Lemon, the quintessential ingredient that adds a tang to the food is also an excellent home remedy for various skin ailments. It is also one of those rare ingredients that have a range of beauty benefits ranging from fighting oiliness to lightening the skin tone. If are looking to go the natural way to pamper your skin, there is nothing better than a couple of lemons in your fridge to start off with. So today we tell you about eight beauty benefits of lemon for face – simple homemade concoctions that will add a glow to your skin.
8 Beauty Benefits of Lemon for Face
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Reduces oiliness
The number one use of lemon for face is in reducing the oiliness on the skin. The skin secretes sebum that leads to the oily sheen on it and lemon helps in fighting exactly that. To treat oily skin, apply about half teaspoon of lemon juice directly on cleansed skin. Massage it with a circular motion and let it dry. The lemon juice gets into the pores and clears out the oil in the skin. Wash off with warm water and dry the skin. Doing this once a week will make your skin supple and shine-free. You could also use a lemon-based face wash for better results.
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Lightens Skin Tone
Being a mild bleaching agent, it is an excellent idea to use lemon for face as a lightener. Mix equal parts of lemon and honey and apply it on the skin. Regular use lightens the skin tone, bleaches facial hair and renders fairer skin.
Read more: Home Remedies for Fairer Skin
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Fights Blemishes and Pigmentation
Dark spots and blemishes marring the beauty of your skin? Simply apply lemon juice with a cotton bud on the problem areas in the night and wash it off in the morning. Within days, you will see the spots lighten!
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Heals Acne
Being antibacterial in nature, lemon juice works miracles against acne. Mix one teaspoon of lemon juice with one drop of tea tree oil and apply on the acne and pimples. Wipe with a soft cotton cloth after it dries. Doing this will kill acne causing bacteria, help draw out the excess sebum from the eruption and heal it faster.
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Works as an Exfoliant
Troubled with dull and depressing looking skin? Worry not! Scrub it gently with a mixture of equal parts of sugar, olive oil and lemon juice.
The scrub sloughs off dead cells and imparts a glow to your skin. The olive oil keeps it supple while the lemon ensures that the skin is lighter and less oily. You can even use this mixture as a lip scrub – a totally natural and edible one at that!
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Blackhead Treatment
Blackheads are the result of oil, dirt and bacteria settling in your skin pores. A safe way of eliminating them is to first steam your face to open up the pores. Now rub a slice of lemon on the affected areas. The fiber in the lemon will have a mild abrasive effect while the juice in itself will draw out the oil and dirt and kill the bacteria. Now wash your face and rub an ice cube over it to close your pores. Doing this once a week will give you smooth and blackhead-free skin!
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Tones and Tightens the Skin
Lemon is not just effective in combating skin infections but it also has an astringent-like effect on the skin, meaning, it helps tighten skin pores. As a result, many women use lemon for face tightening. To use it, extract the juice of one lemon and mix with it the juice from about a handful of mint leaves. Store this in a bottle in the fridge. Apply it on the skin after your weekly scrubs or at night twice a week. It has a refreshing fragrance and you will wake up with tighter pores and toned skin.
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Combats Aging
Vitamin C is considered to be one of the best supplements to combat aging and lemon juice is full of it! So before you start noticing that first fine line on your face, try this in your weekly beauty regimen – mix equal parts of lemon juice and organic honey.
Add a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg powder each to it. Now add a few drops of olive oil to give the mixture a nice consistency. Massage this onto your skin in circular motions. The powders improve blood circulation while the lemon juice rejuvenates the skin. Olive oil and honey add the much needed moisture to it and the result is glowing and toned skin week after week!
Now that you have seen how to use lemon for face, here are a few things to remember:
- Never go out in the sun immediately after applying lemon juice – it can cause irritation and sunburn.
- If you have cuts or lesions on the skin, it is not a good idea to use lemon over it
- If you suffer from eczema or sensitive skin, first do a patch test because the acidic nature of lemon can irritate your skin.
With so many benefits to reap, what’s stopping you from using lemon on your face? Go, try it now!