Eating lemons might cause you to pull a sour face. But these citrusy nuggets of gold have surprising skin benefits when applied directly to your face. And the best thing of all if that they are completely natural.
People are skeptical about adding lemons to their skin care regime. And for good reason too! These fruits are incredibly acidic. And the idea of applying something so acidic to your skin can be terrifying. However there is no cause for alarm when they are used correctly.
Lemons are a natural bleach
Bleach is a blegh word. It sounds so serious! That’s because when we think of bleach, we usually picture the poisonous chemical cocktail used to lighten clothes. However lemon is a totally harmless bleach if used in small doses.
Some common skin blemishes you may want to curb include acne scars, hyper-pigmentation, freckles, moles and dark patches. These are essentially discolorations of the skin. So how do you fix discoloration? Skin lightening.
Does lemon juice lighten spots?
Lemon juice is a safe, natural and cost effective way to lighten spots. You can buy expensive topical creams however these have side effects. In fact, consistent use of these creams can damage your skin, making it more prone to spots. Ugh.
On the other hand, lemon juice can effectively reduce the appearance of spots. This does not mean the spots will vanish away entirely. However they will be less noticeable. It’s effectiveness depends on how you use it. The more you use it, the brighter your skin will be and the longer it will last.
What about my skin tone, dark complexion and pigmentation?
Lemon is an all-natural antioxidant and antibacterial. Skin Tots claims,
Lemon juice is rich in Vitamin C which are effective for skin lightening, clearing dark spots, acne marks and dark patches on face. Vitamin C has been scientifically proven to reduce the amount of melanin produced.
The citric acid in lemon can be used to exfoliate the skin the minimise the appearance of hyper-pigmentation and patches. Exfoliation is removing dead skin cells attached to fresh skin cells underneath the skin. Simply mix lemon juice and sugar for an exfoliation scrub.
How not to use lemon
Lemon is acidic. Let’s not kid ourselves here. So there are some precautions you must take. Firstly, consult your doctor before using lemon with any topical creams – especially acne creams.
Secondly you should not leave lemon juice on your skin for prolonged periods. I’ll get to this in depth later. But for now, know that you should not leave it on your skin without washing it off.
And finally, avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight when applying this to your skin.
How to use lemon
Here are three options from Skin Tots for using lemon.
- Use lemon as an exfoliant: Take 2 tablespoon of natural sugar, 1teaspoon lemon juice and 1 egg white. Mix the three ingredients together until a thick paste is formed. Gently scrub your skin in a circular motion following a gentle massage. Take 10-15 minutes before washing off with warm water. Let it dry and apply a skin moisturizer.
- Lemon skin lightening mask: Make a mixture of 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon sandalwood paste, 1 tablespoon tomato juice and 1 tablespoon cucumber juice. Apply the paste on your skin for 15-20 minutes and rinse with warm water before applying a moisturizer. If your skin is dry mix equal amount of lemon juice, honey and 2 drops of essential oils instead.
- Lemon spot fix: Obtain lemon fruit and make slices. Squeeze the juice and apply on the skin using a clean cotton ball. Using warm water, wash off after 20 minutes and you will be marveled on how does lemon lighten skin fast. Alternatively, you can spray the juice on your skin or rub the slices directly without extracting the juice.
