A few months back, we wrote about 8 powerful skin foods that can help you attain that perfect skin from within. These are natural, regular food – fruits and vegetables – that you can readily buy from the supermarket and easily add to your daily diet for healthy, glowing skin.
This time, we’d like to talk more about one fruit that most beauty experts have only good things to say about: lemon!
Aside from the thirst-quenching lemon juice that you can drink straight up, and the tangy zest of flavor it gives to cooked food, lemon’s nutrient-rich qualities give us a list of reasons why it should be included in our health and beauty regimen.
For the hair
• To condition dull, damaged hair – combine ¾ cup olive oil with 1/3 cup honey and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Comb the mixture evenly to wet hair. Cover with a plastic wrap for 30 minutes. Shampoo then rinse out.
• To use as a hair rinse – squeeze juice from two lemons (or 3 fluid oz) with a quart of water. This lemon rinse helps restore the hair’s ph balance by reducing the oil and keeping the scalp healthy.
• For hair loss – mix lemon juice with 4 tablespoons of coconut milk. Apply to scalp once a week. You’ll notice new hair growth where it was once thin.
• For dandruff and itchy scalp – mix an egg white with 3 tablespoons of lemon. Apply to scalp by rubbing gently, allow to set for an hour then rinse. Repeat for a month until dandruff is gone.
• For natural highlights – combine ¼ cup lemon juice and ¾ cup water. Apply to hair with a spray bottle and comb. Let the lemon oxidize by staying under the sun for 25 minutes or by heating your hair with a blow dryer. This will give your hair a sun bleached look.
For the skin
• For brighter, softer skin – use fresh lemon juice on any area of your body, especially where there are dark, rough spots like the elbows, knees and underarms. Applying lemon juice to the face also helps brighten age spots and freckles. For an overall skin treatment, you may opt to soak in bath water mixed with ½ cup of fresh juice. However, if you’re one of those with sensitive skin who fears that the citric acid from the lemon may be too strong or harsh, you may choose to use Diana Stalder Lemon Soap. This beauty bar is formulated with lemon’s natural acne-fighting ingredients without being too harsh on the skin. Regular use also helps get rid of blackheads.
• To get rid of blackheads – at night, rub lemon juice over the affected area. Rinse the face with cool water in the morning. Repeat nightly until blackheads disappear.
• To make a moisture mask for dry skin – mix equal amounts of lemon, honey and olive oil. Apply to dry areas and leave to dry for 10 minutes. Rinse after with warm water. You may want to supplement the natural moisturizing effect of this mask with the use of Diana Stalder Clear Creme by applying to the affected area 2 or 3 times a day.
• To exfoliate dead skin cells – dip a cut lemon in sugar and rub over the face for a few minutes. The lemon juice and sugar granules combined together make a good cleanser and exfoliant in one. You may do this every night to refresh your skin and remove accumulated dead skin cells from the face. If you find this nightly routine too tedious, once a week use of the Diana Stalder Exfoliating Kit will have the same refreshing effect on your skin.
For the body
• For body detox – lemon juice has long been recommended for healthy, natural detoxifying. Make a glass of lemon juice with warm water and 1 teaspoon of honey. Lemon’s citric acid helps flush out toxins from the liver, improve blood circulation and activate intestinal secretions that help the body rid of unwanted elements in the system. It’s always a good idea to drink a glass of lemon juice a day.
For the nails
• For healthy, shiny fingernails – soak nails in lemon juice for at least 10 minutes. The citric acid will loosen dirt, odor and even fungus from the fingernails. Dip nail brush in a 50-50 mixture of white vinegar and warm water then rinse.
For oral hygiene
• For teeth whitening – rub half a lemon dipped in salt and baking soda onto the teeth before brushing. Or brush teeth with lemon juice, salt and baking soda for instant sparkling white teeth.
• As a natural breath freshener – squirt a few drops of lemon juice into the mouth, swish around for 15 seconds then swallow. The citric acid from the lemon will destroy odor causing bacteria in the mouth and help treat bad breath. Drinking lemon juice throughout the day will also keep your breath fresh and odor free.
The above is just a few of the many reasons why you should consider using lemon as part of your health and beauty routine. Lemon has nutrients that can be used as a good cleanser and does wonders for the body and the skin. Drinking the juice can only have good effects on our digestive system, and can help result to clean clear skin, hair and scalp. Just a word of caution, lemon is acidic and should therefore be used in moderate and proper proportions. For those with sensitive skin, using formulated lemon soap may be a safer and effective way of benefitting from lemon’s beautifying nutrients.