It’s easy to spend a lot of money on cosmetic products. When you want to look your best, you understandably accept nothing less than the best from your creams, moisturizers, and related goods.
The thing is, you don’t have to break the bank to look beautiful. There are many items you might already have in your home that offer a range of cosmetic benefits you may not even know about.
Lemon is one of them. This citrus fruit is widely available, exceptionally affordable, and a surprisingly valuable part of any beauty regimen. Best of all, it’s natural. A lot of expensive cosmetic products are full of chemicals that can actually have an adverse effect on your skin in the long run. Lemon will bring out your beauty without unwanted side effects.
Give the following remedies a try to see for yourself.
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9 Ways of Using Lemon on Your Face
Your face is likely the focus of your beauty regimen. After all, it’s the part of your body you show the world most often. It makes sense to prioritize it. Just be aware of the fact that something as simple as a lemon may be more effective (and affordable) than the fancy creams you’re spending so much of your paycheck on. Specifically, it offers these key benefits.
Getting Rid of Blackheads
Lemon is naturally antibacterial. Thus, its juice is very useful when it comes to removing blackheads. Squeeze the juice of one lemon into a bowl, soak it up with a cotton swab or similar item, and smear it across your face. Just make sure you avoid getting any in your eyes, as well as any cuts or scars you may have on your face. Its acidic properties will cause a lot of discomfort.
Let the juice sit for at least five minutes, then rinse it off thoroughly with warm water. Repeat this process on a daily basis and you’ll soon see your blackheads fading. This remedy is especially valuable to people with acne. You’ll clean your pores without having to shell out a lot of cash for a product that may include potentially harmful ingredients. Many cosmetic experts also like to point out that lemon juice gets rid of excess oil on the skin, further boosting your overall complexion.
Exfoliating Your Lips
Exfoliation is the process of removing the upper layer of dead skin cells to make room for healthier, bright cells. While most people who exfoliate focus on their faces and skin, some don’t realize that it’s also a good idea to exfoliate their lips. When you get rid of the dead cells, your lips are softer and more colorful.
Best of all, you don’t need to invest in a fancy cosmetic treatment to enjoy these benefits. Just apply some lemon juice to your lips before going to bed, then rinse it off in the morning. You may have to try this a few days in a row to get the full effects.
That said, don’t try this remedy if your lips are severely chapped. Once again, the acidity of the lemon juice may cause minor pain. You don’t want to try to sleep with stinging lips.
Exfoliating Your Face
While it’s helpful when it comes to exfoliating your lips, lemon is also a strong exfoliating product for your face as well. In a bowl, mix together a teaspoon of lemon juice, two tablespoons of brown sugar, and the white from a single egg.
Mix until you have a reasonably gritty and durable substance. Rub it into your face with your fingers, using a circular motion. After 10 minutes, rinse it away with lukewarm water. For the best results, you might also want to moisturize afterwards.
Cleansing Your Face
Lemon juice also works as part of a general facial cleanser. To use it for this purpose, mix equal parts lemon juice, clean water, honey, and aloe. Splash the mixture on your face and use it as a substitute for more expensive facial cleansers.
Lemon juice is full of nutrients that are essential for healthy skin. Applying some to your face every morning in the form of a cleanser will fight off bacteria and boost the overall health and appearance of your face.
Healing Canker Sores
Although they’re not exactly impacting your face all the time, canker sores in the mouth are painful, and they can be noticeable when you’re talking or laughing. That’s why experts recommend cleaning them with a few squirts of lemon juice.
Yes, doing so will sting a little bit, and no, you won’t get rid of a canker sore right away with this remedy. However, because lemon fights bacteria and contains essential nutrients, applying it to canker sores will promote much faster healing.
Overnight Lotion
A quick splash of a lemon-based cleanser can have a big impact on your beauty, but if you want even more benefits, consider making your own overnight lotion with lemon juice. Mix two parts lemon juice and three parts glycerin until you have a well-mixed lotion. Apply it to your face every night before going to bed and rinse it off every morning upon waking. This lotion will give your skin a natural glow.
Lemon Mask
With lemon, you can even create a skin lightening face mask that’s tailored specifically to the needs of someone with dry skin. For this remedy, blend a tablespoon of powdered milk with one tablespoon of honey and one tablespoon of lemon juice.
You might also want to add in a few drops of your preferred essential oil to boost the refreshing qualities of the mask. Once the substance is durable enough, apply it to your face and let it sit for about 20 minutes. Then wash it away. Again, use warm water, and consider moisturizing to enhance the benefits.
Whitening Your Teeth
Lemon is so versatile that you can even use it to whiten your teeth. Although you may want to see a cosmetic dentist if you have particularly severe staining on your teeth, this remedy is an affordable alternative to whitening strips.
Mix equal parts baking soda and lemon juice, dip a clean Q-tip into the mixture, and rub it over your teeth. Next, scrub your teeth with a toothbrush, and rinse. Make this part of your daily oral hygiene regimen, and soon you’ll see your teeth getting substantially brighter.
Reducing the Appearance of Freckles
Although some people appreciate the way freckles look, others (usually people with especially fair skin) would rather live without them. If you’re that kind of person, you can make your freckles fade by simply applying some lemon juice.
This process involves a little bit of work, but the results are worthwhile. What you need to do is dip a toothpick in lemon juice and apply it to each freckle. Be careful not to use too much force, or you could hurt yourself. Leave the juice there and wait about 48 hours to see if you notice the effects.
Many people find that lemon juice dramatically reduces the appearance of their freckles. If this remedy works for you, repeat it twice a week until your freckles fade even more substantially. Although it’s unlikely that you’ll experience any adverse reactions, make sure you discontinue this process if you do notice burning sensations or redness. Always make sure to use a clean toothpick each time.
5 Uses of Lemon on Your Skin
While the benefits lemon oil offers your face are clear, it’s also useful on all areas of your skin. Just make sure to moisturize after using it if you plan on applying lemon juice to your skin on a regular basis. True, it’s a very useful cosmetic product, but lemon juice is also highly acidic. Applying too much acidic substances to your skin can dry it out over time.
Luckily, as you’ll see below, you don’t need to purchase a chemical-based moisturizer to counteract lemon’s acidic properties. In fact, you can make your own moisturizer that also happens to contain lemon. The lemon will beautify your skin, while the other natural ingredients will keep it moist. You get the best of both worlds without exposing your skin to harsh chemicals. What could be better?
Lightening Elbows & Knees
The skin on your elbows and knees often appears darker than the surrounding skin. Luckily, there’s an easy way to make it blend in more with the rest of your body. All you have to do is rub half a lemon onto these areas. The lemon’s exfoliating properties will remove much of the dry, dead skin that’s contributing to the darker look. It will also provide these parts of the body with essential nutrients to keep the skin here as healthy as possible.
Moisturizing
Want a low-cost moisturizer that also brightens your skin? Mix equal part lemon juice with equal parts coconut water. You should only need a few drops of each. Rub the mixture into any area of your skin that’s particularly dry.
Coconut water acts as a natural moisturizer, keeping your skin healthy and hydrated. Lemon clears away dead skin cells and enriches your skin with powerful nutrients. Together, they form an ideal moisturizer for anyone whose skin is frequently dry.
You should also consider applying this moisturizer to age spots, dark spots, or even areas where the results of a botched fake tan are especially noticeable. Because lemon is rich in Vitamin C, over time the nutrients soak into the skin, keeping these blemishes at bay.
However, it’s important to know that lemon juice (and the juice from essentially any other citrus fruit) can make your skin more vulnerable to the sun’s UV rays. Thus, you should always wear a high-SPF sunscreen if you’re going to use lemon juice on your skin while spending a lot of time outdoors. Consider applying sunscreen even on cloudy days; contrary to popular belief, the sun’s UV rays can easily penetrate cloud cover.
Instant Exfoliation
Lemons make it easy to exfoliate on the go. They’re especially useful on trips, when you may not want to pack a lot of cosmetic products.
Instead, slice a few lemons into quarters and dip a slice into brown sugar whenever you want to exfoliate. Scrub the lemon and brown sugar into the intended area, and let the mixture sit for a few minutes, then rinse it away with warm water. This simple trick will remove dead skin cells, allowing the healthier, more vibrant cells beneath to stand out more vividly.
Cleansing Oily Skin
Although oily skin is usually most noticeable around the face, it can technically show up anywhere on the body. Fortunately, something as simple as lemon juice is very helpful when it comes to clearing it up.
For the most effective cleanse, mix two tablespoons of lemon juice with one tablespoon of water, one tablespoon of witch hazel, and two tablespoons of vodka. Apply the mixture to your oily skin, then use cool (not warm this time!) water to rinse it off.
Anti-Aging
Vitamin C is an antioxidant. Lemon’s ascorbic acid has natural exfoliating properties. Combined, they’re very useful when it comes to reducing the effects of aging on the skin. Apply lemon juice to your skin regularly in whichever method you prefer (lotion, moisturizer, face mask), and over time, its nutrients will turn back the clock on signs of aging.
Of course, everyone is different. Some people will experience dramatic benefits from these remedies immediately, while others may have to try them several times before they begin to notice the effects. To optimize your results, consider getting in touch with a cosmetic expert who specializes in natural remedies.
Don’t consult with the sales clerk at your local makeup store; they’ll be more likely to try and sell you a chemical-based product that’s both expensive and potentially harmful. You’re better off speaking with someone who appreciates and understands the major benefits that lemon juice can offer. They’ll help you get a better sense of how you can use it most effectively on your skin.
All that said, you should always remember that sometimes, the key to beauty is right in your kitchen.