Can I use lemon juice after dermarolling?
No.
First though lets look at the some fun Lemon facts because Lemons are in a LOT of home skincare recipes.
+ Lemons are rich in vitamin C – perfect for leveling out pigmentation without too much irritation, increases collagen & acts as an antioxidant to counteract free radicals (awesome for protecting from sun damage).
+ Lemons have Citric acid – an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) for exfoliating your skin, making it plumper & smoother. + Lemons have Niacin – an anti-inflammatory which helps with pigmentation & alleviates dry skin.
+ They smell nice.
So why not use them on your skin?
+ Dose. A typical sample of lemon juice has an eye watering 5% citric acid, 0.04% ascorbic acid and 0.0001% niacin. For comparison serums typically have 2-15% AHA, 5-15% ascorbic acid & 2-10% niacinamide. You’ll need a LOT of Lemon juice, to have a comparable effect. And then, Citric acid is the only active ingredient in lemon juice that’s in a high enough concentration to do anything.
+ Phytophotodermatitis. This is not a Harry Potter spell but instead a toxic irritant that causes severe blistering after citrus fruit peels get in the sun. (from chemicals called furanocoumarins and psoralens). 🤓
+ Chemical Leukoderma. Also nothing to do with Potter. This is where patches of skin depigment & result in uneven lightened patches on your skin.
+ Acidity. Lemon juice has a pH of 2 and can damage your skin barrier unless neutralized.
We’re not saying its unsafe to get lemon on your hands but if you want to use lemon juice after dermarolling (or anything skincare)
+ Make sure you wear sunscreen next time you go into the sun. +Don’t use leave-on recipes with large amounts of lemon juice
+ Be cautious when using lemon juice for rinse-off recipes (e.g. masks)
+ Stop immediately if you see any signs of irritation or depigmentation!
