Lemon has always been one of the favourite ingredients for many when you want to add the flavor of tanginess to your food and even to your drinks. It is also the best source of Vitamin C which is not just good for your health and body but also for your skin.
You must have heard people talk about the benefits of putting lemon on your face for so many of your skin issues. There are a lot of benefits of Vitamin C for your skin like it helps promote collagen, reduces hyperpigmentation, and brightens your skin.
A lot of skincare and makeup products have Vitamin C in them. If you are someone who believes in the power of nature then you probably know about the benefits of vitamin C or lemon for your skin. People have always raved about the benefits of lemon for several skin problems, and the internet is filled with DIY recipes for you to try out that have lemon as its key ingredient.
While nature and natural products seem to be the best alternative to synthetic or artificial skin products available in the market, quite often, some people have complaints of the disadvantages of lemon juice on face and other natural products. Lemon is no exception to that. If you want to try out the lemon for your skin care, you must know about the disadvantages of lemon juice on face. Before we talk about the side effects of lemon, we must first look at the qualities of lemon and its usage and benefits for your skin.
Benefits of Lemon for your Skin
Below are some benefits of lemon:
1. Lots of Vitamin C
As we have already discussed, putting lemon on the face and skin helps with providing Vitamin C. It is the richest source for Vitamin C and instead of buying skincare products that cost a fortune you have lemon as a cheap yet effective alternative.
2. Treatment of Acne
Lemon has a lot of properties that reduce inflammation and also helps to control the excess oil production in your face that causes acne.
3. Helps with Blackheads
The nasty blackheads around your nose and chin area can prove to be a tricky job. Lemon or lemon masks are one of the best solutions to treat blackheads. It helps to break down the layer of dead cells that often results in blackheads and reduces blackheads.
4. Helps with Discoloration
If you have a problem with discoloration then lemon would be of great help as the Vitamin C helps to lighten and balance the dark parts of your face.
5. Reduces Tanning
Tanning is the biggest concern of many people as there are very few products that can give fast results but lemon is one such ingredient that can single-handedly fight tanning or discoloration on your skin. There are a lot of masks that you can DIY that prove wonders for your skin and reduce tanning from the first use.
Benefits Of Using Lemon On Your Face
So all these benefits of lemon speak for the popularity of it in the beauty world and people’s inclination towards it for all these skin related problems. So you may wonder, it’s just lemon what can probably go wrong with using it for your face. While the chances of people developing any side effects of lemon on their face are few, we still need to know about them.
Disadvantages of Lemon Juice on Face
Here are some of the shocking side effects of putting lemon on the face that you should know of:
1. Increases Dryness
Lemon is known to dry out your skin and even your scalp. It is one of the most important disadvantages of lemon juice on face that you should know about. If you are someone who already has dry skin then you need to be more careful if you have been using it on your face. This dry skin can further cause inflammation, burning, and redness.
2. Can Make your Skin Dark
Excess of anything is not good. We have already talked about the benefit of using lemon on your skin to help prevent discolouration but if you use lemon on your face in excess, it can have a negative reaction. Due to the high acidic content of lemon, if you use it often or in larger quantities on your face, it may even burn your skin and cause further discolouration. So be careful when and how you use it.
3. Can Cause Photosensitivity
This may sound scary, and it probably can be. If you use lemon on your face frequently, you should be more careful when you step out in the sun. Photosensitivity is the condition when your skin becomes sensitive to the sun. So if you go out in the skin without properly covering your face or wearing sunscreen, your skin may react badly. We obviously don’t want that to happen, right?
4. Can Cause Irritation
If you have severe acne or pimples, then putting lemon juice on your face can cause stinginess, burning, or even irritation. In some severe cases, it can even make the pimples redder or cause further bleeding. So if you are using lemon on your face, leave it on for a long time to prevent this from happening.
5. Can Cause Chemical Leukoderma
Scary, right? Among the above-mentioned disadvantages of lemon juice on face, chemical leukoderma can be one of the severe conditions. It can be caused because of the chemical properties that are present in lemon. When using lemon juice for the skin or your face, make sure that the ingredients you mix it with to prepare the mask go well with each other.
This condition may leave you with permanent white spots. No matter how well you think lemon has proved for your skin, it is always wise to look out for the possible risks and disadvantages of lemon juice on face, just to be more careful.
You can take the Following Precautions when using Lemon for Face
- Always conduct a patch test before trying out a face mask with lemons in it and wait patiently to see if it is safe for you to use.
- Don’t use it in excess. Follow the proper instructions and measurements when preparing a mask for your face. Also, be careful of how many times you can use it.
- If you are using lemon for your face then you must never step out of your house without sunscreen or SPF.
Everything in the world comes with pros and cons, so you should be more careful with everything, even when it is lemons.
