Lemons and lemon juice have surprising beauty and health benefits.
Lemons are great for feng shui. I learned this from a friend, who always keeps a bowl of lemons in her living room. Other than that, the only thing I really know about lemons is that my mother used to make me drink lemon juice when I was sick, and I hated it.
Recently, I did a little research into some other uses for lemon juice and I found lots of cool tidbits, mostly in the categories of health and beauty. If you are the kind of mom who is always looking for ways to integrate more natural ingredients into your family routine, read on.
Here are five unexpected ways to use lemon juice (freshly squeezed, of course).
Nail strengthening/brightening- If your nails are worn out and chewed up, mix some olive oil with lemon juice and give them a good soak. Lemon juice can help strengthen them and get rid of any yellowing caused by too many manis.
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Teeth whitening- If you want a natural way to whiten your teeth, mix lemon juice with baking soda and apply the solution to your teeth with a handy old q-tip. Scrub, rinse, and repeat at your leisure.
Lip exfoliation- Lemon juice + brown sugar = a tasty lip exfoliator that can help loosen dead skin cells and slough away old residue. You can do this every few days to keep your lips fresh and soft, but DO NOT do it if you have any open cuts. That should be a given, after all, it is lemon juice.
Dark spot correction- Lemon juice can actually help reduce dark spots in your skin, because it contains lots of vitamin C and citric acid. It’s also an antioxidant that helps boost collagen. You can buy moisturizers with lemon juice or add a bit to your own, just make sure to wear SPF when you go out, since it can make your skin more sensitive to the sun.
Black head reduction- Rubbing a lemon on blackhead-prone areas (like your t-zone) can help reduce or eliminate blackheads because it contains citric acid. Just make sure to clean your skin first, and moisturize after.