Health: 13 Surprising Uses For Lemons

by Diana Ajih on March 30, 2012

in health

uses for lemons

Some of my favorite use for lemons are beyond cooking or making lemonade. I incorporate them into my beauty and skin routine almost daily and you should too! Here are 13 surprising use for lemons!

Use lemons….

1. In place of deodorant

Don’t you just hate it when your run out of deodorant. The last thing you want is to smell foul at work or when you’re out and about so for emergencies, you can wet your armpits with lemon extract. The deodorizing effect will last for only a couple of hours, but it’s just enough time to run to the drugstore and pick up a few deodorants.

2. As a hair lightener

Lemons is a great natural highlighter for hair. I’ve used this trick several and it works great! First, shampoo your hair and rinse with a mixture of 1/4 cup lemon juice and 3/4 cup water. Next, lay out in the sun until your hair dries. Repeat a few more times for maximum effect.

3. To treat acne

Lemon juice is a natural solution to cure acne. So grab some unsweetened lemon juice or use half a lemon and rub it on your skin at least once a day. It’s best to apply at night before heading to bed.

4. To treat scarring and age spots

Not only can lemon juice treat acne, it’s also a great exfoliator to treat acne scarring or types of hyperpigmentation. Again, grab some lemon juice or half a lemon and rub it on directly on your skin.

5. Get rid of dark armpits

Having dark armpits can be embarassing when wearing sleeveless tops or bikinis. Lemons when combined with milk, this is a great exfoliant for the underarm areas making them lighter and smoother.

6. To freshen breath

A natural way to eliminate bad breath is by gargling with a mixture of lemon juice and water. A word of caution: The acid in lemons can eat tooth enamel, so I would suggesting gargling for 20 to 30 seconds.

7. As a Skin Tonic

Lemon peels can be used as a nice skin tonic for the face especially during those hot summer days. Rub the lemon peels lightly into your skin and rinse thoroughly.

8. To soften feet

Exfoliating with lemons and brown sugar will soften your dry feet. Make a paste of brown sugar and lemon pulp then gently massage onto the soles of your feet. Rinse off then moisturize your feet.

9. As a natural astringent

Lemons make great natural astringent. You can use alone or create a natural astringent lotion. Combine two lemons and 1-1/2 cups cool mineral water in a small bottle. Rinse your skin with the mixture to close pores after cleansing.

10. To soften elbows

Soften your dry elbows by sprinkling baking soda on a half lemon. Then place your elbow in the lemon and twist the lemon for several minutes. Rinse and dry.

11. To whiten nails

Lemons are high in acidity and the properties are potent enough to remove the yellowish fingernail stains. Grab a freshly squeezed lemon and rub it on your fingernails. Overtime, the stains will fade.

12. For weight loss

According to Karen Collins, R.D., of the American Institute of Clinical Research, lemons have multiple benefits for good health. She says that since lemons are rich in vitamin C, they can influence the speed of fat burning and the speed of movements. These factors can contribute to weight loss.

13. To increase your water intake

Drinking water is good for your health but adding a lemon will add some zing to your plain water which makes it easier to down a couple glasses of water a day. So, if you hate drinking water, add a slice of lemon!

Takeaway: Lemons are the multi-purpose fruit. So the next time you head to the supermarket, grab a few lemons. You’ll never know when a lemon might come in handy.

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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Joey July 20, 2012 at 3:54 am

Hi Diana,

Wow, I did not that lemon has so many uses aside from its rich source of vitamin C which is good for your skin rejuvenation.

Joey

Diana Ajih July 21, 2012 at 10:04 am

Yes it has so many clever uses that’s why I always refer to lemons as the multi-purpose fruit. :-D

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