Photo: Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
Lemons are nature’s beauty multitaskers. Inside these citrusy little mavens reside natural super-ingredients that can help most skin problems – even the really pesky ones like stubborn oils and shiny spots. Supplementing your usual skin care routine with lemon juice can keep your skin bright and toned, without putting a giant dent in your pocketbook. If you suffer from oily skin, add a little citrus to your skin care and discover the benefits of lemons.
Why Lemons?
Nearly every part of a lemon is beneficial in some way to skin care: The flesh of the fruit is packed with vitamins, citric acids and antioxidants; the peel can be used as a gentle exfoliant; and the juice penetrates deep into skin to clear up stubborn impurities. Vitamins C and B help to speed cell turnover and slough away dead cells, natural acids tighten and tone the skin, and the antioxidants can diminish the appearance of age spots or sun damage.
Lemon and Turmeric Mask
Turmeric and sandalwood powders have been keeping Indian women’s skin shine free for hundreds of years. The addition of lemon juice to this powerful concoction creates a powerful astringent that even the most stubborn of skin oils can’t handle. Mix 1 tablespoon sandalwood powder with a pinch of turmeric (both available at most health food stores) and add 4 tablespoons lemon juice. Apply the mask to the face and neck – avoiding sensitive areas like lips and eyes – and let it dry for 15 minutes. Rinse with cool water.
Creamy Lemon Toner
Milk contains natural lactic acids that can soothe skin redness and irritation, making it the perfect complement to naturally astringent lemon juice. To make an acidic toner that can break down oils and prevent breakouts, mix 1 cup skim milk, 1/4 cup lemon juice and 2 tablespoons witch hazel in a bowl. Soak a cotton ball in the mixture and apply to dry skin, gently buffing in a circular motion for two minutes. Rinse with cool water. This recipe makes one week’s worth of daily toning treatments, so keep the leftovers fresh in the refrigerator between uses.
Lemon Peel Scrub
Since lemons are packed through and through with skin-friendly vitamins, it’s only fair to use the whole fruit in a face-brightening scrub. Mix 1/2 cup plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons brown granulated sugar and 1/4 cup grated lemon peel in a small bowl. Apply the scrub to dry skin and massage gently with your fingers for two minutes. Let the scrub soak in for 15 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with warm water.
