Kris Rile has battled with acne – zits, pimples, breakouts, you name it – ever since she was a teen. As an adult, she still experiences these same struggles and knows that her stress and anxiety are often the culprits.
Looking for new, better treatment solutions has become, in some ways, a “hobby” of hers.
In recent years, her breakouts have gotten bad enough that Rile even began to consider finding chemical treatments – which for her, was a big deal. She’d always been one to opt for “natural” solutions, and as a mother-to-be, she wanted to keep her body healthy and clean.
That was when Rile finally turned to Google one last time for a natural, acne-clearing solution.
Her search ultimately led her to discover lemon juice.
She discovered the research of Arash Akhavan, MD, FAAD, dermatologist and founder of The Dermatology and Laser Group, who said, “Eating citrus products that are high in antioxidant plant polyphenols, as well as vitamin C, can reduce the collagen breakdown that can lead to early aging. But citrus products can also have positive effects when carefully applied as a topical agent to the skin.”
Rile wasn’t convinced that using lemon juice would work, but she figured, “what’s the worst that can happen: My face doesn’t clear up, but at least it smells nice?”
The following week, every night, Rile soaked each of her large zits with lemon juice, then rubbed the rest of her face with a cotton ball soaked in the juice as well. She continued to use her usual cleanser in the morning and at night, before she applied lemon juice.
After just two nights, she found that her biggest problem spots – the individual zits – had disappeared. Her overall complexion was more even and healthier – but there were still a few problem spots that the lemon juice didn’t completely remove.
All the same, Rile was convinced and confessed that after her initial trial week, she was “hooked.”
“All-natural—yes; all-perfect—not really, as all the zits hadn’t disappeared. But my skin was definitely benefitting from a nice citrus bath followed by a few undisturbed hours of rest each night,” she explained, “and I wasn’t adding harmful chemicals to my skin-care routine, so I put it in the win column for acne sufferers like myself.”
Before you start applying lemon juice to your own face, do some trial runs first. Not everyone’s skin will respond in the same way, so take care not to damage your complexion in your endeavor to find a better skin care routine.
