Lemon for acne, is it safe or does it make the skin worse?

Lemon is a fruit with a myriad of good health benefits. In fact, this yellow fruit is said to be used as a natural acne remedy. Is it true that lemon can be used to treat acne? Check out the explanation here.

Can you use lemon for acne problems?

Acne is a condition that is quite common in almost everyone, especially adolescents who enter puberty. Even though it is a chronic skin disease, there are a number of easy ways to treat acne when it's treated immediately.

One of the ways that many people do is to use natural ingredients, such as lemon, to get rid of acne, from masks to lemon juice. Some of them believe that the antioxidants, citric acid, and vitamin C in lemons can help overcome this problem.

The citric acid present in lemons is known as an astringent exfoliant which is in charge of removing dead skin cells in the outermost layer of skin. Lemon also has antibacterial properties that can produce an acidic environment, so it is disliked by bacteria.

Lemon is also rich in vitamin C which is often used in skin care products. Vitamin C is an anti-aging ingredient and an antioxidant that is quite potent against free radicals. In fact, vitamin C can also lighten the skin and reduce wrinkles on the face.

It is not surprising that many people believe that lemon has properties to treat acne. Unfortunately, there is no research that states that using lemon is a way to get rid of acne. In fact, lemon is said to irritate acne prone skin.

Therefore, the use of lemon, either applying juice or processing it into a mask on skin with acne, needs to be consulted with a doctor.

Why is lemon not suitable for acne problems?

The use of lemon juice or juice directly on the skin is not the best way to get its benefits in maintaining skin health. In fact, applying lemon directly to treat acne is also not recommended.

The acid content in lemon is quite high, which is pH 2, making it unsuitable for treating acne prone skin. The reason is, the natural pH of human facial skin ranges from 4.5 - 5.5. Lemons are not only twice as acidic as the pH of the skin, but 100 times as acidic.

This condition can occur because each decrease in the pH scale, the acidity level of a compound will also increase to 10 times. The pH of the lemon which tends to be weak can cause various side effects on the skin, such as:

• chemical burns,
• contact dermatitis,
• rashes and skin irritations, as well
• skin sensitive to the sun.

This is because the furocoumarins in lemons can cause skin disease when exposed to UVA rays. Exposure to the compound in the sun causes a reaction in the form of a rash and severe skin irritation.

These side effects will be more risky if you use lemon juice directly on the skin every day. Therefore, always consult your doctor regarding the use of lemon to treat acne, from mild to severe types.

Tips for safe using lemons

Lemon may not be the natural acne remedy you are looking for. However, when used carefully, you can experience various benefits for skin health.

If you want to use lemon juice as a skin care, some of the tips below can help avoid the risk of side effects.

• Avoid using lemon if you have sensitive skin.
• Avoid rubbing the lemon juice directly on the skin.
• Mix lemon with other ingredients, such as honey or oatmeal if you want to use it for facial acne.
• Limit the use of lemon, that is, a few times a month as it can dry out the skin.
• Immediately stop use if you notice a rash or irritation.

Actually, the most effective way to deal with acne is to use a treatment that has been proven safe and effective. If you have skin problems related to acne, you should consult your doctor to get the right treatment.