Lemon juice has been widely recommended for improving acne-prone skin. This acidic juice extracted from fresh lemon is able to improve both the acne and resulted acne scars. A lot of acne sufferers commonly apply lemon juice directly on facial skin as a natural topical remedy. It does sting and might trigger temporary itching, yet a lot of these people find the benefits of lemon juice in improving their acne. However, lemon juice application is not advised for those with too sensitive facial skin, as it may cause skin burns, irritation, and redness. This will likely to worsen any acne problems rather than improve it.

Drinking water with lemon

While lemon juice does not necessarily cause skin irritation for most people, there are acne sufferers who are not able to use this remedy to improve acne on their skin, despite how much they want to. However, there might be a hope for these people to be able to use lemon juice as their natural remedy to fight acne, not by applying it topically on skin, but by drinking squeezed lemon juice regularly every single day. There are some ways to drink lemon water which give benefit to the entire body, including in fighting acne, such as:

• By pouring lemon juice squeezed from a half of a big lemon into a glass of warm water in the morning.
• By making a glass of lemon infused water to be drunk once or twice a day.

Does it help acne?

Lemon juice that is diluted in warm water and consumed for ace may not cause as strong reaction as one applied topically to the skin—the tingling, itching, and stinging reactions. The absence of these reactions when you are drinking a glass of water added with some drops of fresh lemon juice does not necessarily mean the thing does not work. Instead, inside the body, this lemon water does a natural detoxification, which is beneficial for improving acne. Lemon juice added into water can be used to help acne in these ways:

• Acne is triggered by inflammation, which is closely related to pore clogs. When hair follicles are clogged with sebum, bacteria, and dirt, it gets inflame. This inflammation will burst on to the surface of the skin, appearing as whiteheads or blackheads. Lemon juice is a potent antioxidant that help to protect cells and tissues from radical damages. Free radicals cause inflammation which may lead to acne. Drinking lemon water to replace morning coffee is beneficial for improve skin inflammation and thus, inhibit acne development.
• Lemon water which is taken regularly every day acts as an anti-aging remedy, which removes wrinkles and blackheads. This is possible because lemon water contains high level of vitamin C, which kills bacteria causing blackheads. Blackheads are likely to develop into acne, so that eliminating it will simultaneously inhibit acne development.
• Warm lemon water has a significant role in promoting collagen production inside the body. Sufficient collagen production helps improving skin cell growth, which is important in removing dead skin cells that may cause acne.

Tips for drinking lemon water to help acne

Despite the benefits lemon water may give in improving skin condition, there are some things to consider when taking this home remedy as a detox agent for the body.

• To get its maximum benefits and enzymatic functions, warm water which is added with lemon juice should be taken early in the morning. If you are drinking a cup of coffee in the morning, consider replacing it with lemon water to prevent skin breakouts.
• Lemon water is acidic, so that you will need to drink it out of a straw, instead of directly from the glass. This is important, so that the acid from lemon water does not have any contact with your teeth, as prolonged contact with acidic substances in lemon may cause damage to your teeth enamel.
• Lemon water, due to its acidic content, may cause side effects, such as upset stomach and heartburn. Hence, it is important to drink in moderation. If your weight is under 150 pounds, make lemon juice only from a half of lemon fruit and add it into a glass of warm water. Otherwise, for those weight more than 150 pounds, lemon juice extracted from a whole fresh lemon is recommended.