The Many Benefits of Lemon

By Natalia Moore–

There is nothing like the lemon. It softens. It cleanses. It makes hair shine. Skin gleam. It can be swallowed and/or applied. It can strip away unwanted pounds . . . and do a whole lot more besides. Read on . . .

• The juice of a lemon added to hot water and drunk first thing in the morning will give a clearer skin, brighter eyes. A spoon in the glass will prevent breakage from hot water.
• When slimming, use lemon in place of milk in tea. Squeeze the juice over salad instead of mayonnaise or oil dressing. Sip the juice of lemon topped with soda water between meals or at parties. Only the steward will know it’s not a gin.
• Hungry dieters can stave off a ravenous appetite with lemon prunes.
  • Here’s what to do: Rinse a dozen dessert prunes in warm water and place in a bowl with equal amounts of warm water and lemon juice, enough to cover the prunes. Refrigerate overnight. When tempted to break your diet, nibble a lemon prune very slowly. It will take away hunger pangs and the longing for sweets.

Try it on your face

• Tone a normal or oily skin with a face mask made with the juice of a lemon and the yolk of an egg. Do it this way: Drop a well-beaten yolk into the juice of a lemon and whisk together until thoroughly blended. Smooth on to a cleansed face and throat, and relax with your feet up in a quiet room for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse off with warm water. Pat the skin dry and apply moisturizer.
• Don’t throw away the squeezed lemon halves. They are marvelous for softening and whitening elbows. Cup each elbow in a lemon half, after applying your face mask is an ideal time, and relax for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water, towel dry and massage hand lotion into the elbows. Tissue off excess.
• Add gloss and brightness to your hair by squeezing the juice of a lemon into the final rinsing water. One pint of warm water to the juice of one lemon is the correct proportion.

For snow-white hands

• Clean and soften hands with a mixture of one part lemon juice and rosewater to two parts glycerine. Combine lemon juice, rosewater and glycerine in a small bowl and blend with a wooden spoon. Massage mixture slowly into the hands and along the arms to the elbows. Rinse clean with warm water and towel dry.
• Remove gardening grime from under the nails by digging into the fleshy part of a squeezed lemon. Rinse hands in warm water and pat dry.
• Lavish attention on the throat during summer, the sun and saltwater can ravage this delicate area. In the palm of the hand blend a few drops of lemon juice and a small quantity of night cream . Massage cream into the throat with firm upward strokes. Or: Combine the juice of half a lemon with twice the quantity of warm almond oil. Smooth over the throat with fingertips before stepping into a warm bath, the steam will help the oil penetrate the skin.

Natalia Moore is a health expert, traveller and blogger who enjoys adventure sports, exploring the city with her dog, and sharing ideas on how to look prettier and younger.