The Kitchen Cosmetician: DIY Lemon Scrub

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DIY Lemon Scrub photos: we heart this

When life hands you lemons make lemonade.”
Dale Carnegie

We are deep into fall here in the Pacific Northwest and that means we are looking at more than three months of rain. It can get a bit depressing day in and day out. With Mother Nature handing us some lemons right now, I decided the Kitchen Cosmetician would be making some lemonade…or lemon beauty products at least.

I continue to be amazed at how many ingredients found right in our kitchen make amazing, affordable and effective DIY beauty recipes as well. I’ve always been a believer in a little aromatherapy and lemons are a sure fire way to lift my spirits. For the last month, I’ve been using fresh lemons to make a simple face scrub. I find the bright scent invigorating and it has given my morning routine a needed pick me up.

In fact, fresh lemon juice is now one of my favorite ingredients for my skin. The juice naturally cleanses, tones and heals skin. Another benefit that is not widely known, the low pH of lemon juice makes it antibacterial. After a month of use, the lemon juice and this scrub has done wonders for me – and completely eliminated the stressed, congested feeling my skin once had.

I promise, if you create your own Fresh Lemon Scrub, it is well worth the effort of juicing a lemon.

Lemon slices

Easy Fresh Lemon Scrub:

Supplies:
A fresh lemon
Sugar
Lemon reamer
Bowl

Instructions:
1. Cut lemon in half
2. Juice the lemon (I found I got a bit less than ¼ of a cup)
3. Remove the seeds (I left the pulp in the juice)
4. Add about ¼ cup of sugar
5. Mix until it is the consistency of a thin paste
6. Work into face and body until sugar dissolves
7. Rinse

For the purpose of this experiment, I only used fresh lemon juice. I was uncertain about ingredients that are added to extend shelf life in bottled juices.

Sensitive Skin Option: If you are concerned about the effect of lemon juice, try diluting the juice with water.

Moisturizing Option: For a hydrating boost, add a natural oil (like sweet almond or vitamin E) to the mixture. This is especially great for the body.

Pros:
Superior exfoliator – skin feels very soft.
Very similar to a high end scrub.
Easy to make and inexpensive.

Cons:
Due to the fresh ingredients, the shelf life is not long (unlike commercial made products.)

Fellow Kitchen Cosmeticians – Do you use fresh lemons for at home beauty treatments?

Author

  • hao9703

    Holly is a Midwestern gal living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She loves gardening, animals and is a skin care junkie. She's always on the quest to try something new or old and live the best life possible. skin tone: NW 20 skin type: a true combo; normal, dry and oily favorite beauty product: skincare

13 Comments

  1. Holly, thanks for this one, it sounds easy and wonderful! I LOVE Lemon ALOT- (I use Fresh’s Sugar, and purfume almost daily. So this will be something I’m so doing next time I shave my legs and the good thing is that sugar won’t sting my legs like salt would! I am pretty sensitive but will add water to start.. Yeah! So excited to do this myself! And save a bundle too! :) I may use a mix of sugars.. Like natural Turbinado sugar cane and castor sugars.. I have all three..

    1. I love the idea of mixing sugars. Another alternative you may want to try is baking soda. Don’t be alarmed when you mix baking soda with the fresh lemon juice becuase it will foam up. (The feeling and consistency actually reminds me of a high end spa treatment.)

    2. @irene – I don’t think you’d want to use this after you shave. Wouldn’t lemon hurt like salt would? I’d think so…

      Aside from that, I love the idea of this scrub. Especially on troubled skin. Next time I get a breakout I’m going to give it a try. Thanks @hao9703

    3. @stef- I have used this on my body and after shaving. The only time it hurts is if you have cut yourself or have a open wound. Trust me–you will feel it with even a small cut.
      However- it is great for a deep exfolation!

  2. This is so simple, and I can’t wait to give it a try, @hao9703 ! I have a big bag o’ lemons at home, just waiting for this recipe!

  3. This might be my favorite Kitchen Cosmetician yet @hao9703 – love lemons and lemons scented products.

    And the idea of using baking powder to make my own foamy facial sounds like so much fun.
    I also have a fuzzy memory from an old tv show or movie with a woman – maybe Alice on The Brady Bunch? – sitting with her elbows in two lemon halves? Has anyone ever tried that? I guess it would be a natural exfoliator/brightener? Tempted to try it….

    1. Yes- I have tried this on my elbows. It does help get the dead skin off. If you have any cracking in that area– it may sting.

  4. Holly, you always give us such great tips! I am totally going to try this one.

  5. Holly, this Kitchen Cosmetician post is just FABULOUS! I love it. Really informative and fun to read, and I can’t wait to try it. I’m already a huge fan of mixing baking soda with some cleanser to get my face nice and clean and gently exfoliate, so trying it with some lemon juice sounds really fun (especially the foaming part).

  6. You have got me inspired to try this, so simple and by the sounds of it, effective. I have heard baking soda and lemon can be used for cleaning and scrubbing the bathroom, so I wonder if the baking soda suggestion will feel too strong on my skin….

    1. I would try a test spot first –I am always cautious when it comes to trying something like this. This is why I always test things for an extended period of time before I write any of these articles.

      That said, I will confess–I use the leftover lemon/baking soda mixture to clean the tub. (It is true. This mixture works wonders-with less effort!)

  7. My grandmother taught me this trick! She would take cotton balls, soak them in lemon juice, dip it in sugar and scrub away! She was a beauty queen back in her day and had great skin right up until the end of her life.

    For ease of use I tend to use bottled lemon juice. It works just as well as fresh IMHO, but YMMV of course. Thanks for bringing back all those great memories of my grandmother @hao9703 !

    1. I love the idea of using cotton balls. I think it would be a lot less messy. There are a lot of good ole tried and true beauty methods from our Grandmothers era. I find it facinating. Thanks for sharing Amanda!

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