Health & Beauty News:

Lemon juice comes with a beauty bonus too

by J. Caroline Carroll

(NC)—A budget for beauty products will only stretch so far, so it is good to know that right in the kitchen cupboard, we may already have an enhancer for our hair, our fingernails and our skin. If, for example, you buy ReaLemon lemon juice for its convenience and delicious lemon taste in foods, here are some value-added, bath-and-beauty uses for it as well

Brighten Fingernails: Get your fingernails in shape for the warmer weather, by first, soaking them in ReaLemon lemon juice for 10 minutes, and then brushing them with a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and warm water. Rinse well.

Banish Blackheads: Rub lemon juice over blackheads before going to bed. In the morning, rinse your face with cool water and repeat the process each night until blackheads are gone.

Condition Hair: Bring life and lustre back to dull damaged hair by combining 3/4-cup olive oil, 1/2-cup honey, and approximately 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Set the mixture aside. Rinse hair with water, towel-dry, then work in a small amount of the mixture and comb it through evenly. Cover hair with a plastic bag for 1/2-hour. Shampoo and rinse for shiny, luxurious results.

Create Blonde Highlights: For a kinder, all-natural alternative to hair dyes and bleach, begin by rinsing your hair with 1/4-cup ReaLemon lemon juice and 3/4-cup water. Sit in the sun to activate the lemon juice's natural bleaching properties.

Breath Freshener: To quickly freshen bad breath, simply squirt a few drops of lemon juice into your mouth, swish it around, and swallow it. The citric acid content alters the pH level in your mouth, killing odour-causing bacteria.

Soak & Relax: For a perfect bath, simply add some lemon juice, sea salts, or rosemary to your bathwater then soak your cares away.