7 Ways to Use Lemons as a Beauty Aid ...

If you're looking for a wrinkle reducing aid, lemons will cost far less than some of the more expensive lotions and potions on the market, and there is definitely no surgery involved in this wrinkle reducing solution. Simply stir a teaspoon of sugar into two tablespoons of lemon juice, massage the solution onto your face with your fingers and leave on your face for ten minutes. The ingredients work together, with the vitamin C in the lemon promoting the production of collagen and the acids in the sugar repairing skin damage and removing the dead skin cells. This is just one of the many ways to use lemons as a beauty aid.

Tired and puffy eyes are not a fresh faced lady's best friend but there is a simple and natural solution. Squeeze the juice of a lemon into a small bowl and add two slices of cucumber. Let the cucumber slices sit in the lemon juice for a couple of minutes before placing them on your tired eyes. This will help ease any puffiness and will also help reduce those dark circles that give away those late nights you've been having.

Lemons are great for stimulating collagen production, removing dead skin cells and cleansing your face. If you suffer from greasy skin, lemons are your friend as they will unclog those pores and help restore the balance in the skin. To ensure that those pores are nice and clean and less likely to cause you problems, enlist the help of a DIY lemon-steam facial. Just fill a bowl with boiling water and add the peel of half a lemon. Put your face over the bowl with a towel over your head to keep the steam in and just bask in the soothing lemon aroma as it penetrates and cleanses your pores. It's actually quite rejuvenating and your face will thank you for it!

Lemons are a great face mask ingredient. Make a blackhead treatment mask by mixing two tablespoons of oatmeal with one tablespoon of lemon juice and four tablespoons of plain yoghurt for a cleansing face mask. Leave the paste on your face for five minutes and rinse off with cold water.

Dandruff can be a little embarrassing, not to mention incredibly itchy and uncomfortable! To avoid people asking whether it's snowing outside, there are a couple of ways you can use lemons as a dandruff banishing aid. Add two tablespoons of lemon juice to half a cup of olive oil and gently rub the mixture onto your scalp for 15 minutes before rinsing your hair and shampooing as normal. Another lemon-aid solution is to mix a quarter of the juice from a lemon with an egg white and apply the mixture to your scalp, giving yourself a soothing head massage in the process as you rub it in. Leave it on for about an hour then shampoo as normal.

People have been adorning their nails for the past 5000 years and there are some ways in which you can use lemons for shiny and strong nails. Brittle fingernails can be annoying, but by simply rubbing sliced lemon on your fingernails every day, you can make them stronger. Another nail strengthening and cuticle softening treatment, involves soaking your nails for five minutes in a mixture of half a lemon, a little liquid soap and a little warm water.

Clogged pores can cause pimples and blackheads, which is why we steam away to unblock them. However, you can also use lemons as a topical 'medication.' Simply squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a small bowl and use a cotton wool ball to dab the juice onto your face. Be careful to avoid your eyes as it would sting if it made direct contact! Leave it on for ten minutes or overnight and rinse off. Then say bye bye to blackheads, as those oils which cause them will swiftly be dissolved!

So you see, lemons aren't just for lemonade, they can also be your lemon-aid! Is any one else a fan of the humble lemon? Do you have any other beauty uses for these little yellow gems?

Sources: Sutherland, Diane & John, Lemons, 2011, London, Flame Tree Publishing.