You probably already know that lemon and water can promote weight loss. And maybe you know a few tricks to clean your house with natural solutions using this fruit. But do you know the beauty uses for lemons too?
You might be tempted to say yes right away because there are many home remedies out there that enhance your beauty and have this citric as the main ingredient. However, do you really know what do lemons do? Or why they can be (or not) good for your looks?
The most common and effective beauty uses for lemons
From working as a natural dye for your hair to fix the bad tan spots you got yourself when you failed to apply sunscreen properly, lemons can help you keep your looks spotless and gorgeous.
Skin whitening
Lemons are often one of the main ingredients of skin whitening creams for its effectiveness and safety. The reason lies in their high content of vitamin C.
According to a study from 2013, this vitamin inhibits the action of the tyrosinase, an enzyme with a key role in the production of melanin, thus reducing its formation.
Treat acne and pimples
Many beauty uses for lemons are directly related to their antibacterial properties. This is the case of acne and pimples.
Applying lemon juice over pimples and acne soothes the inflammation and helps to fight the bacteria and clean the pus to avoid spreading the infection, according to a study published in the International Journal of Science Inventions today.
Eliminate dark spots and discoloration
Lemon whitens the skin by inhibiting the formation of melanin. However, due to its antimicrobial properties and acidity, it also helps to eliminate old cells and dirt from the pores.
These two effects combined grant lemon the effect of clearing discoloration and dark spots of skin while preventing them from resurging. This applies to the face, but also to other body parts that can become overpigmented such as elbows, knees, and armpits.
Fix tan spots
Wearing clothes under the sun or missing some spots when applying the sunscreen can result in darker areas on the skin.
Overpigmentation is always overpigmentation, regardless of what it caused it. Therefore, for the same reasons that explain why lemon can help eliminate dark spots, it can also fix tan spots.
Sun protection
Applying lemon on the skin prevents the formation of melanin, which can be dangerous as this component is the body’s natural sunscreen.
However, the same vitamin C that causes this hazard can also become an important ally to keep the skin beautiful and damage-free. Fruits rich in this vitamin also have limonene, a component with cancer prevention properties.
Fix bad breath
Bad breath has to be included in the beauty uses of lemon because it doesn’t matter how attractive you are and look, a foul smell coming from your mouth won’t gather you any fans.
Just drink a bit of water with lemon juice and everything will be fixed. Aside from having a refreshing fragrance, the antimicrobial agents of this fruit will eliminate the bacteria in your mouth.
Remember to rinse your mouth thoroughly after as lemon can erode the enamel from teeth.
This mixture can also help to stop bleeding gums.
Fix smelly kitchen hands
Cooking can stain your hands with many smells hard to remove with just water and soap. Garlic, fish and onions are the most recurrent offenders in producing smelly hands.
The solution? Wash them with a mixture of soap and lemon juice. The smell will be no more.
Lighten up your hair
Lemon acts over the hair follicles in the same way as it does over the skin. That is, it inhibits the production of pigments. For this reason, applying lemon juice as part of a nutritive concoction can help lighten up your locks in a natural way.
The effect is permanent, though, like a normal dye, and can only be removed by cutting the hair off.
Fight dandruff
The antimicrobial properties of the lemon can help you get rid of dandruff. Its juice cleans the scalp of the bacteria and fungi causing the skin to inflammation and flaking.
This effect was proved in a study from 2013 which compared its effect to other natural remedies to treat dandruff. Lemon was the most effective of the tested solutions in eliminating the bacteria and fungi provoking dandruff, although the researchers admit that its effect was temporary and not a permanent solution.
What about all the other beauty uses for lemons, I’ve heard about?
A quick online search will retrieve you quite a few beauty uses for lemons and home remedies to improve your skin. A common example is the usage of this fruit to reduce and prevent aging signs, such as wrinkles.
This effect is attributed to its high content in antioxidants, which fight the free radicals that damage healthy cells, thus exhausting the skin natural compounds that keep it firm and tight. However, there is a catch.
To produce tangible results, the lemon juice would require a much higher concentration of nutrients and antioxidants than it has.
Likewise, dermatologists make a separation between using lemon to treat localized conditions, such as acne, and applying it all over the skin. The latter is not recommended as it can cause photodermatitis, also known as sun allergy or sun poisoning.
