Lemons and the other side of sunshine

Everyone likes a slice or two of lemon in their water during the summer. The refreshing taste does make one feel a bit more sophisticated, summery, and healthy (let’s just ignore the fact that the water is often followed up by ice cream - but hey, something has to keep the mind healthy).

Lemon juice and oil were used in ancient Egypt and Rome to cure common ailments like colds and fevers, and ancient Egyptians often ingested lemon juice to help protect themselves against poison. (PHOTO BY: Julia Peretiatko)

But now, while I’m writing this blog post, the July chill has set into my bones, and a glass of cool water is the last thing on my list.

So why bother talking about lemons?

Well, lemons are generally ripe between April and July. It being July, a friend of ours, who lives on a smallholding with a few lemon trees, dropped off a bag of sunshine the other day. Now we are sitting with the dilemma of life giving us lemons but we don’t want to make lemonade.

I used to be very cautious of placing lemons on my skin, due to hearing that the low pH levels in lemons can negatively affect your skin. But, knowing me, and having a bag of potential at hand, I couldn’t resist at least attempting to put it on my skin.

And, well, I was positively surprised.

Where do you want to go?

The benefits

Caution

Application

Conclusion

The benefits

If you have dry skin, you may stop reading now.

Lemon is not beneficial for dry skin. This is most likely because lemon juice affects the sebum (natural skin oil) production in the skin, as well as the acidity of lemon. If you want more information, check out this post by MBG Lifestyle.

The same goes for people with sensitive skin. This is also due to the acidity of lemon. Lemon has a pH value of between 2 and 3, which is pretty intense. This low pH value can result in skin irritation, where the skin’s natural pH is manipulated.

For the people with oily skin (my kind of people!) keep on reading. According to Healthline, one suffers from acne when sebum is trapped in the pores (or hair follicles), which then gets infected, causing redness and inflammation. This is generally due to an excess of sebum. On top of this, dead skin cells also clog the pores, forming blackheads, whiteheads, or acne.

As mentioned earlier, lemon lessens the sebum outflow on the skin and therefore reduces the amount of excess oils trapped in the pores.

Besides the above-mentioned benefits of lemon for the skin, lemon juice clears away dead skin cells, promoting brighter, happier skin.

Lemon contains alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA) like glycolic acid, which exfoliates dead skin cells and increases cell turnover, resulting in reduced dullness and brighter skin (check MBG Lifestyle’s article).

Alpha-hydroxy acids are a group of naturally occurring chemical compounds. They are found in various fruits, milk and sugarcane, and when it comes to skincare, AHA’s are used as exfoliants. These chemical compounds exfoliate the skin by gently removing the outer layer of dead skin cells, exposing the new, smoother skin beneath.

Glycolic acid is a type of alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) that is commonly used in skin care products and comes from sugar cane. Glycolic acid works to remove the bonds between the dead skin cells on the skin, making it easy to remove these unwanted cells.

Many skin care products use glycolic acid - but now you know that the key has been sitting in your kitchen all this time. And for much less, may I add..

Caution

There is a caution though! Before application, lemon must always be diluted, otherwise it is too intense. Lemon can be diluted with water, honey, or tea (preferably rooibos tea or green tea). Never - NEVER - apply lemon directly onto your skin.

Lemon should always be diluted with another substance, such as honey, before applying it to the skin. PHOTO: Teagan Cloete

Refrain from using lemon on your skin too frequently. I’m nervous about anything more than three times a week. This is because of the high acidity in lemons, and this can cause a weakened skin barrier, which will leave your skin worse off. Best advice; see a dermatologist for the best prescription.

Be careful of the sun after using lemon. You can only pick one source of sunshine; lemons, or the sun. If you do need to get out of the house and into the sun for a short time, use a good sunblock and try to stay in the shade. This is because, according to this article by Wo´zniak et al, furocoumarins are contained in lemons. These furocoumarins are known for their ability to make the skin more sensitive to sunlight. When furocoumarins come into contact with the skin and are exposed to sunlight, they can cause an increased risk of sunburn and skin damage, leading to conditions like phytophotodermatitis. It's therefore important to be cautious when using products containing furocoumarins, and avoid prolonged sun exposure after application.

And last but not least; always patch test. Take a little bit of lemon juice and rub it on a small patch of skin. If any irritation occurs, wash it off immediately with warm, soapy water. If no irritation occurs, leave the lemon juice to dry, and then wash it off. Observe the patch of skin for about 30 minutes, and if nothing happens, feel free to use lemon on your skin. Because my skin acts differently in different areas (eg; my face has oily skin but my hands are dry) I patch test on the area that I want to use the lemon on (ie; a small patch underneath my ear).

Application

This post would be pretty useless if I didn’t supply some application, now would it?

These are some of the best (in my own opinion) uses of lemon for the skin. Always be aware of the negative effects of lemon on the skin, and refrain from over-doing it.

Face steaming - with lemons

I mentioned earlier that acne is formed when sebum is trapped within the pores. Now steaming is an excellent remedy for acne. It opens the pores, releasing all the gunk trapped inside, and cleanses the skin.

Not only does steaming open the pores but also increases blood circulation in the face - which does wonders for a host of other things - as well as helps the skin absorb skin care products much easier. To read an excellent article about steaming and all its benefits, read this one by Web MD.

To incorporate lemon into your steaming schedule (you have one of those, right?) simply add about 1 ml lemon juice per 500 ml boiling water. This ratio can be experimented with, but as there is not much scientific research done in this area, don’t add more than 2.5 ml of lemon juice.

Feel free to add rosemary, rose petals, or any other extra essential oil to add an aromatic element to your steam.

Lemon Skin Toner

This is for the days when you don’t want to venture out into the sun. For this, one must use a very small amount of lemon juice, since it’s going to sit on the skin for a while.

The ratios I use are 1 ml of lemon juice for every 250 ml of distilled water.

To use, first clean your face properly using soap, water and scrub (such as a scrubbie). Then, using a cotton pad, apply the toner to the face. Avoid drenching your face with the toner. Thereafter, apply moisturiser and sunscreen.

Conclusion

Lemon is a powerful aid in solving oily skin problems. Yet, it is often misused or completely ignored due to its high acidity. I hope I could provide some clarity about the uses, cautions and benefits of lemon.

So next time life gifts you with a bag of lemons, you can use it for more than just lemonade.