How To Use A Lemon To Lighten Skin

Last Updated: April 27, 2018

Ever looked at your childhood pictures and wondered where that luminous and glowing skin has disappeared? Well, you aren’t alone… it’s a secret wish of everyone. Each one of us wish, if there was a magic potion that could take out the dull, uneven skin tone and boost a rejuvenated, refreshed and glow in to the skin.

But never ever depend on chemical based skin care products and skin whitening treatments as they intend to do more harm to skin and health. The solution isn’t far from your kitchen.  Yes, I am talking about “Lemons”.

Lemons for Skin Whitening is not a new concept, it has been used for thousands of years, dated back to ancient times. If you have a sensitive skin and cannot withhold the irritation caused by citric acid in the lemons, then you can choose potato as it has amazing skin lightening properties just like lemon and very mild to the skin.

What makes Lemon So Effective for Skin Whitening?

1. Vitamin C present in lemons lightens dark spots and patches.
2. The anti-oxidants present in it act as anti-aging.
3. It is helpful in removing excess oil and sebum from the skin pores.
4. The acidic nature of it kills bacteria and reduces formation of new pimples.
5. It has natural bleaching properties which can penetrate easily into the skin and reduce the melamine production.
6. It removes dead cells and encourages the production of new and healthy cells.
7. It helps to tighten large pores, deep cleanse the pores and refresh the skin.

Want to add lemons as your skin whitening regimen? Here we have provided a detailed description on how to use lemon for skin whitening.

1) Lemon

• Slice a lemon and rub it gently over the face.
• Let the juice rest for 5 minutes.
• Rinse it off with water.
• Or you can squeeze juice from a lemon. Apply it over face. Rest it for 5 minutes and rinse off.
• If your skin is too sensitive you can dilute lemon juice with water.
• Or you can soak the lemon slices in milk for 15 minutes. Remove the slices and apply the milk solution over the skin and wash after few minutes.
• Note: Make sure the lemon juice doesn’t enter in your eyes. Avoid direct sunlight for 1 – 2 hours after the application of lemon juice.

2) Lemon with Potato

Potato has bleaching (skin lightening) properties just like lemon. This combination will lighten the skin more effectively.

• Grate and squeeze juice from 1 potato.
• Mix equal amounts of potato and lemon juice.
• Apply this mixture over the skin and let it stay for 20 minutes.
• Wash with water and pat dry.
• Or you can also add 1 teaspoon of honey to lemon and potato mixture. Apply and rinse it off after 20 minutes.
• Follow the process 2 – 3 times a week to achieve desired results.

3) Lemon with Rosewater and Fuller’s Earth

• Mix equal 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 2 teaspoons rose water and 1 teaspoon fuller’s earth.
• Stir well and apply this mixture on the dark skin.
• Leave it for 15 – 30 minutes and rinse with water.
• Repeat the process regularly to achieve desired results.
• Or you can use glycerine instead of fuller’s earth and follow the same process.

4) Lemon Juice and Honey

Honey soothes the irritation caused by bleaching properties of the lemon juice. People with sensitive skin can opt for this combination.

Process 1:

• Mix 2 tablespoons of lemon and 1 tablespoon of honey.
• Apply this mixture over the skin and gently massage for few minutes.
• Let it rest until dries and rinse off with water.
• Or you can also add 1 teaspoon olive oil or milk or yogurt to the mixture and follow the same process.
• Repeat this process daily.

Process 2: With Essential Oils

• Combine equal amounts of lemon juice and honey.
• Stir well and add essential oils of your choice.
• Apply this mixture over the skin and leave it for 15 minutes.
• Rinse off with lukewarm water and pat dry.
• Follow this process once in a week.

Process 6: With Chickpea Flour and Milk Cream

• Mix 1 tablespoon chickpea flour, 1/2 teaspoon honey, 1 tablespoon milk cream and 2 – 5 drops of lemon juice.
• Stir this mixture well and apply over the skin.
• Leave it for 15 – 20 minutes.
• Rinse with lukewarm water.
• Repeat this process regularly for a month to observe the results.

Process 7: With Powdered Milk and Almond Oil

• Mix 1 teaspoon each of lemon juice and honey, 1 tablespoon powdered milk and 1/2 teaspoon almond oil.
• Stir well and apply this mixture over the skin.
• Leave it for 10 – 20 minutes and rinse with cold water.
• Repeat this daily for best results.

5) Lemon with Turmeric

Turmeric helps to clear acne scars, inflammation and oil secretion. These combinations work well for oily skin.

Process 1: Lemon Juice with Turmeric

• Combine 1 teaspoon each of lemon juice and turmeric.
• Stir well and apply it covering the dark skin.
• Let the mixture rest for 15 – 20 minutes.
• Rinse with cold water.
• Or you can also add 1 teaspoon yogurt to the mixture and follow the same process.
• Or you can also add kasturi manjal powder (wild turmeric) instead of turmeric powder and follow the process as mentioned.
• Repeat this process daily before going to bed.

Process 2: With Gram Flour

• Mix 2 tablespoons each of gram flour, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon turmeric.
• Stir well and apply this mixture covering the dark skin.
• After the mixture dries, rinse off with water.
• Repeat this process 2 – 3 times a week for better results.

6) Lemon with Oatmeal and Yogurt

This combination will not only lighten the skin but also makes it supple, hydrated and moisturized.

• Combine 2 tablespoons plain yogurt with 3 tablespoons ground oatmeal.
• Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to the mixture and stir well.
• Apply this mixture over the skin and let it rest for 10 – 15 minutes.
• Rinse it off with water and pat dry.
• Follow this process 2 – 3 times a week.
• Or you can also add 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder to the mixture and follow the process.

7) Lemon with Sugar and Egg White

Sugar exfoliates dead and damaged skin. The astringent properties shrink pores and reduce wrinkles.

• Combine 2 tablespoons natural sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 egg white.
• Stir well to make thick paste.
• Gently scrub this mixture over the skin in circular motion for few minutes.
• Let the mixture rest for 10 – 15 minutes.
• Wash with warm water and pat dry.
• Apply moisturizer of your choice.
• Repeat this process 2 times a week.
• Or you can also exclude egg white and follow the remaining process as usual.
• Or you can use brown sugar instead of white sugar.
• Or you can exclude sugar. Mix egg white and lemon juice. Apply it over the skin and rinse it off after 10 minutes.

8) Lemon with sandalwood paste, tomato, cucumber juice.

• Combine 1 tablespoon each of lemon juice, sandalwood paste, tomato juice and cucumber juice.
• Apply this mixture over the skin and leave it for 15 – 20 minutes.
• Rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry.
• Apply moisturizer of your choice.
• Repeat this process once in a week.

9) Lemon with Papaya

Vitamin A, present in Papaya works as anti-oxidant to removes the dead skin and papain enzyme provides glow to the skin.

• Blend a small slice of papaya.
• Apply it over the skin and massage for 3 – 5 minutes.
• Leave it for 30 minutes and rinse with cold water.
• To achieve the desired results, follow this process once in a week.

10) Lemon Peels

• Peel the lemon skin and dry it under the sun.
• Make a fine powder of the dried lemon peels and store in airtight container.
• Mix the powder with raw milk and make a fine paste.
• Apply this mixture over the skin and let it dry.
• Rinse with water after 10 minutes.
• Repeat regularly for better results.

11) Lemon Spray

This spray is a very good refreshing treat especially during summers. It helps you skin from tanning and other impurities.

• Mix equal quantities of lemon and water.
• Add contents of 2 vitamin E oil capsules.
• Stir well and store in a spray bottle.
• Spray it on your skin daily.

12) Lemon Bath Scrub

• Mix zest of 1 lemon, juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 cup sea salt with 1/2 cup of olive oil.
• Mix well and store it in a container.
• Gently massage this mixture on the mixture during bath.
• Use this scrub daily to get rid of dead skin and lighten the skin all over the body.
• Be gentle while massaging the mixture as excessive massage can lead to scars and rashes.

13) Lemon with Ginger

Ginger is known for its de-pigmenting agent. This combination works wonders in lightening the skin.

Process 1: with Ginger Juice

• Mix equal quantities of lemon juice and ginger juice.
• Stir well and apply the mixture covering the skin.
• Let it rest for few minutes and rinse off with water.
• Repeat this process once in 2 days.

Process 2: With Raw Sugar and Olive Oil

• Mix raw sugar, lemon juice, olive oil and ginger juice.
• Apply this mixture over the skin and gently massage for few minutes.
• Let the mixture rest for few minutes and rinse off.
• Repeat this process once in a week.

14) Lemon with Rice Flour

Benefits of Rice flour are anti-aging, anti-wrinkles, remove sun tan, treat blemishes and reduce hyper pigmentation, grow new cells and controls oil.

Process 1:

• Combine 4 tablespoons of rice powder with 3 tablespoons of lemon juice.
• Stir well and make a fine paste.
• Apply this mixture over the dark skin and leave it for 20 minutes.
• Rinse off with water by gently massaging in circular motion.
• Or you can soak handful rice in a cup overnight. Strain the water and grind the rice by adding few drops of lemon juice to it. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Apply this mixture on skin and rinse off after 20 minutes.
• Or you can add 1 teaspoon of turmeric to the mixture and follow the same process as mentioned.
• Repeat this process for 3 times a week.

Process 3: With Cucumber Juice

• Mix 1 teaspoon each of rice flour, lemon juice and cucumber juice to make fine paste.
• Apply this paste covering the dark skin.
• Leave till it completely dries.
• Rinse with water by gently massaging in circular motion.
• You can repeat this process 2 times a week for better results.

15) Lemon with Milk Cream and Saffron

• Soak few strands of saffron in milk cream overnight.
• In the morning, mix few drops of lemon juice in to the mixture and mix well.
• Apply this mixture on the skin and leave it for 15 minutes.
• Rinse it off with water and pat dry.
• Do this process 3 – 4 times a week.
• If your skin is oily then you can replace the milk cream with yogurt.

16) Lemon Juice with Carrot and Vitamin E Oil

This combination pack will not only lighten the skin but also nourishes and removes dry patches. This is an excellent skin whitening home remedy for people with dry skin.

• Mash a cooked carrot and mash it using a spoon or fork.
• Add 1 teaspoon milk cream, 2 drops vitamin E oil and few drops of lemon juice to it.
• Stir well and apply this mixture.
• Rinse off with lukewarm water after 15 minutes.
• Repeat this process 2 – 3 times a week.

17) Lemon with Baking Soda

Baking Soda absorbs excess oil, removes damaged skin cells, prevents buildup of clogged pores and improves new cells production. This combination of skin whitening remedy is excellent for people with oily skin.

Process 1:

• Mix freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon with 1/2 cup of baking soda.
• Apply the mixture over the skin.
• Let it rest for few minutes and rinse it off.
• Or you can add few drops of olive oil or any other essential oil to the mixture.
• Or you can add 2 tablespoons of warm water to decrease the irritation caused by acidic properties of lemon and baking soda.
• Apply this pack 3 times a week to achieve the desired results.

Process 2: With Coconut Oil and Tea Tree Oil

• Mix 1/2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of baking soda, 1/8 tablespoon of coconut oil and 2 – 4 drops of tea tree oil.
• Stir well and apply this paste on the skin.
• Leave for 2 minutes and gently scrub in circular motion.
• After few minutes, rinse it off with water and pat dry.
• Repeat this process once a week.

Process 3: With Corn Flour

• Mix 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 tablespoon corn flour, 1 teaspoon each of turmeric and baking soda.
• Stir well and apply this mixture over the dark skin.
• Let it rest for 20 – 30 minutes and wash with cool water.
• Pat dry and apply moisturizer of your choice.
• Follow this process 2 – 3 times a week.

Process 4: With Egg White

• Cleanse you skin with any mild cleanser of your choice and pat dry.
• Mix two tablespoons each of lemon juice and baking soda, 1 egg white and 1/4 cup of low fat plain yogurt.
• Apply this mixture covering the dark skin and let it rest for 15 – 20 minutes.
• Rinse it off with lukewarm water followed by cold water.
• Pat the akin dry and moisturize it.
• Repeat this process 2 times in a week.

Process 5: With Olive Oil

• Mix 1 teaspoon each of baking soda and lemon juice.
• Stir well and add 1 teaspoon olive oil.
• Apply this mixture covering the skin.
• Rinse off after 10 minutes.
• Follow this process once in a week.

18) Lemon with Orange, Gram Flour and Cucumber

• Blend 4 tablespoons gram flour, 2 slices cucumber with skin, juice of 2 lemons and juice of 1 orange to make a fine paste.
• Apply 1 tablespoon of the blended mixture over the skin.
• Let it rest overnight or till it dries.
• Rinse off with lukewarm water.
• Follow regularly.
• Note: Make sure the mixture doesn’t get into the eyes as it may cause irritation because of citric acid present in it.

19) Skin Toner with Lemon, Witch Hazel

This combination acts as a skin toner which lightens the skin and removes the dirt from the pores.

• Mix 1 part fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 part witch hazel and 2 parts of purified water.
• Stir well and store this mixture in a spray bottle.
• Spray this mixture 2 times daily over the skin.
• You can make a new batch of spray every two weeks.

20) Lemon and Tomato

Lemon is known for its bleaching property and tomato for its softening and glowing properties. This combination provides amazing white and glow to your skin.

Process 1:

• Mix 2 tablespoons of tomato juice with 1 teaspoon lemon juice.
• Apply this mixture on your skin and let it rest for 10 minutes.
• Wash off with clear water.
• Or you can add 1 teaspoon of olive oil or honey or crushed avocado or curd to the mixture and follow the same process.
• Repeat the process regularly.

Process 2: With Aloe Vera

• Mix 2 teaspoons each of lemon juice, tomato pulp and 3 – 4 teaspoons aloe vera gel.
• Apply this mixture over the face and let it dry for 30 minutes.
• Finally rinse it off with cold water.
• Use this 3 times a week for quick results.

Process 3: With Mint Leaves

• Blend one tomato to make a fine paste.
• Crush few mint leaves nu adding few drops of water.
• Combine tomato pulp, crush mint leaves and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice.
• Mix well and apply this mixture for 30 minutes.
• Rinse it off with water and pat dry.
• Apply any moisturizer of your choice.
• Repeat this process once in a week.

22) Lemon Mask with Green Gram Flour and Rose Water

The astringent properties rose water lightens the skin and green gram powder removes the dead skin.

• Mix 1 teaspoon each of green gram flour and lemon juice and few drops of rose water.
• Apply the paste over the skin and let it rest for 10 -15 minutes.
• Rinse off with water and pat dry.
• Repeat this process 3 times a week.

23) Lemon with Coconut Water

Coconut will hydrate the skin and lemon will brighten the skin.

• Mix few drops each of lemon water and coconut water.
• Apply this mixture over the skin.
• Rinse it off with water after 15 minutes.
• Repeat this once in 3 days.

24) Lemon with Apple

This combination is an amazing skin brightening pack for people with oily skin.

• Blend a slice of apple to make a paste.
• Add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice to it.
• Stir well and apply this mixture over the skin.
• Let it dry for 30 minutes and rinse it off.
• Repeat this process 3 times a week.

25) Lemon Pack with Cinnamon and Nutmeg

Cinnamon lightens the skin, reduces acne and fades scars. Nutmeg reduces inflammation and redness. This combination is perfect for people who want to lighten up the skin along with reducing acne and scars

• Mix 1/2 teaspoon each of lemon and honey, 1 teaspoon each of honey and nutmeg.
• Stir well and apply a thick coat of the mixture onto your face.
• Let it rest for 15 to 30 minutes.
• Wash with lukewarm water and pat dry with towel.
• Repeat this process once in a week to notice delightful improvement.

26) Lemon Scrub with Strawberry and Oats

This combination is an amazing scrub which helps to lighten the skin and remove the accumulated dead skin.

• Blend strawberries and oats to make a paste.
• Add few drops of lemon juice to it and stir well.
• Apply this mixture over the skin.
• Scrub gently in circular motion for few minutes.
• Rinse with cold water and pat dry.
• To get best result, use regularly.

27) Lemon Toner with Chamomile Tea

• Take 1 chamomile tea bag and let it steep in hot water.
• Mix equal quantities of lemon juice and chamomile tea water.
• Store this in a spray bottle.
• Spray the mixture 2 times daily.
• Note: Avoid contact to the sunlight for at least 2 hours after spraying the mixture.

28) Lemon Detox with Bentonite Clay, Coconut Oil and Honey

• Mix 2 tablespoons bentonite clay, 1 teaspoon virgin coconut oil, 1/2 tablespoon raw honey and juice of half lemon.
• Stir well and make a fine paste.
• Apply this mixture over the skin.
• Rinse it off after 10 minutes.
• Use this once in a month.
• Or you can also use lemon oil instead of lemon juice.

29) Lemon Essential Oil

Process 1:

• Mix few drops of lemon oil in a tablespoon of water.
• Apply this mixture evenly over the skin and enjoy soft and bright skin.
• Use this once in a week.

Process 2: Lemon Oil with Shea Butter

• Mix 3 drops of lemon juice in 3 tablespoons shea butter.
• Take a small dab of the mixture and massage over the skin.
• Let it rest over night and rinse in the morning.
• Lemon oil is photo sensitive so avoid sunlight after applying this mixture. Only apply this mixture during nights.
• Follow this regularly.

Process 3: Lemon Grass Oil Skin Brightener

• Mix few drops of lemon grass oil with other essential oils like tea tree oil or lavender oil.
• Apply this mixture evenly over the skin.
• Use this once a week.

30) Lemon with Neem, Orange, Pomegranate

• Peel and dry the skins of orange and pomegranate.
• Dry the leaves of neem under the sun.
• Blend orange peels, pomegranate peels and neem leaves.
• Combine the blended mixture with lemon juice.
• Apply this mixture covering the skin and rest it for few minutes.
• Rinse off with water and pat dry.
• Follow this process regularly.

31) Lemon with Basil Leaves

• Crush basil leaves into a fine paste and add few drops of lemon juice.
• Apply this mask on the skin and let it rest for 10 – 15 minutes.
• Rinse it off with water and pat dry.
• Use this 3 – 4 times a day.

32) Lemon Grass Ice Cubes

• Boil some lemon gram in a small container.
• Let the water cool down and pour them in ice tray and refrigerate.
• Rub this ice cubes all over the face.

33) Lemon with Moringa Oleifera

• Blend few moringa oleifera leaves to make a paste.
• Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to it.
• Apply the mixture over the skin.
• Rinse it off after 15 minutes.
• Follow this process 3 times a week.

34) Lemon with Horseradish, Vinegar and Rosemary Essential Oil

• Grate and squeeze horseradish.
• Add 1 teaspoon horseradish juice, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, vinegar and 3 drops of essential oil.
• Gently apply this mixture over the skin and leave for few minutes.
• Rinse off with water and pat dry.
• Repeat this process 3 times a week.

35) Lemon with Yogurt, Avocado and Rose Petal Paste

• Mix 1 tablespoon yogurt, 1/2 each of teaspoon lemon juice, lavender oil, jasmine oil and few drops of vanilla essence.
• Mix well and add 2 tablespoons each of avocado and rose petal paste.
• Cover the mixture and set aside for 1 day.
• Apply this mixture covering the skin.
• Rinse it off with water and pat dry.
• Use this once in a week.

Homemade Made Soaps Using Lemon for Skin Whitening

Here are few methods for preparing homemade soaps using lemon for everyday use. Replacing soaps with these homemade soaps helps in improving skin complexion.

Recipe 1: Homemade Soap with Lemon, Honey and Lavender

• Grate the lemon skin and place it over a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
• Take goat milk soap base into 1 inch cubes.
• Melt the soap base using a double boiler for 10 minutes.
• After it completely melts, take it off the stove.
• Add 3 tablespoons of lavender buds, lemon zest, 6 drops of lemon essential oil, 15 drops of lavender essential oil, 2 tablespoons honey and stir well.
• Add this mixture to moulds and set aside to solidify for 2 – 3 hours.
• Use this soap daily instead of chemical based soap for bathing.

Recipe 2: Homemade Soap with Lemon Essential Oil and Lemon Zest

• Take 1 1/2 goat milk soap base or shea butter soap base and cut into 1 inch cubes.
• Melt the chopped soap base using double boiler.
• After it is completely melted, add 4 – 6 drops of lemon essential oil and 3 – 4 tablespoons dried lemon zest.
• Stir well and pour this mixture in the soap moulds.
• Let it rest for 2 – 3 hours to solidify.
• Use this soap instead of chemical based soap for bathing.

Tidbits to Remember While Using Lemon for Skin Whitening

1. Never go out in the sun after applying lemon on your face. Lemon juice makes skin photo-sensitive. If you go out after applying lemon, it can lead to skin discoloration.
2. Because of its astringent properties, lemon dries out the skin. So it is better to apply moisturizer of your choice after using lemon juice to your skin.
3. Avoid application of lemon juice if you have cuts or wounds on your skin.
4. It is good to apply lemon juice during nights. During nights, skin undergoes a recovery cycle which helps it to absorb better.
5. The citric acid present in lemon causes irritation to people with sensitive skin. Dilute lemon juice with water to reduce the irritation.
6. Avoid bottled lemon juice or calamansi as it contains chemicals to preserve and maintain freshness.
7. Conduct a patch test on the arm to make sure it’s not too harsh on your skin. If you observe any negative results stop using it.
8. If you are allergic to critic acid then avoid using lemon for skin whitening.

Apart from the above tidbits, intake of proper diet and regular exercise also help to improve the complexion of your skin.

Don’t expect results overnight, upon regular application you can surely achieve results. If you have any other method that worked wonders on you, share it with us.

Rajee Datti

Hi everyone, this is Rajee!

I live the beautiful city of Baltimore, where my husband works.

I’m from India. I have been visiting India on and off for past few years and my mom was an inspiration for me to start this site. She has a wealth of knowledge on home remedies for a large number of health problems, and we grew up in an environment where frequent visits to the doctor just wasn’t logistically or financially feasible.

Despite this, she managed to raise a family of healthy kids, and my goal here at Home Remedies for Life is to pass on some of her knowledge of natural remedies.