I have actually heard of some patients trying this and having results on very light, superficial pigmentation. By all means if you want to give it a try, I would suggest you apply it at night and wash your skin in the morning. I’m sure it will give your skin a nice “overall” glow for a while, but in terms of actually lightening pigmented areas, I am quite doubtful that you will see any significant difference. But with all things… as long as it’s safe and it’s not going to harm you, it cannot damage you to try and make your own conclusions.
Some people really swear by using this method for “home peeling.” Obviously there is no “protocol” for how to perform this… so if you really are keen to try it, I would say just work with your skin by responding to how you skin feels and reacts step by step. Obviously lemon juice, even though it is acidic, is very different from peel solutions that have been through various processes that concentrate them and stabilise them in laboritories, so it is not going to be anywhere near the strength of a proper peeling product. So by all means if you are really keen then go by how you feel. I am not a fan of patients performing actual peels at home, unfortunately, I have seen too many disaster cases! Having said that though, there are one or two products out there that make a “home peeling kit“, which is very carefully formulated and made at higher pH so as to risk the peel going too deep and causing problems for the patient… They do still have to be used with caution. One that I am familiar with and have seen few problems with, is the Nimue kit.
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39 comments
Moodley
I use lemon juice as a toner sometimes as I have really oily skin. It seems to help clear up my skin for a while.
foreverGLAM
Most articles say it works but I still haven’t tried it
Candibabes
I have heard that this works especially well for dark circles under the eyes. I think I will give it a try.
AndreaM
I am currently trying this so I will see how well it works.
hay
Interesting….
fay
It is really great for very light marks left behind.
Pseudo_kate
I’ve heard about this home treatment as well. Lemon juice mixed with a dash of honey, sweep it over the areas that need lightening and leave it on for 30 minutes. I can’t say I’ve ever tried it but I am wary of using lemon juice on the face.
Mpoyif
Interesting!
Adele
Interesting article.
NaturalDiva
In all my reading, I have read that lemon juice does have a lightening effect on the skin but it can also dry the skin. One time I tried and I woke up with very dry skin around my nose and mouth area. I think it’s a good ingredient for using in a DIY mask but I don’t think we should expect miracles.