13 Surprising Uses for Lemons
Some of my favorite uses for lemons is beyond baking cookies like lemon lavender cookies or making lemonade. Instead, I like to incorporate them into my beauty and skin routine almost daily and you should too! Here are 13 surprising uses for lemons!
1. In place of deodorant
Don’t you just hate it when you 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 hyper-pigmentation. Again, grab some lemon juice or half a lemon and rub it on directly on your skin.
5. To get rid of dark armpits
Having dark armpits can be embarrassing 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. To Use 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. To use 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. To Lose Weight
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 they might come in handy.
Resources
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
Yes it has so many clever uses that’s why I always refer to lemons as the multi-purpose fruit. 😀