Squeeze out these 7 beauty benefits of lemons

Lemon might just be the answer to most of our health problems. It can fulfil 88% of our daily vitamin C needs, from its peel to its pulp, lemon is bursting with nutritional gifts. It contains virtually no fats and absolutely no cholesterol. Read more of its health benefits here. The oils present in the zest of a lemon have various skin benefits. Coupled with ample Vitamin C, healthy looking skin is just one of the boons lemons have to offer. Here are a few easy recipes that you can use to eliminate skin and hair issues at home.

Eliminates blackheads

Their antibacterial and anti-fungal properties make them a natural alternative to lessen blackheads.

• Simply slice open a lemon and rub it across your face.
• Or you can add a few drops of honey to a lemon half before applying it directly to the area where you have blackheads.
• Wait five to 10 minutes before rinsing off with cold water. You can also try these tips for blackheads and whiteheads removal.

Whitens teeth

If you feel your teeth are not as white as they should be, you can try this quick home remedy.

• Lemon juice mixed with a little baking soda is a natural teeth whitener.
• Dip an ear bud in this mixture and apply onto teeth.
• Take care not to leave the mixture on for more than a minute as it can break down tooth enamel.
• Follow up by gently brushing your teeth afterwards. Here are some more kitchen ingredients to whiten teeth.

Makes for a natural foot scrub

You don't always have to rush to a salon to get a pedicure. Get rid of all the accumulated dirt with this lemon foot scrub. But make sure you follow these pedicure basics.

• For your next home pedicure, combine the juice of half a lemon, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.
• Massage the mix on your feet thoroughly and leave for 15 minutes, then rinse off and pat dry.
• This mixture scrubs and moisturises your feet and helps in eliminating the dryness.

Exfoliates skin

The combined anti-bacterial properties of lemon and honey make this a great cleansing and exfoliating recipe.

• Mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice with cup of yoghurt and 1 tablespoon of honey.
• Mix until a uniform paste is formed and apply onto a clean, make-up free skin.
• Leave the mask on for 10 minutes and rinse off with lukewarm water. Did you know sea salt also exfoliates skin well?

Heals chapped lips

Lemon juice works as an exfoliant and removes any dead skin cells resulting in softer, smoother lips.

• It is as easy as massaging lemon wedges onto your lips before you go to sleep.
• Leave it on overnight and wash off the next morning.If you have very dry lips, here's what you should do.

Banishes dandruff

Probably one of the most well-known and proven benefits of lemon is that it has been able to effectively eradicate hair problems related to dandruff and dry scalp.

• Simply rub lemon slices onto your scalp and leave the juice on for an hour or so.
• You can magnify the effect by adding 4 tablespoons of vinegar.
• Follow it by washing your hair with lukewarm water. If you are out of lemons, you can also use these other ingredients.

Conditions hair

Hair that lacks shine looks lifeless but lemon can come in handy to resolve this problem.

• Mix the juice of an entire lemon with a cup of yoghurt and a raw egg.
• Mix until it forms a thick paste and apply all over scalp and hair.
• Leave it long enough so that it dries and wash off using a mild shampoo.
• Regular, weekly conditioning with this recipe will yield lustrous, thicker, softer hair. Do try these other natural conditioners as well.

Other beauty benefits

Soaking nails in a mixture of diluted lemon juice can harden them and impart natural sheen.

We all know coconut oil works wonders for hair growth. Give it a boost with a few drops of lemon juice to get lustrous, thicker and healthier hair.

But remember, leaving lemon juice on your skin for long periods of time can be harmful too. It increases chances of sunburn. The acidic nature can cause inflammation and irritation of the skin. So make sure you wash it off after a few minutes and apply a good sunscreen before stepping out.

Image source: Getty Images

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