Packed with sunshine lemons are bursting with health benefits. Just the thought of them makes your mouth water and their refreshing fragrance lifts your spirits. Everyone knows the benefits vitamin C rich lemons have on the body but few know their cosmetic properties. For centuries women have used lemons to cleanse, tone and condition their skin. As a natural antioxidant they combat the signs of aging by helping to stimulate collagen production. The cosmetics industry uses lemons to produce a range of skin care preparations, but they are expensive. You can make lemon rich cosmetics at home cheaply and easily using items from your kitchen store cupboard. Here's how.
Cleansing should always be the start of your skin care regime. To make a facial scrub mix together equal parts of lemon juice, oatmeal and honey. Add water until it becomes a runny paste. Store this gentle cleanser in the fridge and used every day to clean and condition your skin. To use take a small amount in the palm of your hand and moisten with a little warm water. Rub your hands together until evenly distributed, scrub your hands gently over your face paying attention to the creases at the sides of your nose and mouth or any oily patches. When finished use the excess to scrub the backs of your hand, then rinse your face and hands with plenty of warm water. Pat dry with a soft towel. This cleanser is cheap enough to use as a body scrub before a bath or shower.
Use lemon juice to tone the skin after cleansing. Try this recipe. Take two tablespoons of lemon juice, one tablespoon of vodka, one tablespoon of witch hazel and two tablespoons of water. Pour into a bottle and shake well, store in the fridge and use as needed. Apply to skin with a cotton wool pad and leave for three to five minutes. Rinse the face with warm water and pat dry with a towel. Do not use on damaged skin as it will sting.
After cleansing and toning use moisturizer. Make a simple and inexpensive moisturizer by blending together equal amounts of honey, lemon juice and oil. Sweet almond oil is a nice luxury but you don't need to use it olive oil is fine. Put into a bottle and shake until all ingredients have blended together. Dab on face and neck with cotton ball, use the tips of your finger to massage into skin in small upwards circular movements. Rinse with warm water and pat dry with soft towel.
Condition your skin with a weekly mask treatment. Squeeze a lemon into a cup of warm milk and stand till curdled. Put two tablespoons of oatmeal and a tablespoon of oil into a bowl and add the curdled milk, stir well. The mixture must runny enough to spread on the skin but not too runny that it slides off. Smear on your face, neck, hands, legs and feet and leave for half an hour. Rub excess off with clean towel and shower or bathe in usual way. This mask will improve pimples and the overall condition of your skin. Use this preparation to soften the skin on cracked heels and aid healing.
Home made skin care products are not just inexpensive alternatives to off the shelf cosmetics. You are in control of the ingredients. You know where you bought them and how old they are. You can choose to use organic, eco-friendly or fair traded products and you can even make sure they were not produced by child labour
