Beauty tip: save those half lemons

Hello fellow goddesses,

By now, most of you know the not-so-well-kept-secret of drinking lemon water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach to aide with the digestion process, and to lower your pH levels in your gastric system. Best of all, increased levels of vitamin C coupled with exercise helps you lose weight, according to a 2005 study by  The Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

But what is a girl to do with all those little lemon saucer-shells after you’ve squeezed out the last drop of vitamin C? Well, the island girl in me loves to use every part without tossing. Call me cheap. A little beauty trick my Aunt Athena  told me years ago that works wonders: rub your elbows, knees and heels of your feet with the half lemons. Remember how vitamin C breaks down our body fat? Well, it seems to also break down seems calloused, dry skin, too. It’s a natural beauty secret passed down from generation to generation in the Mediterranean and Middle East. Wearing sandals on those hot, dusty streets, or barefoot along endless beaches and beach coves give weary feet a real need for a pedicure.

Lemon halves seem perfectly designed for these natural little crevices of our bodies: elbow, knees and feet.

After rubbing your elbows, which are fairly sensitive, with lemon juice, you will feel a slightly stinging sensation. It is the breakdown of the skin to the vitamin C. I don’t wash it off at all. I allow my body to absorb it. Obviously, if I’m running out of the house, I will not walk out with lemon pulp on my elbows. But for the most part, I massage the lemon half into my knee/elbow/heel in the evenings.

Do you have darkened, rough patches on your knees? Lemon juice can help! In the shower in the evenings, I scrub my knees with a loofah, then apply the lemon juice after I have gotten out of the shower and toweled off. Finally, I apply some almond or coconut oil to further soften the skin for smooth and shiny, model-like knees.  Is there such a thing as model-like knees? No clue, but seriously: these little natural fruits are like gifts from the heavens above. They break down the skin and transform your rough patches into smoother, less rough areas. I’ve even started doing this to my husband, who runs every time I come at him with a half lemon.  He doesn’t like the way it makes his skin tingle. Men.

I need to caution you guys against doing this too often. Typically, I rub my elbows only once per week for soft, smooth skin. The same goes for knees and heels of feet, which are far less sensitive.

Caution: if you have ultra sensitive skin, do not rub your elbows or feet with lemon juice and then get sun exposure. You may burn! Instead, try this little trick in the evening, then place your feet in some awesome almond oil or shea butter. Slip on a pair of socks and let the lemon do its job.

Before running out for your next pedicure, give this little family secret a whirl. Try it out for a few weeks and let me know my family secret works for you, as well.

Do you have other, natural beauty tips? I’d love to hear from you. Please share!

Discover your inner Aphrodite. . .

Claudia