Lemon Juice for Clear Skin
Lemon juice is a home-based acne treatment that has soared in popularity in recent times. There are several factors that have allowed lemon juice to become such a widely used treatment in the fight against acne. For one, it is a completely natural remedy. You know from the minute you apply it to your skin that there will be no adverse effects from harsh and foreign chemicals often found in other treatment kits. Further, lemons are cheaply available. You can buy ten or more lemons without even coming close to the astronomical costs of modern day acne kits. In order to understand why lemon juices makes the perfect acne treatment, we will have to explore the properties of lemon and how each respective property helps stop acne in its tracks.
A basic understanding of chemistry tells us that lemon juice is a weak acid. It falls in the 2+ range on the pH scale. This scale is used in chemistry to measure acidity. One can harness this weak acid to help their skin shed dead skin cells. As you may already know, dead skin is often blamed for clogging pores and consequently causing acne. Lemon juice is a naturally-occurring acidic peel that will help bring replenished skin cells to the surface. In helping dispose of dead skin, lemon juice helps protect against a primary cause of acne. For a general overview, acne occurs when our pores become congested with dead skin cells and subsequently clog. The sebum that our skin excretes beings to accumulate within the clogged pore, and provides acne bacteria the needed food to start multiplying. Ultimately, these bacteria help create the inflamed lesions which we often associate with acne. It is important to take precautions before harnessing the potent peeling effect of lemon juice. For starters, sunscreen is a must. It will help shield your peeling and sensitive skin against sunlight, which can exacerbate the problem. A sunburn can be especially damaging when your skin has been left temporarily vulnerable by lemon juice, so be careful! If you can, try to minimize or outright eliminate sun exposure until the peeling effect has faded. At this point, if you see improvement, you should stop using lemon juice on your skin.
When your acne finally disappears, you may still have skin discolorations to deal with. These can be an utter pain to deal with, especially after undergoing a long and grueling acne treatment plan. Lemon juice may prove helpful in eliminating hyperpigmentation, a by-product of acne. It is known as a natural skin lightener, and should help drastically reduce the reddened areas on the skin. Acne scars, yet another bothersome by-product of acne can also be treated with lemon juice. Lemon juice should tighten the skin, making acne scars less visible. Of course, it will take time before you see measurable results. Consistency and patience is key!
An avoidable, negative effect often reported by those who’ve used lemon juice in the past is tight, dry skin. This is to be expected when applying an astringent such as lemon juice to the skin. Fortunately, problems associated with dry skin can be mitigated by applying a non-comedogenic moisturizer. Some are even available with an SPF for additional protection. Those of you with oily skin will also need to wear moisturizer. If not, you may experience increased amounts of oil on your skin, likely trying to compensate for the dryness.
You can find more about Home remedies for acne lemon juice through our How to get rid of acne website.