For all those wanting to learn how to improve acne using easy, homemade treatments, consider one of these simple lemon juice acne remedies, proven to effectively combat acne, leaving your skin looking clearer, smoother, and pimple free.
Who Gets Acne? Well, pretty much everybody. Acne is the most prevalent skin condition, with nearly 90% of the population currently suffering from acne, or having previously suffered from acne in the past. While acne is usually most intense during a person’s teen-aged years, any one can suffer from acne, regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity.
What Causes Acne? Acne is caused by an overproduction of sebum from the sebaceous glands. Sebum is your body’s natural way of lubricating your skin and hair. Sebum travels up through the hair follicle to the surface of your skin. If your body creates too much sebum, it can build up and clog the pore. Additionally, an overabundance of dead skin cells, can clog the pore and cause sebum to build up. Combined together, dead cells and sebum create a soft plug with in the hair follicle.
If the plug is at the surface of the skin, exposed to oxygen, it will darken, creating a black head. If the plug is below the skin surface, it can often times become infected and inflamed with the buildup of bacteria. This is what causes whiteheads.
For getting rid of severe cases of acne, professional treatment from a dermatologist or medical spa is recomended. For milder cases of acne, there are numerous prescription medications, over the counter medications, and even home remedies that effectively treat acne. One of the most effective home remedies uses lemon juice as its staple ingredient.
When life gives you acne, make lemon aid. The citric acid, also known as L-ascorbic acid, in lemon juice is a natural astringent. When topically applied, it can dry out acne. L-ascorbic acid also contains antibacterial compounds great for getting rid of acne-producing bacteria. The high acidity in lemon juice is also a great disinfectant, that can destroy the P.-Acnes Bacterium (the bacteria that causes acne flare ups.)
Lemon juice can be applied topically to the face via a few methods. All methods require minimal prep time, and can easily be made at home with ingredients you already have in your pantry or refrigerator. Before applying any lemon juice home remedy for acne, make sure you adequately clean your face, washing it clean of any dirt, bacteria, or sweat. After you wash your face, apply a clean, warm wash rag to your skin to open up the pores for better treatment absorption.
This is the easiest method of using lemon juice to treat acne. If you have sensitive skin, you might consider diluting the lemon juice with some water before applying it to your skin. 1 Tsp lemon juice mixed with 1 Tsp water is a good ratio to start with.
- Simply soak a Q-Tip in lemon juice
- Then dab it on to the affected area.
- Repeat as necessary.
Creating a face mask using lemon juice as your staple ingredient is another effective way to improve acne. First, make a lemon juice face mask by combining: 1 TBL Lemon Juice, 1 TBL Honey, and 1 TBL Olive Oil.
- Apply the mask evenly over the face. Leave it on for 20-30 minutes. (If you have sensitive skin, leave your face mask on for only 10 minutes.)
- Next, remove the mask by washing your face with warm water.
- Once the mask is washed off, splash your face with cold water to tighten your pores back up.
- Lastly, apply your favorite, non comedogenic face moisturizer.
Get rid of the dirt, oil, and bacteria that clogs pores and causes acne by exfoliating with a homemade lemon juice scrub. An easy recipe includes lemon juice, sea salt, and sugar. The sea salt and sugar are great natural abrasives that do a good job at exfoliating the face of dead skin cells.
- Simply mix lemon juice in with your sugar and salt until you get a paste like consistency.
- Gently apply your homemade scrub to your face (and neck area if desired,) using a circular motion.
- Once you have rubbed in your face scrub, wait about ten minutes and wash your face with warm water, followed by a splash of cold water as explained above.
- When applying lemon juice to your skin, it should tingle, not sting. Ensure a pain free experience by avoiding open lesions or wounds on the face, which can occur in severe cases of acne.
- Lemon juice is known to make your skin more vulnerable to the sun. This is why most people apply their lemon juice acne treatment at night, before bed.
- Lemon juice is shown to stimulate the skin’s Melanin production, therefore people with darker skin, or those who take in a lot of UV exposure, should avoid using lemon juice as a treatment for acne.
- For best results, apply lemon juice to acne every 2-3 days, for several weeks.
- If your skin shows no improvement you should consider getting professional acne treatment. Laser Acne treatment and chemical peels are two professional treatments that have proven very effective for treating acne, which you can learn more about by clicking here.
