Lemon essential oil is a great skin lightening agent for all your needs. It’s packed with some amazing health perks, like being anti-aging and scar reducing. So, whether you have sun spots from too many beach days or discoloration around your armpits, you can try lemon essential oil for skin.

Not only that, but using this oil in your daily routine doesn’t have to be a hassle either — it’s easy to incorporate into your daily life! Try out some of the many ways to use lemon essential oil for skin lightening below and head towards a healthier, happier you.

Why Lemon Essential Oil is Great for Skin Lightening

Did you ever try squeezing lemon juice in your hair when you were younger to create natural highlights? Lemons are widely known for their natural bleaching properties.

In lemon essential oil for skin lightening, the actual lightening components come from the lemon peel, which is where the oil is derived.^[1] In short, lemon essential oil contains hesperidin, which basically reduces melanin production in your skin to make it lighter. Therefore, you can use it to treat dark spots, acne scarring, pigmentation, and uneven skin tone.

5 Ways to Use Lemon Essential Oil for Skin Lightening

Lemon essential oil benefits for skin are endless when you have the right ways to use them. Here are a few of our favorite ways to enjoy this fresh and feisty oil.

1. Facial Steam to Even Skin Tones

There’s nothing like a refreshing sauna trip to help your skin feel new. But who has time for that? You can instead create a DIY sauna facial experience that you can do once per week at your convenience. Plus, your homemade facial will smell incredible thanks to the powerful impact of lemon essential oil for skin whitening.

To make lemon facial steam: Start by heating up approximately 4 cups of water until it is boiling. Then, pour the water into a heat-resistant bowl (so it doesn’t burn you later) and add in 10 drops of lemon essential oil. Sit with the bowl in your lap and a towel draped over your head and bowl. This way, the steam will evaporate the oils, cleansing your pores and absorbing into your skin for some all over skin toning.

2. Night Serum for Lightening Acne Scars

If you suffer or suffered from acne, you probably have at least a few scars on your face from the skin damage. Thankfully, lemon essential oil for skin discoloration will help to reduce the appearance of those scars.

Using a night serum can help you gradually improve those specific areas that stand out to you most. It’s easiest to make a bottle to keep on your nightstand for easy application. Maybe after, you’ll even feel confident enough to go foundation-free at your next social event!

To make lemon night serum: Start by putting about 20ml of fractionated coconut oil into a tinted glass bottle. Then, add in 10ml of rose oil. Lastly, put in six drops of lemon essential oil. As you’ll be heading to bed after applying the serum, you may wish to add lavender essential oil to your recipe. Lavender has been shown to aid relaxation and sleep,^[2] which can be a great aromatherapy bonus after a long day. Spread a thin layer on and let the magic happen while you dream.

3. Lightening Face Mask for Hyperpigmentation

While hyperpigmentation is usually harmless, it may cause you to feel self-conscious about your skin. You can use a face mask bi-weekly to reduce hyperpigmentation. Over time, you should see some gradual lightening of the dark spots, making them feel like less of a focal point on your face.

To make lemon face mask: Mix together a teaspoon of honey with just a few drops of water and two pinches of baking soda. Next, add in three drops of lemon essential oil and stir well. Using your fingers or a spoon, apply this sticky mask to your face and resist the urge to lick a bit of the leftover honey mixture. Wait about 15 minutes and then rinse off with warm water and pat dry.

4. Spot Treatment for Problem Scars

So, you fell off your bike when you were 14-years-old but still have the dramatic scar on your knee as a reminder? Don’t stress. Lemon essential oil for skin lightening can help make that tale a thing for the storybooks. Spot treatments are a great tool for those big or small scars that need some special attention. You can apply this spot treatment twice a day as long as you remember to protect your skin from the sun after use.

To make lemon spot treatment: For your base, add 30ml of rosehip oil to a glass jar or bottle. Put in six drops of lemon essential oil. When you’re ready to use, sprinkle a pinch of baking soda over the scar and then squeeze one to three drops of the oil blend onto the area, depending on the size of the scar. Next, rub the baking soda and oils on your skin gently. Allow this to fully dry. Don’t worry about washing it off as it can stay on the area throughout the day.

5. Toner for Face, Neck, and Chest Sunspots

Spending too much time in the sun will inevitably leave you with some darker sun spots on your most exposed areas, such as your face, neck, and chest. Luckily, a lemon essential oil for skin lightening daily toner may help. Lemon essential oil from Eureka or Lisbon lemons can help reduce pigmentation in these zones.^[3] Plus, it is suggested that the antioxidants in lemon essential oil may act as an anti-aging bonus too.^[4]

To make lemon toner: Combine ¼ cup of witch hazel with ¼ cup of rose water or cucumber water. Add in six drops of lemon essential oil and shake well before each use. You can apply this toner by using a cotton pad and gently wiping your face, neck, and chest. And remember, toners can be drying to your skin so it is important to moisturize after it dries for healthy skin.

Lemon Essential Oil for Skin Lightening Tips

To safely understand how to use lemon essential oil for skin lightening, here are two tips to keep in mind.

• Don’t go into the sun after use
  This is the number one rule for all citrus essential oils! Remember, lemon oil is photosensitive. Meaning, you should really wait up to 12 hours before going into the sun for long periods after use. This will prevent any skin reactions or agitation.
• Remember to dilute appropriately
  We all want fast results. But using a higher dose of essential oil in the above recipes won’t make you see a difference quicker. Actually, it might cause you more harm than good. The reason being that essential oils by their very nature are so potent that if applied undiluted they can cause allergic reactions and sensitivities.^[5] Play it safe and stick with the recommended dosage.

References

• [1] https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/EXTRACTION-OF-CITRUS-OIL-FROM-LEMON-(-CITRUS-LIMON-Sikdar-Nikila/2ff038cf449ae5168199c886ebff8a66ce088399
• [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3612440/
• [3] https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf051682i
• [4] https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/0977/fd61edfe84d7ae54d1e7d2e2aac3fe23e214.pdf
• [5] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1353611703000842