Lemon face masks

Among home cosmetics, lemon face masks are deservedly popular. Being a rich source of vitamin C, lemon juice - and it is this that is included in homemade masks, lotions and scrubs - has many advantages when applied directly to the skin. Firstly, due to the availability of this citrus and the ease of extracting juice from it. Secondly, due to its benefits for the skin.

Benefits of lemon for skin

Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) is a powerful antioxidant and, by neutralizing the negative effects of free radicals, helps increase collagen production.

Lemon also contains citric (50-65 mg/ml) and malic acid (1.5-4.5 mg/ml), trace amounts of tartaric, oxalic, lactic, fumaric, malonic, chlorogenic and benzoic acids. Therefore, the benefits of lemon for the skin are in the peeling effect - the gentle removal of the upper layer of dead skin cells, which is provided by these natural exfoliants. With regular use of lemon in masks, the skin becomes more elastic, smoother, pores are reduced and even scars are reduced.

Organic acids in lemon juice discolor or at least make age spots and some other hyperpigmentation signs paler and less noticeable. However, cosmetologists warn that when using lemon masks, the skin may become more sensitive to ultraviolet rays.

There is no doubt about the benefits of lemon in the treatment of pimples and acne: fresh lemon juice, containing bioflavonoids and phenolic acids (paracoumaric and sinapic), has natural astringent and antibacterial properties.

For oily skin, lemon is one of the best natural moisturizers, toners and anti-wrinkle agents.

For centuries, women have used a lemon juice mask to remove pigment spots from their faces and hands, lubricating them with lemon juice (sometimes diluted with water) every night before going to bed and washing it off the next morning. So we'll start with whitening.

Whitening mask with lemon

A mask with lemon and cucumber is considered a classic whitening agent used at home: lemon and cucumber complement each other in the fight against increased pigmentation.

Grate the cucumber on a fine grater, take 1-2 tablespoons of chopped vegetable and add about a teaspoon of lemon juice. Keep the mixture on your face for no more than 15 minutes and wash off with water, after which be sure to use cream. This procedure is intended for oily skin.

If you have normal skin, you should add an additional teaspoon of sour cream to the mask, and if your skin is dry, in addition to sour cream, you need to add a little of any oil - olive, corn or refined sunflower. Then the mask will have to be washed off with warm water.

The second option is a mask of egg white and lemon - best suited for oily and combination skin: one egg white is whipped and mixed with a teaspoon of lemon juice. In addition to whitening, this mixture, due to natural egg albumin, perfectly smoothes wrinkles, tightens the skin, reduces enlarged pores and reduces sebum secretion for some time.

Lemon Face Mask Recipes

Using lemon juice is easy, and lemon face mask recipes include different ingredients, depending on your skin type and the effects you want to achieve.

• Mask with honey and lemon

If you have normal skin, you can use lemon juice and honey to cleanse and moisturize your skin, help it to release dead cells and regenerate. Mix honey (tablespoon) and lemon juice (teaspoon), apply the mixture to your face for 10-15 minutes, then rinse with warm water.

• Mask with sour cream and lemon

If you slightly change the previous recipe and use sour cream instead of honey, then, without reducing the whitening effect on pigment spots and freckles, you nourish the epidermis cells with vitamins contained in sour cream and help renew cells due to the beneficial properties of sour cream lecithin.

You will notice the effect of improving the skin structure after 4-6 procedures within two weeks, but a noticeable reduction in fine wrinkles will require more time - at least 1-1.5 months.

• Mask with olive oil and lemon

Olive oil and lemon, mixed in equal parts, for 15-20 minutes on the face will not only increase the moisture of normal and dry skin, but also noticeably smooth out fine wrinkles.

For dry skin, it is recommended to enrich the composition of this mask with honey (a teaspoon) and jojoba essential oil (5 drops), and for excessively dry skin, add a little dry milk. To combat wrinkles, such masks can be done twice a week.

• Lemon and Egg Face Mask

A mixture of half a raw chicken egg or a whole quail egg with a teaspoon of lemon juice simultaneously nourishes, tones, smoothes and brightens normal skin.

If the skin is prone to dryness, you can use only the yolk and add a few drops of almond or peach oil; if the skin is pale and thin - avocado oil, if very sensitive - calendula oil. Remember that essential oils are added in minimal quantities - no more than 5-6 drops. And the time during which any mask with lemon juice can be on dry skin should not exceed 10 minutes!

• Oatmeal and Lemon Mask

For oily and combination skin, a nourishing and cleansing mask made from oatmeal and lemon is useful.

Since you won't be able to mix dry crushed oatmeal (a tablespoon) with a teaspoon of lemon juice, first soak the oatmeal in a small amount of hot water and let it swell for about 10 minutes. After that, you can add lemon juice, stir and apply to the skin, but not for more than a quarter of an hour.

• Yeast and lemon mask

Regular fresh yeast, which we use to prepare the dough, in addition to a lot of vitamins, including group B, contains a very necessary microelement - zinc. Therefore, a yeast mask with lemon for acne is an affordable and simple way to improve the health of problem skin prone to acne.

A piece of yeast is kneaded, mixed with lemon juice until it becomes a paste and applied to the face in an even layer for about 20 minutes. Moreover, areas where pimples have appeared can be coated with a thicker layer.

• Clay and lemon mask

A clay and lemon mask deeply cleanses the pores of oily skin from sebum and toxins, dries the skin and makes it clean, matte and fresher. This is due to the adsorbent properties of white clay and the zinc it contains.

This mask tightens and noticeably smoothes aging skin. And, of course, in both cases, lemon juice does its job: whitens and exfoliates.

The mask is easy to prepare: dry clay is mixed with lemon juice and water in half until a medium-thick paste is formed. The mask should be washed off 5 minutes after it has completely dried on the face.

• Mask with aspirin and lemon

The authorship of the mask with aspirin and lemon is attributed to the American surgeon of Turkish origin Mehmet Cengiz Oz, the host of the popular US medical TV show The Dr. Oz Show.

It should be borne in mind that aspirin is acetylsalicylic acid, which, like lemon juice, promotes exfoliation and discoloration of the skin. Therefore, this mask is a very aggressive peeling agent.

It is recommended to crush 3-4 aspirin tablets and mix the powder with a tablespoon of lemon juice until it reaches a paste-like consistency. For dry skin, add about a tablespoon of honey or the same amount of olive oil.

The mask is applied with a cotton pad evenly over the entire face (except for the area around the eyes). It is kept for 6-7 minutes - until it dries, and is removed with a pad soaked in a warm solution of baking soda (a teaspoon per glass of water) - to neutralize the acid. After this cosmetic procedure, the face must be lubricated with a moisturizer, and before going outside - with sunscreen.

This mask is not recommended for use during pregnancy, if you are allergic to aspirin (or have Reye's syndrome), or if you have very dry or sensitive skin.

• Freeman Mask with Lemon

Freeman Mask with Lemon is a product of the American company Freeman Beautiful, a mask for oily and problematic skin Mint & Lemon based on clay, mint extract and lemon.

According to the manufacturer's instructions, "the mask helps to soothe problematic facial skin, control sebum production and remove oily shine, cleanse the skin of toxins, reduce acne inflammation and shrink large pores."

It is also indicated that the mask is made of natural plant ingredients. The list of components included in the Freeman Facial Clay Mask Mint & Lemon includes: water, bentonite (a natural clay mineral that forms a gel when mixed with water), kaolin (clay), menthol oil, lemon oil. Next come: propylene glycol (a moisturizing component, emulsifier E1520), magnesium aluminum silicate (absorbent), titanium dioxide (dye and bleach E171), disodium EDTA (stabilizer), sodium polyacrylate (absorbent and thickener), methylchloroisothiazolinone (a preservative that accumulates in the skin with prolonged use), as well as geraniol, linalool and d-limonene (these are terpene alcohols for enhancing antiseptic properties and aromatization).

You probably realized that we provide information in brackets to give you an idea of the substances used in this product; there is no such information on the tubes.

Reviews of lemon face masks vary widely, as lemon juice can cause burning and redness of the skin, and using it on dry skin can worsen its condition and lead to even greater dryness and prolonged peeling. Side effects can be avoided if you do not make lemon face masks too often and take into account the individual characteristics of your skin.