Can You Use Lemon For Your Skin? Experts Agree: Not So Fast

Take lemon juice, for example. The ingredient, which is known for its citrusy scent and astringent properties, used to be a popular component of DIY hacks. However, in recent years, using lemon juice for the skin has become controversial due to its side effects and risks.

According to some, lemon juice offers several theoretical benefits when used topically. However, don't just go slather on a lemon cocktail and hope for the best. As you'll read later in this article, the bad may outnumber the good—especially when used incorrectly. But, in case you're curious, here are some of those supposed benefits:

Why? Well, applying straight lemon juice can do more than good, especially before going out in the sun. The practice can cause the following issues, according to the pros:

Lemon juice makes your skin more photosensitive, or sensitive to sunlight. This can cause a sunburn-like rash that's inflamed, irritating, and painful. "Lemons and other citrus fruits contain [compounds called] furocoumarins," explains Adam Mamelak, M.D., board-certified dermatologist. Furocoumarins have the ability to interact with DNA, including those in your skin. UV rays can "excite" these furocoumarins, causing skin cell damage and inflammation. Ouch.

One of the many goals of skin care is to strengthen the skin barrier. However, applying straight lemon juice will have the opposite effect. According to celebrity esthetician Taylor Worden, "The human skin has a pH of 4.5 to 5.5," which means it's slightly acidic. On the flipside, lemon juice is highly acidic, as it has a pH between 2 and 3. According to Mamelak, this high acidity can change the natural pH of your skin, causing a weakened skin barrier marked by irritation, dryness, and dehydration.

Photosensitivity that's brought on by lemon juice can result in a severe sunburn. Not only will this speed up skin aging, but it increases the risk of skin cancer1, too. The sheer acidity of lemon juice also doesn't help, as acidic ingredients, in general, can easily damage the skin.

Even if your stint with lemon juice doesn't result in burns, the ingredient can still cause irritation. This is a side effect of acids, like those in lemon juice, weakening and damaging the skin barrier. According to Worden, possible symptoms include peeling, dryness, stinging, and redness, depending on your skin tone.

Although lemon juice is often used to reduce hyperpigmentation, it can actually worsen the issue. That's because the sunburns caused by lemon juice "can cause blistering, [leading] to months of hyperpigmentation and potentially permanent scarring," says Mehr.

Here's how to safely reap the skin benefits of lemon:

Lemon juice is safer to use when it's diluted in another ingredient. Honey is an excellent choice, as it's wonderfully gentle and smoothing. If honey face masks aren't your thing, try making one with yogurt, mashed banana, or aloe vera gel.

Another option is to use pre-formulated products that contain lemon peel or juice. The key is to choose formulas by reputable brands, as they're more likely to use lemon (and every ingredient, really) at safe concentrations. You can also try using products that contain actives found in lemon juice, like vitamin C serums or glycolic acid cleansers—which tend to be much more tolerable on the skin.

Here's a deep dive on lemon water and its health benefits.

Lemon juice can help exfoliate dead skin cells and reduce excess sebum. However, straight lemon should never be applied to the skin, as it can cause irritation, sunburns, and skin damage. The safest option is to dilute in another ingredient, like honey, or drink it in beverages.