If there's one beauty item your kitchen shelf should not be without, it's the humble LEMON. Here are just a few of the ways you can use it, to achieve spectacular results. Skin Sense Mix a few drops of lemon juice with an equal amount of water. Apply it on your face with a cotton ball. This makes a great astringent. Beset by blemishes? No problem. Simply dab the area with lemon juice a few times a day. This removes the redness from the blemished area. Mix the juice from 1 lemon with 2 parts coarse salt and 1 part olive oil to make a paste. Step into the shower and massage into body. Turn on the shower and rinse. Pat dry and apply a rich moisturiser. This makes a great exfoliating scrub and leaves your skin soft and glowing. Turmeric powder is also excellent for your skin. Mix turmeric powder along with a little lemon juice and wash off after 10 minutes. Be careful though the yellow tends to stain the face, so do this before going to bed. You can make an excellent face mask by mixing 2 tablespoons papaya pulp with 10 drops of lemon juice. Rinse off after 20 minutes. You've heard it said again and again - you can never drink too much water, but what's even better is water to which a twist of lemon has been added. (No sweet or other masalas - we're not talking nimboo pani here!) This is not only great for your health, but good for your complexion as well. Step by Step to Steam Cleansing Most skin types benefit from regular steaming, but don't steam your face if you have thread veins as it would only worsen the condition. Also, don't steam your face more than once a week. it may dry your skin excessively. Bring a quarter of water to boil and take it to the table. Add the juice of half a lemon and a handful of any herbs (basil or mint). Tie back your hair and drape a towel over your head and the bowl to form a tent, to trap the steam. After you've steamed your face for fifteen minutes, gently squeeze out blackheads, if any, and splash it with cold water to close pores. Apply a moisturiser 15 minutes later. A Natural Bleach Streak your hair the natural way. Add lemon to strands of hair and sit in the sun for fifteen minutes. Do this sparingly because it could damage dry hair. Cut a lemon in half and rub it on hyper-pigmented areas like your elbows and knees to lighten them. Mix a few drops lemon juice with an equal amount of honey if you have dry skin, or with cucumber juice if your skin is oily. Wash off after 15 minutes. Get rid of age spots. Cut a lemon wedge and hold it directly on the spot for ten minutes. Rinse with warm water. Repeat this every day until the spots lighten or vanish altogether! Lemon is good for removing stains on teeth - rub with the peel, then rinse with water. Hair Care For hair that shines, add the juice of a lemon to one cup water. Pour it over your hair after shampooing as a final rinse. Do not rinse off. Squeeze lemon juice in your hair while rinsing off the shampoo. This removes shampoo residue from your hair and smells great! Troubled by hair loss? Try this: Mix the juice of one lemon with 4 tbsp coconut milk. Massage it into your scalp and wash off after half an hour. Do this at least once a week to arrest hairfall. And More... Instant refreshment for your face: Add lemon to water and freeze it. Rub your face with these lemonice cubes whenever you're hot, tired or simply bored... Soak your fingertips in a mixture of 1 cup warm water and the juice of 1/2 lemon for about 5 minutes. Rinse and pat dry, pushing back cuticles as you dry. Rub lemon peel over your nails and buff with a soft cloth. This is great for your nails. Do this once a week. Adding lemon to a warm bath helps to invigorate the body. You come out from your bath feeling fresh and fabulous!