now and again, you could go for a sugar or coffee scrub. Alternatively, you can use a besan pack or curd and oats pack to physically exfoliate your skin. These masks moisturize your skin and enhance your natural tone. Because lemon juice is high in Vitamin C, it’s also a well-liked at-home treatment for skin lightening. People also claim to have achieved lighter-toned knees and elbows after using potato juice. These uncomplicated DIYs would already be at your fingertips, so do try them out. Though they’re generally safe, you would still want to patch tests first. Other options for exfoliating the knees and elbows include body mitts. You can actually see the dead skin cells and debris peeling off your skin using these.

Moisturize

Knees and elbows can often become calloused due to a variety of causes so it’s ideal to use rich emollient-based creams for the area. Especially after taking a shower – when the skin is more prone to dryness – it’s essential to provide nourishment to your skin. Particularly to your joints, which see a lot of movement and become hardened and discolored due to friction.

Sunscreen

Whatever it is you’re attempting to combat won’t work if you don’t wear Sunscreen. Going outside without wearing sunscreen will aggravate your skin condition and lead to further problems. In order to maintain evenly toned elbows and knees, sunscreen is indispensable. It will keep away the excess melanin production and your discoloration under control. So pick a sunscreen with SPF 30 or above.

Ingredients And Products To Lighten Dark Knees and Elbows

Active body washes, chemical peels, and serums are just a few methods of chemical exfoliation. In the chemical Exfoliate of your choice, look for certain exfoliating or brightening ingredients.

Glycolic Acid:

Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) removes dead skin, excess oil, and debris from the skin’s surface, so you’d want to look for something like glycolic acid- a kind of AHA, in your serum or peel.

1. The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Toner

With 7% Glycolic Acid, The Ordinary Glycolic Acid is a great place to start. It’s effective and easy to work with, and it is also multipurpose – can be used on your scalp and body.

2. Glyco 6 and Glyco 12

An affordable alternative in cream form is the Glyco 6. It’s super effective in lightening dark spots. Start with the Glyco 6 and slowly move on to the Glyco 12 if you have really sensitive skin.

While Glyco 6 is widely used on the face by many, we can say that one can use the Glyco 12 comfortably to lighten your dark knees and elbows as the skin there is tougher than on the face.

Kojic Acid:

Another wonderful ingredient is Kojic acid, which evens out skin tone because of its skin-lightening properties. It’s not harsh like Hydroquinone, so it’s often used as its safer alternative.

3. Kozicare Skin Lightening Cream

There is a dedicated knee and elbow cream from Kozicare But we love this new version of Kozicare Skin Lightening cream because of its potent ingredients. It has solid skin-lightening ingredients – 3% Kojic Acid, 1% Alpha Arbutin, 1% Glutathione, 2% Niacinamide, and 2% Vitamin C. Looks overwhelming but we can be assured of its results.

Retinol:

Retinol or Vitamin A are also excellent choices because they enhance the turnover of skin cells and exfoliate the skin. Pick retinol if elbow darkness has been caused by hyperpigmentation, as it will also lessen sun damage. Look for a good quality retinol serum or retinol cream that would be easier to use. We love the one below from Fixderma.

4. Fixderma Nigrifix Cream

This is an effective solution for body exfoliation. It helps reduce elbow and knee discoloration and also smoothens out the skin in only a few applications. Targeted for acanthosis nigricans, this should also help if you’re skin is slightly calloused. It’s made with a combination of Retinol, Lactic Acid, Tea Tree Oil, and Urea – which does a lot for skin pigmentation.

Vitamin C:

Vitamin C is an all-rounder ingredient that is good for dark spots, even skin, and bringing out the glow from within the skin. It’s a great antioxidant in addition to having skin-lightening properties^[1]. So when used in conjunction with other ingredients, it fastens the lightening of dark knees and elbows.

5. Chemist at Play Brightening Roll On For Neck, Knee & Elbow

Dedicated Vitamin C Serums are great. But this product from Chemist At Play with 6% Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid, AHAs, Niacinamide, and Ceramides is the cherry on the cake. It’s an excellent roll-on that helps to reduce the darkness of pigmentation spots. It’s a nice nourishing formula, so it also hydrates the dry skin.

Urea:

Urea softens out rough, thick, or dry skin. It’s an excellent ingredient when dealing with tough knees and dry elbows. So opt for Urea-containing products as they can gently exfoliate and bring out a smoother texture.

6. Cotaryl Cream

Cotaryl Cream contains Urea along with a bunch of moisturizing ingredients that can help soften the knees and ease the toughened skin by dissolving the excess keratin in the area.

7. Melalumin Elbow and Knee Cream

This is specially designed for the elbows and knees with a blend of Urea and Glycolic Acid along with Niacinamide and Licorice Extract. It exfoliates and works to reduce pigmentation on the tough areas of the body eventually giving a smoother-looking skin.

Lactic Acid:

Lactic Acid is gentler than Urea and is preferred by people with more sensitive skin. It’s an AHA that exfoliates the skin by shedding dead skin cells and promotes collagen synthesis.

8. Lacsoft Cream

The Lacsoft cream is a great pick, as it can help reduce pigmentation spots and also lighten discoloration. With 12% Lactic Acid, it’s a potent product that can lighten the rough knees and elbows.

9. Suganda Lactic Acid Body Lotion

A gentler alternative is the Suganda Lactic Acid Body Lotion. It’s a moisturizing lotion with 5% Lactic Acid and 2% Niacinamide. It works on eliminating dryness, bumpy skin texture, and roughness around the knees and elbows. It’s also used to help with strawberry legs

Precautions

There are a lot of things that you could be tempted to use to “lighten” your skin, but you should be cautious before doing so. Because every skin type is unique, the way a product or substance interacts with one type of skin can be very different from how another type of skin responds to it.

While baking soda is a well-liked remedy for whitening skin, it’s also the ideal recipe for mishaps. You may experience an adverse reaction, such as an irritation or rash, if your skin is even somewhat sensitive. It might even necessitate seeking medical attention.

When it comes to hyperpigmentation, tretinoin is also frequently mentioned. However, if you use Tret without first consulting a dermatologist, your skin will only become worse. If applied improperly, it could result in burns or peeling skin. Furthermore, it could make skin even darker.

Some bleaching lotions, especially those that include mercury, claim to lighten skin, but you should avoid using them. Their short-term benefits are fleeting and over time they will have severely compromised your skin’s barrier.

Let us know in the comments if you have any recommendations for even toning knees and elbows.

Sejal Jain

Sejal Jain is a passionate beauty content creator at TheBeautyInsideout. She believes that skincare is not just a superficial thing but more like an expression of self-love and respect for your body and yourself.