I’ll come out and say. Utilizing lemon in skincare is a nasty and harmful concept. I don’t care what that Tik Tok guru says or what number of DIY recipes with lemon you stumbled onto on Pinterest, lemon will not be a good friend of your pores and skin.

This comes from somebody who’s obsessive about lemons. I really like a cooling lemonade in summer time. A lemon cheesecake on the finish of a particular dinner. A whiff of citrusy fragrance to remind you summer time’s on its means. However, I’d by no means use lemon in skincare. Placing lemons in your pores and skin is simply asking for hassle.

I do know, it’s exhausting to consider. Lemons are pure. Loaded with antioxidants. A key ingredient in loads of DYI magnificence recipes. How can they be unhealthy on your pores and skin? I’ll inform you how. Learn on:

Advantages Of Lemon On Pores and skin: Why Do Individuals Suppose It’s Good?

In that case many individuals are placing lemon juice on their pores and skin, there have to be a cause, proper? They’ll’t all be loopy. I get it why lemon is so standard. On the floor, lemon is ideal skincare ingredient. This shiny yellow fruit is stuffed with goodies pores and skin loves and may by no means get sufficient of:

• Vitamin C: An anti-aging celebrity, this vitamin fights the free radicals that trigger untimely growing old, boosts the manufacturing of collagen to maintain pores and skin agency and elastic, and reduces darkish spots and hyperpigmentation. Use it along with sunscreen and it boosts solar safety, too.
• Niacin: Often known as vitamin B3, it has anti-inflammatory properties that may alleviate dry and irritated pores and skin, and reduces hyperpigmentation, too. Plus, it makes pores and skin softer and smoother.
• Citric acid: That is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), a household of exfoliants that lightly dissolve the “glue” that holds your pores and skin cells collectively to allow them to slough off and reveal the brighter, smoother, extra even toned pores and skin beneath. Outcome? Softer, brighter, younger-looking pores and skin.

What does this all imply for pores and skin? Let’s translate this science jargons into actual advantages on your pores and skin:

• Antiaging: The antioxidant content material of lemons helps you combat free radicals and maintain your pores and skin as younger as doable for so long as doable.
• Brightening: Vitamin C and citric acid assist cut back all types of darkish spots and hyperpigmentation, together with a botched tan job.

Sounds superb, proper? So what’s the issue with lemon in skincare?

Associated: The Full Information To Vitamin C In Skincare

Why Lemon Juice Is Dangerous For Pores and skin

Lemon ought to be superb for the pores and skin, proper? However, there’s a catch (or two):

1. Low Focus Of Lively Elements

A lemon is a lemon, proper? However, have you ever ever observed how some lemons style extra tarty or extra acidic than others? There’s a cause for that: regardless that all lemons are made up of the identical compounds, their amount adjustments.

This will depend on a variety of various factors, just like the number of lemon, the place it was grown, the time of yr, if it was refrigerated or not after it was picked up, and the way lengthy it’s been sitting on the grocery retailer…

How a lot goodies does that lemon in your kitchen actually comprise? Sufficient to be efficient? Or an excessive amount of? Michelle of Lab Muffin factors out that “in a typical pattern of lemon juice, you’ll discover 0.04% ascorbic acid, 5% citric acid and 0.0001% niacin. Usually in skincare, serums could have 5-15% ascorbic acid, 2-15% AHA, and 2-10% niacinamide. So in lemon juice, you solely actually get a good quantity of citric acid.” Not sufficient advantages for the potential unwanted effects…

FYI, citric acid might very effectively be what irritated that lady’s pores and skin. It’s an exfoliant and when you exfoliate an excessive amount of, you find yourself irritating or inflaming your pores and skin – and that’s one of many most important causes of darkish spots. Simply saying…

Need DIY skincare suggestions that actually work? Subscribe to the publication beneath to obtain the “5 DIY Skincare Hacks That Actually Work” beneath:

2. Lemon Irritates And Dries Out Pores and skin

Due to its excessive vitamin C content material, lemon is commonly the best choice for DIY therapies to combat hyperpigmentation. However, lemon juice is extremely acidic. It has a pH of simply 2. What does this imply?

Nicely, pores and skin’s pure pH is round 5.5 or 6.5. While you put one thing on it with a pH as little as 2, you may doubtlessly injury its protecting barrier. You realize, that wall that retains moisture in, and germs, pollution, and all types of crap out?

When this barrier is broken, moisture evaporates out of your pores and skin, resulting in dryness and dehydration. Germs and micro organism can get in by the holes within the barrier, inflicting irritations and redness. It’s not a fairly image. In an effort to scale back darkish spots and even out the pores and skin tone, you’ve now irritated and dried out pores and skin. Not the neatest transfer…

Associated: How To Strengthen Your Pores and skin’s Protecting Barrier (And Why It Issues)

3. Lemons Can Trigger Blistering Burns

Do you know that fruits, like lemons, are made up of 1000’s of various substances? A few of them are good, others not a lot. Lemons, for instance, comprise fluranocourmarins and psoralens. All you must know is, when uncovered to daylight, these compounds can irritate and even burn the pores and skin!

This situation has a reputation, Phytophotodermatitis (or PPD for brief), and is extra widespread than you suppose. PPD is difficult, as a result of it doesn’t at all times present up instantly. However, it should – finally. When it does, you’ll acknowledge it: you’ll see pink rashes and brown discolourations that worsen the hyperpigmentation you have been making an attempt to appropriate. Ironic, isn’t it?

Oh, in case you have been questioning, these phototoxic compounds might be faraway from citrus oils through the processing part, so not all of them are essentially unhealthy. However, there’s no means you possibly can take away them at house. So, by no means ever put lemons in your pores and skin after which exit into the solar unprotected. By no means.

4. Lemon Can Worsen Hyperpigmentation

One of many most important causes folks use lemons in skincare is to lighten their darkish spots. The mixture of exfoliating citric acid and Vitamin C has been confirmed to scale back hyperpigmentation – when used appropriately.

So it’s ironic that utilizing lemon juice in your pores and skin could cause chemical leukoderma, a elaborate means of claiming that darkish patches of pores and skin can lose their pigment. In different phrases, you find yourself with uneven gentle patches in your pores and skin!

A 61 yr outdated lady ended up with patches on her pores and skin after utilizing a lemon toner as a result of it had decreased the darkish pigment in her pores and skin an excessive amount of. As an alternative of fading away the darkish spots she already had, DIY lemon juice gave her extra!

We don’t know precisely why lemon juice does this. It may very well be the low pH of lemon. Solely excessive concentrations of chemical peels have such a low pH. They’re administered by an expert to allow them to be neutralised after a couple of minutes. Left on the pores and skin for hours, and uncovered to daylight, they will result in all types of drawback. Don’t do it!

What Ought to You Use To Brighten Pores and skin As an alternative?

I warning you towards utilizing DIY lemon juice recipes on your pores and skin. Even after they work, there are safer option to lighten these darkish spots. Listed here are a pair:

1. Use A Vitamin C Serum

Vitamin C is the important thing ingredient in lemons and has the identical brightening advantages for the pores and skin – with out the cruel unwanted effects (until your pores and skin is tremendous delicate). For finest outcome, use a serum that incorporates 15% L-Ascorbic Acid, 1% Vitamin E, and 0.5% Ferulic Acid. L-Ascorbic Acid is the best type of Vitamin C and the opposite antioxidants assist it, in order that it really works higher and quicker.

BEST PICKS:

• Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum ($80.00/£67.00): This CEF serum incorporates marula oil to moisturise dry pores and skin, however that provides it a barely sticky texture. Out there at Cult Magnificence, Sephora and SpaceNK
• Paula’s Alternative C15 Booster ($49.00): A robust CEF serum that brightens pores and skin and fights untimely growing old. Out there at Sephora, Nordstrom and Paula’s Alternative
• Skinceuticals CE Ferulic ($166.00): The unique CEF serum, it’s nonetheless the gold requirements available on the market to forestall wrinkles, boosts solar safety, and brighten the complexion. Out there at Dermstore

2. Exfoliate With AHAs

Citric acid is a member of the Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) household, a bunch of exfoliants that works by dissolving the glue that holds pores and skin cells collectively. These cells on the floor of the pores and skin are normally the darkest and most broken. Shed them off and also you uncovered the extra even-toned cells beneath. Extra time, this course of helps to fade away darkish spots.

BUT… citric acid is never utilized in exfoliants. Why? It’s the LEAST efficient member of the AHAs household. Should you’re severe about fading darkish spots, go for Glycolic Acid. It has a smaller molecular construction that permits it to deeply penetrate pores and skin, so it really works higher and quicker. The catch? It may be irritating if you first begin utilizing it. Each different night time is greater than sufficient.

BEST PICKS:

• Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Evening Serum ($90.00): This exfoliant incorporates two exfoliants. Glycolic Acid to fade away darkish spots and Salicylic Acid to unclog pores. Out there at Cult Magnificence, Sephora and SpaceNK
• Paula’s Alternative Resist Every day Smoothing Remedy with 5% AHA ($33.00): A beautiful low power Glycolic Acid exfoliant that makes pores and skin softer, smoother, and brighter. Out there at Paula’s Alternative and Selfridges
• The Bizarre Glycolic Acid 7% Firming Answer (£6.80): A mild, no-frills Glycolic Acid exfoliant for folks on a price range. Out there at Magnificence Bay and Cult Magnificence

The Backside Line

Lemons are scrumptious little treats, however on the subject of skincare, they’re too unpredictable. They will help fade away darkish spots, however they will additionally trigger them! Plus, they’re irritating, drying, and never at the same time as efficient as correct skincare merchandise. The decision is obvious: the dangers far outweigh the advantages. Don’t do it!

About Gio

Hello, I am Gio. I am a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is pores and skin coach and author on a mission that will help you obtain your finest pores and skin day ever – day-after-day. I bust skincare myths and debunk advertising jargon that will help you determine what’s well worth the splurge and what’s finest left on the shelf – utilizing science, not hype. I additionally supply skincare consultations that will help you create one of the best skincare routine on your distinctive wants.