When life gives you lemons

make lemon sugar scrubs

I know i'm not the only one who spends a fortune on beauty products said to work miracles and made out of who knows what. So much money is spent on over the counter and even prescription products to beautify ourselves when there are great remedies in our gardens, pantries, or the grocery aisle that are natural and super cheap.

Recently, I was asked to give a presentation to the women at church on the use of lemons in our beauty regimen. In my preparation I learned so much and have begun using some of the recipes in my daily routine.

I had fun making each of the ladies their own lemon sugar scrubs. Mine sits next to my kitchen sink; a little of it goes a long way and I like to use it after washing dishes. The coconut oil softens, the sugar exfoliates and the lemon cleanses, leaving them soft and smelling fresh.  

I've included the recipes below so you can try them for yourself.  Each of them are EASY, CHEAP, and QUICK so don't be afraid to try making them for yourself.

Lemon beauty recipes

Strengthen nails: Soaking nails into lemon juice for about 10 minutes and rinsing them with warm water once a week will not only help them to grow but will also remove any discoloration.

Heal acne and remove blackheads: Lemons' antibacterial and antifungal properties make them a natural alternative to treat acne. Simply slice open a lemon and rub it across your face. Or you can add a few drops of honey to a lemon half before applying it directly to the area where you have blackheads. Wait five to 10 minutes before rinsing off with cold water.

Diminish discolored skin spots: If you're bothered by freckles or age spots, dissolve a pinch of sugar in 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Apply the mixture to each spot with a cotton ball or a facial tissue. Repeat every few days until the spots have lightened to your liking and given your skin a more even tone.

Lighten your hair: Skip the dye. This is a perfect and gradual remedy for those sunny summer days. Mix the juice from four lemons with ¼ cup of warm water, put it in a spray bottle, and spray it in your hair until it's damp. Make sure you only expose your hair to the sun for about 30-60 minutes, depending on how light you want to make it. After you’re done, take a shower and use conditioner, as lemon juice can sometimes dry out your hair.

Calm dry scalp and remedy dandruff: Rub 1 tablespoon lemon juice into dry hair, down to the scalp. Shampoo and rinse as usual. Then, rinse hair again using a solution of 2 cups water and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Repeat every other day for 1 week. Your black shirts will thank you.

Whiten teeth: Mix a little baking soda with the juice of one lemon. The mixture should bubble slightly. Using a cotton swab, wipe saliva and excess plaque from your teeth before brushing on the mixture. Leave the mixture on your teeth for a minute before gently brushing it off with a toothbrush.

Soothe chapped lips: An overnight beauty treatment that only requires slicing open a lemon is an exfoliant for chapped lips. Rub the fruit onto your pucker, then wash off the next morning. The lemon juice will remove any dead skin cells so that your lipstick goes on super smooth.

Cleanse and exfoliate skin: Mix up a ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup coconut oil and the juice of 1 lemon for a fragrant lemon sugar scrub to cleanse and soften your skin.