Use Lemon Juice to Lessen Acne and Heal Acne Scars

While there are certainly other ways to treat acne, perhaps none is as DIY and cost-effective as using lemon juice. Lemon juice contains L-asorbic acid, a natural astringent which dries out the acne, as well as antibacterial compounds that fight acne-producing bacteria.[1] Although lemon juice can be incredibly effective if used properly, care must be taken not to make lesions worse and avoid increased sensitivity and sun damage.

Steps

Treating Acne and Acne Scars with Lemon Juice

  1. Wash or exfoliate your face to remove oil, dirt, and sweat. A lot of people choose to apply lemon juice overnight, incorporating it into their nightly face-washing routine. If you don't want to leave the lemon juice on overnight, try applying it right after you wash your face in the morning. Make sure your face is completely dry and moisturized before proceeding.
  2. Take a Q-tip or cotton swab and saturate it in a wedge of fresh lemon. Leave the Q-tip in the lemon wedge for a couple seconds for good measure.
  3. Use the Q-tip to dab at only acne and acne scars. You should feel a bit of tingling on your skin, but it shouldn't hurt. Re-saturate the Q-tip in the lemon wedge as necessary. Only target your problem areas.
  4. Cover your lemon with plastic wrap and wait for a period of 30 minutes to overnight before washing off. How long you choose to leave the lemon juice on your skin probably depends on two things — whether you're targeting scars or acne, and how sensitive your skin is:
    • Scars or acne? If you're trying to treat scars only, you have a little bit more leeway, because you're using the lemon juice to lighten skin, not heal acne. In this case, you can afford to leave it on for several hours to overnight. If you're treating acne, try leaving it on for less time.
    • Sensitive skin or not? People with sensitive skin have a harder time leaving lemon juice on for longer periods. If your skin is very sensitive, reddens easily, or generally doesn't behave, stick with a couple hours at first before experimenting with longer durations.
  5. Wash your face to remove any excess lemon juice. Apply the lemon juice every 1 - 3 days for a period of several weeks for best results. If lemon juice doesn't work, try seeing a dermatologist or consult other sources on treating acne fast and naturally.

What Not to Try

  1. Don't use a whole lemon wedge directly on your face or cover your entire face with lemon juice. Lemon juice is incredibly acidic, leeching out natural oils and disrupting your skin's natural pH. Not only this, but people with sensitive skin will have a much worse time dealing with too much lemon juice. Remember, a little goes a long way. Just because a little is good doesn't mean a lot is better!
  2. Don't use lemon juice on open lesions. If your acne is bad and you've got open sores or lesions, lemon juice probably isn't what you want. While it may fight the acne, it probably hurts the surrounding skin, leaving it worse off.
    • You can try using lemon juice on active acne that isn't opened or hasn't been popped. Discontinue if your skin develops redness, irritation, or breaks out.
  3. Don't spend long periods in the sun after using the lemon juice. Lemon juice will make your skin particularly susceptible to sun damage. This is why many people choose to use lemon juice at night instead of the morning, and then wash the lemon juice off when they wake up. If you do choose to use lemon juice on your skin during the day, take care to protect your skin from sunlight: Wear sunscreen, don a hat, etc.
  4. Be careful about using lemon juice with lots of other products. If you want to try lemon juice on your skin to heal acne and acne scars, be careful about using other skin-care products in combination with lemon juice. It might be helpful to use lemon juice on your skin on those days when you're not using benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, etc. for your skin-care routine.

Trying Out Specific Recipes Using Lemon Juice

  1. Make a mask out of lemon juice, honey, and olive oil. This simple mask combines the potency of lemon juice with the hydrating influence of honey and olive oil. Leave it on for 10 - 30 minutes, depending on how sensitive your skin is, and then wash away with warm water and a splash of cool water to help tighten your pores.[2] Finish off with your favorite moisturizer. Here's the recipe you might consider using:
    • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
    • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) honey
    • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
  2. Try diluting lemon juice with water for more use with more sensitive skin. If you've got sensitive skin but still want to take advantage of the potency of lemon juice, you don't have to forgo it altogether. Try mixing 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of lemon juice with 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of water for a less concentrated solution. Then dip the Q-tip in the diluted solution and use as instructed.
    • If you really have sensitive skin and want a cooling touch when you apply the lemon juice with a Q-tip, try soaking the Q-tip in the diluted lemon juice and then placing it in the freezer for 10 - 20 minutes or until it freezes. Then, when you apply the Q-tip to your skin, it will be cool to the touch!
  3. Make a scrub with lemon and sugar or sea salt. Sugar and sea salt are great natural abrasives that, when combined with lemon juice, help fight acne and let your skin glow. Mix enough lemon juice and either sugar or sea salt to make a paste. Then apply the paste to your face and neck, exfoliating the skin in gentle circles. Wait 8 - 10 minutes and then wash off with warm water, finishing with a splash of cold water to close the pores.

Warnings

  • If you wake up with any redness or puffiness, dilute the lemon juice even more and try again.
  • Put cocoa butter Vaseline on to help prevent any scab issues.

Related Articles

  • Get Rid of Acne Scars with Home Remedies

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://blog.womenshealthmag.com/beauty-style-buzz/7-at-home-cures-for-acne/
  2. ↑ http://theeverygirl.com/feature/homemade-honey-lemon-face-mask

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