Apple cider vinegar or ACV is a wonder liquid for your skin. It is equally effective if taken internally as well as when applied to the skin externally. In fact, many people all over the worlds use apple cider vinegar as an essential part of their daily beauty regime. It is cost effective, a hundred percent natural and organic way to keep your skin healthy, feeling fresh and supple. Here are the main uses of apple cider vinegar for your skin.
Apple cider vinegar carries alpha hydroxy acids which help in removing dead skin from your face and bring out healthy and vibrant skin. If you wash your face every day with apple cider vinegar you will definitely notice a substantial reduction in age spots. In addition to splashing your face daily with apple cider vinegar, you can also dab a little ACV on a cotton ball and apply directly onto visible age spots - wait about thirty to thirty-five minutes and wash or rinse your face with cool water and pat dry. It's a wonder liquid alright, but it's not magic. Therefore, in order to see an effective difference, you need to do this twice a day for five to six weeks.
We all go through the pimples and acne phase, for some, the phase seems to never leave!
Aren't acne breakouts just downright hideous? And they somehow always breakout uninvited before an important day or event when you have to look your absolute best. Well, the good news is that if you use apple cider vinegar on a daily basis, you'll be able to fend off a pimple and acne breakouts. Why should you spend all that money on commercial acne creams when you can prevent it by using this multipurpose skin aiding liquid? Apple Cider Vinegar consists of an organic compound known as malic acid - which provides ACV with its amazing antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. These properties are the reason why apple cider vinegar is able to keep harmful bacteria that causes pimples and acne breakouts at bay.
Oily skin? Thank God for apple cider vinegar! It helps in removing excess oil from your skin. It also helps in maintaining the pH of your skin and keeps it from becoming neither too oily nor too dry by balancing out the production of sebum. All you need to do is to stay true to the daily requirement of rinsing your face at least once with apple cider vinegar and voila! You'll get perfectly balanced and toned skin.
A regular apple cider vinegar face wash routine will help in drawing out toxins from your skin and will leave you with a youthful and clear glow. To get rid of early signs of wrinkles or fine lines dilute apple cider vinegar and wash your face with it. Soak a cotton pad or a piece of cotton cloth in diluted apple cider vinegar and dab gently on your skin. Rinse it off with warm water and pat dry.
There are many ways with which you can use apple cider vinegar to treat sunburns. Though most methods usually recommend diluting ACV before applying it to your skin, there are no accurate sources that provide a specific ratio of vinegar-to-water. Just make sure that the vinegar is well diluted because a high concentration of ACV can cause a burning sensation (as it is acidic in nature).
One of the ways to treat sunburns with apple cider vinegar is by taking a cool bath with this wonderful liquid (make sure that it's diluted enough), another way to use it is by dipping a washcloth in a diluted mix of AVC and water and gently dabbing the washcloth on the affected areas. As mentioned above, apple cider vinegar assists in balancing the pH levels of your skin promotes healing and prevents blisters.
Razor bumps can be really irritating and might even look scary at times. But thanks to the anti-inflammatory property of apple cider vinegar, your irritated skin can find definite respite. Apart from soothing irritated skin, the presence of acidic acid in ACV helps in softening your skin and aids the ingrown hair to grow out without any trouble.
Take a cotton ball and moisten it with apple cider vinegar (in an undiluted form) and dab or swipe over the problematic bump. If you feel that your razor bump is highly aggravated then apply a light layer of honey on it first and let it stay on for a couple minutes (approx 5 to 7 minutes) and then rinse with water, when it dries, apply ACV to it.
Apple cider vinegar's use for bruised skin can be credited again to its anti-inflammatory properties and the presence of acidic acid. The presence of acidic acid enhances circulation and boosts healing, whereas its anti-inflammatory nature helps in soothing and calming down injured skin.
Take a cotton ball and soak it with undiluted apple cider vinegar, a cotton pad would also do. Put the cotton ball gently over the bruised area and cover it with a bandage. Let it stay on for an hour or so.
Isn't it amazing what this all-round superstar liquid can do? The itching which is caused by bug bites can be neutralized by the acids present in ACV, whereas it's anti-inflammatory properties helps in easing swelling and as I've mentioned above - its pH levels balancing properties aid in the speedy healing of the bite.
Your hair and the natural oils that come from your scalp (known as sebum) should have a pH level from 4.5 to 5.5. When maintained at this acidity level, your scalp is defended or safeguarded against bacterial and fungal growth which in turn ensures healthy hair & skin.
Sadly, many of the shampoos that we use and other hair care products disrupt the natural pH of the scalp - stripping your hair from its natural pH and oils can affect the cuticles of your hair and the cause troubles related to the scalp.
Apple cider vinegar's composition is naturally high in acetic acid. Along with that it also has a pH level which is pretty close to that of your hair. If you are having hair troubles then rinse your hair regularly with AVC, the reason behind your hair trouble could be unhealthy hair and scalp which can be effectively taken care by apple cider vinegar. For people with oily hair, apple cider vinegar can prove to be wondrous, as oily scalp and hair tend to have insanely haywire oil (sebum) production and ACV can help in bringing back your scalp's ideal acidity level.
Bring back the lost life of your hair by giving it a boost of shine and removing unnecessarily accumulated chemical build up with a clarifying rinse after showering.
Dilute a quarter cup of Apple cider vinegar in one cup of water. Once you're done with your usual shower routine, pour the ACV and water mix through your mane. Let it flow through from the roots to ends of your hair, then rinse it out, preferably with cold water for best results. Doing this will help to restore your tresses' pH balance, get rid of any chemical residue (left on your hair by your shampoo), and close up the cuticle.
Nutrients that are present in Apple Cider Vinegar (such as potassium) are great for the growth of your hair. It also helps to smooth your hair, improving its texture and reducing the probability of split ends.
Apple cider vinegar also helps in repairing damaged hair by restoring your hair's protective layer. This protective layer on your hair is damaged by excess shampooing (using shampoos that are made of many harmful chemical compounds), UV rays, and air pollutants.
Finally, apple cider vinegar helps in eliminating all the nasty damaging chemicals and dead cells from your scalp. This allows the scalp to breathe naturally and opens the pores of your skin. A healthy scalp prevents dandruff from building up. ACV also has antibacterial and antifungal qualities that eliminate any sign of itchiness on your scalp.
Rinsing your hair with Apple Cider Vinegar (even white vinegar!) can prove to be quite an effective way to treat dandruff. Apple cider vinegar addresses the root of your dandruff problem. To put it simply, dandruff is the outcome of the skins cells maturing and dying too fast, accumulating, and causing irritation. The acidity of apple cider vinegar changes the pH of your scalp, making it difficult for yeast to grow. Vinegar gets rid of the gathered unwanted skin that flakes off in the form of dandruff. It will neither clog your pores nor cause more damage. An overgrowth of yeast or fungus on your scalp can also cause dandruff, and apple cider vinegar possesses awesome antifungal properties. So giving your hair a final rinse (after shampooing) with apple cider vinegar can be beneficial in getting rid of dandruff.
This use of apple cider vinegar is especially for all the curly haired girls out there - by rinsing your hair with ACV you can have better-defined curls. Not only will it make your curls pop it will also bring back the flawless bounce which is often lost by damaged and dry hair.
The best part is that unlike your usual shampoo and conditioners apple cider vinegar will not weigh down the individual strands of your hair - this means that you can enjoy more manageable movement as well as natural body to your hairstyle. You may even find that you don't require using heating and styling products anymore to keep your messy hair manageable after an ACV rinse, which will also save your hair from further damage which hot styling instruments cause.
ACV is also a fantastic natural detangling assistance for people with hair susceptible to major entangling. Apple cider vinegar can also be used as an excellent alternative to conditioner (a method which is popularly known as the no poo method).
Its natural acidity helps to smoothen out the cuticle, encouraging tangles and knots to slip out easily and allowing a brush to glide through your hair without much trouble.
Frizzy hair is another hair woe for all people with curly hair. It is caused by lifted cuticles on your hair. Apple cider vinegar can smoothen out the lifted cuticles and you can enjoy an overall frizz free and smooth mane.
Normal hair allows only necessary amount of moisture to penetrate the outer cuticle of the hair, whereas porous hair absorbs liquid swiftly (but also loses it just as quickly).
The high porosity of hair is the result of damage caused by chemical treatments and environmental exposure. This is a serious and irreversible destruction; it creates gaps and minute holes in the surface of your hair shaft leaving hair more prone to prolonged damage.
While once lost, you can't really change the porosity of your hair but you can surely manage it by using apple cider vinegar rinse to flattening the cuticle and minimize gaps.
To make sure that you have porous hair do this - drop a strand of your clean hair into a glass of water. If it sinks at once then your hair is of high porosity. On the other hand, if it floats midway then congratulations your hair is of normal porosity. And if the strand floats right on the top of the water and it takes a while to sink then your strands are of low porosity.
Apple cider vinegar also stimulates better blood circulation to your hair follicles. A better circulation is something which is vital for preventing hair loss and encouraging hair growth. That's not it, better circulation means that better supply of essential nutrients to your hair follicle cells strengthening your roots and promoting growth.
Hi! I’m Gunjan, a self-proclaimed tea fanatic and intrigued with alternative ways to lead a healthy life. I firmly believe that we should take care of our bodies because it’s the only place we live in.
