The internet is full of people who see lemon water as some kind of elixir of life, which has helped their wellbeing in countless ways. Many people find that starting the day with a warm glass of lemon water helps their overall wellbeing and improve their skin. But can it help rosacea? Let’s take a closer look at the facts.
What is Rosacea?
Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that causes redness, visible blood vessels, and small, red, pus-filled bumps on the face. It can affect the skin, eyes, and sometimes even the nose. Although there is no cure for rosacea, various treatments can help control and minimize the symptoms.
The Potential Benefits of Lemon Juice
Lemons are rich in vitamin C, which helps support your immune system. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant, which are the substances responsible for fighting cell damage from free radicals. Lemons also contain B-complex vitamins, calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium, all of which are needed to maintain a healthy immune-system and keep your body functioning well. There are also suggestions that, although lemons are acidic, they can act as an alkalizing agent in the body, neutralizing the uric acid that can contribute towards inflammation.
Lemon juice has astringent qualities due to its acidic level. Ingredients with a low pH level can help decrease inflammation and oil that may contribute to acne.
The Claims
Drinking a glass of lemon water every morning has been credited with all sorts of health benefits, but can it help rosacea? We take a critical look at the facts behind the claims! Drinking your daily glass of warm water and a slice or three of lemon is said to be good for digestive issues, acne and overall health.
One person with rosacea reported that applying lemon juice to their face every evening after washing it, resulted in their rosacea drying out completely, leaving their skin smooth and soft. They also stated that outbreaks disappeared in no time.
The Reality
Despite all the claims, the truth seems to be that you’d need to drink a huge amount of lemon juice to get enough of the good stuff in lemons to make a difference! There’s no clear evidence to show that lemon water helps rosacea at all. The amount of nutrients you’d get from half a lemon is minimal compared to what you’re likely to get from a healthy diet, rich in fruit and vegetables. Most vitamin C is contained in the lemon’s peel, not the juice, so it’s doubtful you’d get much in a morning glass of lemon water.
Citrus is high in cinnamaldehyde, which is known to dilate blood vessels, which is the root of the problem with rosacea.
What About Citron Essential Oils?
Citron essential oils may improve rosacea symptoms such as flushing and telangiectasia by suppressing neurogenic dysregulation. Citron essential oils have suppressive effects on rosacea mediators in activated epidermal keratinocytes, which indicates that the citron essential oils may be valuable adjuvant therapeutic agents for rosacea.
Citron seed essential oil had a better inhibitory effect on KLK5 induced by VD than did unripe citron essential oil. The inhibitory effects of citron seed essential oil on VEGF and TRPV1 were greater than those of unripe citron essential oil.
Is Lemon Water Right for You?
Many people find that starting the day with a warm glass of lemon water does help their overall wellbeing and improve their skin, so there’s certainly something going on!
It could be swapping their usual caffeinated drink for water that is responsible for the benefits, or it could be the increased hydration they’re getting from the extra water. Not everyone with rosacea has the same triggers, so for some people lemons might not be the inflammatory problem they are for others. The only way to know whether you’d benefit from drinking lemon water is to try it for yourself – with the proviso that if you think citrus might be a trigger for you, it might be best to steer well clear!