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12 Little Known Lemon Beauty Benefits (We Love #4!)
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One of the most common foods in the world has tons of health benefits both internally and externally. Lemons are known to fight cancer, have super detox power, fight viruses and other types of infection, improve the immune system and control blood pressure levels.
But did you know that lemons also have terrific benefits when it comes to improving the skin, hair and nails? Lemons have powerful antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, and astringent compounds that can help you look more beautiful.
Want to know more about how you can use lemons in your beauty treatment? Keep reading!
1. Natural Astringent
One of the most important parts of caring for your complexion is cleansing of course, but afterwards, you need a good astringent to shrink the pores and remove any dirt from deep down in the pores that your cleanser left behind. Astringents also remove left over cleansing product that was missed while rinsing. You don’t need to buy expensive astringents that can over dry your skin; all you really need is some lemon juice. If you have sensitive skin, mix a bit of water into your lemon juice. Dip a cotton ball into some pure lemon juice and wipe it over your face.
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2. Skin Rejuvenating Compounds
Who doesn’t want a beautiful complexion? Even men want that Facebook profile picture to reflect younger looking skin! Lemons are high in vitamin C which boosts the production of collagen. This is the building blocks of the skin which keeps it more elastic and prevents wrinkles. Lemons also protect the skin from the damage caused by free radicals. For a truly beautiful complexion, put a dab of honey on a lemon slice and rub this gently over the face. Allow it to work for 10 minutes, and then rinse it off with warm water. Repeat this once or twice each week for a complexion that will have everyone asking you if you had a facelift!
3. Super Anti-Aging Compounds
Free radicals are known to cause the signs of premature aging of the skin including wrinkles, age spots, and fine lines. By applying vitamin C rich lemon juice to your skin, you can prevent wrinkles and age spots from making your face their home. Eating lemons or drinking lemon juice and water each day can help fight free radical damage on the inside as well.
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4. Stops Acne and Heals Scars
Lemons are high in a natural astringent called l-ascorbic acid, which helps to kill the bacteria that cause acne. The vitamin C in lemons encourages the growth of new skin cells, which can minimize the appearance of acne scars. To get this benefit, simply rub a slice of lemon over your acne or acne prone areas on your face and on acne scars as well. Allow the lemon juice to do its work for 5 or 10 minutes, and then rinse with cold water. Repeat this twice each day for best results.
5. Heals Cracked Heels
Don’t walk around with heels that look like they just came out of Jurassic park, use some lemon juice to help heal them. Add ½ cup of pure lemon juice to a medium sized pot filled with about ½ a gallon of very warm water. Soak your feet in this solution for 10 minutes, then scrub your tootsies (don’t forget the heel) with a foot brush to remove dead skin cells. Rinse with clear water and apply a good quality moisturizer.
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6. Stops Dandruff
If you have embarrassing dandruff or an itchy scalp, use lemon juice to stop it! Lemon juice will help to balance the pH of your scalp, reduce oil output, and stop the fungus that causes dandruff dead in its tracks.
Mix the juice from 2 lemons into 1 cup of water. Shampoo as you normally would, then rinse your hair with the water/lemon solution. Wait 5 minutes, and then rinse with plain water. Repeat once or twice a week for best results.
Be careful going out in the sun on the days when you use the lemon juice rinse as it can seriously lighten your hair.
7. Stop Chapped Lips
One of the biggest problems during the hot summer months and the cold winters is chapped lips. Lemons can be a big help here as they exfoliate the dead skin cells to make your lips soft and kissable again. Rub a lemon slice over your lips and wait one minute. Now rinse your lips with warm water and apply a touch of coconut oil to them. Repeat once each day until your lips have completely healed.
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8. Reduce the Appearance of Stretch Marks
No one likes the way stretch marks look and you can make them much less noticeable by using lemon juice. The mildly acidic compounds in lemon juice help them to remove dead skin cells and lighten the skin. This can greatly reduce the appearance of those ugly stretch marks. Rub a slice of fresh lemon over the affected area for about 5 minutes. Use a gentle, circular motion. Allow the juice to dry completely, and then rinse off with warm water. Repeat twice each day for best results.
9. Lighten Dark Underarms and Elbows
If you have darker skin on your elbows or underarms, you can lighten it by using lemon juice. For elbows, simply slice a fresh lemon in two. Stick your elbow in one half and twist it around for a minute. Repeat with the other elbow. Rinse with clear water. Repeat this procedure once each day. You should see results in about 6 weeks. You can lighten your underarm skin by rubbing a fresh slice of lemon under each arm for about 1 minute. Allow it to work for about 5 minutes, and then rinse with warm water.
10. Lighten Freckles and Age Spots
Freckles are a common sign of sun damaged skin and age spots are simply darker spots that occur over time due to excessive exposure to the sun. Lemon juice has powerful skin lightening and bleaching compounds that lighten the skin and can even make these kinds of dark spots disappear over time. Rub a fresh slice of lemon over the affected areas for about 5 minutes or saturate a cotton ball with pure lemon juice and apply it to the area. Allow the juice to work for about 10 minutes, and then rinse with cool water. Repeat twice each day for best results.
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11. Whiten Teeth
You don’t need to spend several hundred dollars at the dentist to whiten your teeth: All you really need is some lemon juice. Lemons have powerful bleaching agents that will give you super pearly whites in no time!
Rub a fresh lemon peel over your teeth and wait for about 2 minutes. Rinse your mouth with warm water. Repeat once each day and you will have super pearly whites in about 10 to 21 days!
READ ALSO: A Million Ways that Lemons Can Save Your Life
12. Strengthen Weak Nails
If you have weak or brittle nails that seem to break or split constantly, lemon juice will not only help to whiten them, but it will also strengthen them. Each night before bed, soak your nails in some lemon juice for about 5 minutes. Rinse with warm water, pat them dry, and then apply a bit of olive oil or coconut oil to your nails. Repeat this every night for several weeks. Do not wear polish until your nails have become stronger.
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