Pigmentation is a symptom of the active production of melanin in the layers of the skin. There are many reasons for its development, among them the leading positions are the age factor and excessive exposure to the sun. It is not enough to make changes to your diet and lifestyle; you must use special skin whitening products. Lemon is recognized as one of the effective ingredients in traditional medicine recipes for age spots on the face.
Beneficial properties of lemon for skin
Citrus fruit is a universal remedy that includes many vitamins and microelements. Thanks to its unique composition, the fruit has a beneficial effect on the skin:
- exfoliates dead cells and stimulates the growth of healthy skin;
- destroys germs and strengthens the immune system, which helps to quickly cope with acne;
- makes the dermis softer and more elastic;
- regulates sebum synthesis, copes with oily sheen;
- cleanses and tones the epithelium;
- produces a pronounced lifting effect;
- makes the skin smoother, copes with pigmentation and freckles;
- launches recovery processes;
- copes with swelling.
Whitening Power of Lemon
Bright sour citrus contains many vitamins and nutrients necessary for the skin . Lemon nourishes the epidermis and provides a powerful whitening effect, which is why it is often used in home and professional cosmetics.
Lemon contains many vitamins and minerals, so it is good for the skin.
The brightening properties of citrus are dictated by the following components:
- Vitamin C. It blocks the production of melanin (the coloring pigment that forms dark spots). Thus, the vitamin lightens the formed pigmentation and protects against the appearance of new spots.
- Vitamin A. This substance stimulates cell renewal, due to which pigmented areas are actively replaced by a new, light epidermis.
- Organic acids. Skin lightening is provided by citric and malic acids contained in citrus. They activate metabolism and accelerate cell renewal.
To whiten the skin, you can use fresh citrus, citric acid, freshly squeezed juice or lemon essential oil. Highly concentrated products are used only in diluted form.
Lightening with lemon: pros and cons of the event
Lemon whitening has both advantages and some disadvantages.
The advantages of the procedure include:
- Excellent performance. Lemon cosmetics actually lighten age spots and whiten the skin.
- Skin cleansing. Along with brightening the face, lemon will get rid of acne, reduce skin oiliness, and normalize the functioning of the sebaceous glands.
- Restoring elasticity. Citrus activates the synthesis of elastin and collagen, which tighten the face and restore elasticity to the skin.
Lightening with lemon has the following disadvantages:
- Duration of the procedure. It will take a long time to achieve positive results.
- Drying of the skin. Lemon dries out the skin excessively. Therefore, citrus is recommended to be used to combat pigmentation on oily skin. For dry epidermis, lemon must be softened with additional components.
- The appearance of pigmentation. After lightening with lemon, the skin must be protected from ultraviolet radiation. The use of sunscreen is recommended. Failure to comply with this rule leads to the appearance of new pigmentation, and sometimes to burns.
Fresh citrus, lemon juice, oil and citric acid are used for cosmetic purposes.
Contraindications
Before lightening your skin, you should consult a therapist and dermatologist. Pigmentation may indicate pathological processes occurring in the body.
The sudden appearance of dark spots is characteristic of hormonal disorders, endocrine diseases, diseases of the liver, kidneys, and digestive tract. Pigmented areas may indicate abuse of certain medications, oral contraceptives.
Lemon bleaching is strictly contraindicated for:
- allergies to citrus;
- rosacea (vascular network on the face);
- excessive dryness and sensitivity of the skin;
- the presence of cuts, wounds, scratches;
- birthmarks or neoplasms in the treated area.
If you have rosacea, you should not use lemon cosmetics.
Rules for using lemon
To protect yourself from the side effects of lemon bleaching (dry skin, allergies, burns), you need to use citrus correctly.
The following rules will help with this:
- Conducting an allergy test. Before using the lemon remedy, apply it to your wrist. Wait a few minutes. If no unpleasant reaction occurs, the drug can be used.
- Duration of the procedure. Lemon is a very aggressive remedy. Therefore, apply it to the skin for 10–15 minutes, no more. Otherwise, the epidermis can become very dry.
- Time spending. It is best to carry out lemon treatments in the evening. This will protect your skin from sun exposure that can cause sunburn.
- Avoiding tender areas. It is strictly forbidden to use an aggressive agent on the areas under the eyes. In addition, the acid should not get on the mucous membranes, otherwise serious burns may result.
- Local application. Cosmetologists recommend using lemon products (aggressive in impact) only on problem areas.
How to remove age spots on the face with lemon
Lemon successfully whitens the skin due to its high content of ascorbic acid. Cosmetics with the addition of citrus fruits help quickly cope with pigmentation.
This natural product can replace expensive cosmetic procedures that have an aggressive effect and disrupt the structure of the dermis. It also becomes an excellent alternative to synthetic products.
To remove age spots, lemon can be used as the sole ingredient in home remedies or mixed with other substances.
To whiten the dermis, you can use the pulp, juice or essential oil of the fruit. There are several basic methods for lightening the skin - peeling, cream, compress, tonic or mask with lemon.
Lemon for age spots
Contraindications
Lemon is a healthy fruit, but it contains vitamin C, which may not only be beneficial for the skin, but can also cause side effects. Before using recipes based on it, the following contraindications should be taken into account:
- close location of capillaries to the surface of the skin;
- allergies and individual intolerances;
- malignant tumors;
- pimple, abscess, boil and other inflamed areas at the site of intended application;
- wound surface, scratches, abrasions;
- serious blood problems.
Whitening age spots with lemon should be done with caution if you have delicate, sensitive skin.
Before applying mixtures, be sure to perform a skin test: apply a small amount to an area in a closed area (the crook of an arm, a leg, a place behind the ear, etc.). If you have skin diseases, your doctor should advise you on the possible consequences of self-treatment of pigmentation.
Pigment spots caused by age-related changes in the body or exposure to ultraviolet rays can be removed using cosmetic procedures and traditional medicine methods. Lemon will provide indispensable assistance in the fight for the beauty of the skin and its even tone. This component, like peroxide (hydrogen 3%), has a powerful whitening effect and slows down the work of melanocyte cells. Photos of the results from regular procedures prove the high effectiveness of acid masks, peels and applications. A dot remains in place of the large spot.
Conditions for using lemon in home care
To remove pigmentation successfully, you need to follow the basic recommendations:
- Apply lemon-based products to clean and dry skin.
- It is allowed to keep the compositions for no more than 15-20 minutes. If a burning sensation occurs, the product must be washed off immediately.
- Only a course of whitening masks will help you achieve stable results. It must last at least 1 month.
- It is worth washing off the products with warm water. You can add a small amount of soda to neutralize the acid.
- After using masks with citrus fruits, you should not go outside for 2-3 hours. This is due to the skin's sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation.
- Finally, you should apply a nourishing cream to your face. A product with panthenol is also suitable.
- Those with dry skin can use whitening products a maximum of once a week. For girls with oily skin, this can be done 2 times every 14 days.
Apply lemon-based products to clean and dry skin.
Ready-made cosmetics
Sometimes it is better to pay attention to ready-made cosmetics. Such products contain many components that complement each other. Thanks to this, skin lightening will proceed faster . In addition, the risk of causing harm with ready-made preparations (subject to the correct selection of the product for the skin type) is reduced to a minimum. In homemade masks, you can easily make a mistake with the dosage of the aggressive component.
The following tools have proven themselves well:
- REDERMIC C cream from La Roche Posay. Suitable for dry skin. It evens out the complexion, activates collagen synthesis and smoothes out wrinkles. A delicate, velvety cream soothes, nourishes the skin and restores its elasticity.
- Intensive anti-wrinkle concentrate with 12.5% vitamin C Kiehl's. The drug contains hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, lemon oil. Such components ensure evenness of skin texture and tone. In addition, the serum helps smooth out wrinkles and has a rejuvenating effect.
- Vichy Mineral Peeling Mask “Double Radiance”. The mask exfoliates dead cells and renews the epidermis. The fruit acids included in the preparation actively even out the color and texture of the skin.
The main disadvantage of such products is the presence of chemical components.
Cosmetics - photo gallery
REDERMIC C cream from La Roche Posay improves complexion
Intensive anti-wrinkle concentrate with 12.5% vitamin C evens out skin texture and tone
Vichy mineral peeling mask “Double Radiance” exfoliates dead layers and whitens the skin
Whitening mask recipes
Today there are many recipes that can be used to cope with pigmentation. To remove stains, you can use lemon alone or mix it with other ingredients.
Citric acid mask
This product copes with pigmentation and oily sheen of the dermis. To prepare the composition, ordinary water is suitable. To make the lightening effect more noticeable, you can use herbal infusions - parsley, dandelion, mint.
To prepare the product, you need to take 1 small spoon of citric acid and mix with 5 tablespoons of water or decoction. Apply the composition to problem areas for 5 minutes.
Mask with oatmeal and milk
This product is suitable for girls with dry or normal skin. To make it, you need to grind 2 tablespoons of oatmeal, add 1 small spoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Then pour warm milk into the mixture to get the consistency of sour cream. You need to keep the composition for a quarter of an hour.
Lemon-egg mask
The product has a whitening effect, reduces the oiliness of the dermis, and copes with acne. To make it, you need to beat the egg white, add 1 small spoon of lemon juice and mix well. Apply with a brush to problem areas. After 10 minutes, wash your face.
Oil mixture
This composition has pronounced whitening characteristics. To make it you will need essential oils - 6 drops lemon, 14 drops wheat germ, 8 drops chamomile. Mix all ingredients thoroughly, add 3 g of salt.
Rub the composition into age spots twice a day. After the procedure, it is prohibited to go outside for 1.5 hours. Otherwise there is a risk of burns.
Whitening age spots with lemon is a fairly effective procedure. With the correct use of medicinal products, it will be possible to significantly improve the condition of the skin in a short time.
Ice with lemon for whitening
Ice has a positive effect on the skin, encourages lazy cells to work, and stimulates blood circulation.
Here's how to prepare lemon ice: dilute lemon juice 1:1 with water and freeze. Lemon pulp should not get into the ice, so the juice is filtered. Cold tightens pores, the properties of lemon whiten the skin, and the unique texture of ice promotes cleansing and disinfection. The cube is gently moved over the face until it melts. Allow the juice to absorb for 10 minutes, then wash with cool water and apply cream.
Video about the benefits of lemon.
Peroxide and lemon
Good results can be easily achieved using hydrogen peroxide.
- This recipe is useful for oily and combination skin. Baby soap without additives needs to be grated and a teaspoon of shavings taken. Pour a spoonful of peroxide and 10 drops of lemon juice into it, a violent reaction will begin. The composition should be stirred and applied in an even layer to the pigmented areas. After 15 minutes, the face is cleansed with water and the skin is lubricated with nourishing cream. If discomfort is felt during the procedure, the composition must be washed off before the prescribed time.
- Those with dry skin should use a more gentle method. To reduce the aggressive effects of the components, add a spoonful of homemade sour cream or olive oil to the composition.
- To lighten freckles, it is recommended to squeeze the juice from half a lemon and mix it with hydrogen peroxide in a 1:2 ratio. Soak gauze swabs in liquid and apply to areas of pigmentation. After 5-10 minutes, remove and rinse skin with water. At the end of the procedure, it is useful to apply a nourishing mask based on sour cream or cream on your face.
What stains does lemon get rid of?
You need to know that you should not try to remove moles, congenital birthmarks, or formations of unknown nature and origin with lemon.
Lemon is effective against freckles and age spots that appear during life due to endocrine, hereditary (physiological) factors, and under the influence of ultraviolet radiation.
Important! To avoid health problems, before lightening age spots, you should consult a specialist (dermatologist, cosmetologist or therapist).
Salon procedures for skin whitening
If you want quick results and safe whitening, you should go to a salon. There are several ways to lighten the skin of your face and body after sunbathing.
Laser whitening
It is carried out using a powerful laser beam, which targets the surface layer of the skin and promotes its renewal. This procedure is only suitable for lightening certain areas of the skin. To remove all tan from the face, arms or other parts of the body, it is better to use other treatments.
Peeling
This is a reliable and proven way to lighten the skin on the face and body. Peeling allows you not only to lighten the dermis, but also to renew it. It is performed using acids that cause controlled damage to the skin and promote cell renewal. With peeling you can lighten your skin tone and remove age spots.
Indications
Before bleaching your face with lemon at home, you must be sure to familiarize yourself with all the indications for use and contraindications. Since lemon is a citrus fruit containing vitamin C, it can cause an allergic reaction.
It is recommended by cosmetologists to carry out procedures with the addition of fruit for:
- skin prone to premature aging;
- pigmentation;
- small pimples;
- acne;
- oily skin.
Skin whitening is especially important with the onset of spring and summer, when age spots and freckles appear in response to increased sun activity.
