acv Archives

The Best Way to Use Apple Cider Vinegar for Radiant Summer Skin

July 6, 2020 By Susan Patterson

Summer’s here, and so are the many summer related skin issues like sunburn, pimples, heat rash, and more. Apple cider vinegar, rich in beneficial acids, vitamins, enzymes, and mineral salts, can help bring your summer skin out of its winter slumber. ACV has been used as a natural remedy, inside and out, for thousands of years thanks to its antibacterial and antifungal properties. Many people claim it can make your skin appear brighter and more youthful. Here’s the best way to use ACV for radiant summer skin.

What’s in a bottle?

Before delving into the many benefits apple cider vinegar (ACV) can provide for your skin, it’s beneficial to know what exactly is in that bottle before ingesting or putting it on your face.

Apple cider vinegar is mainly apple juice.
A two-step process turns it into vinegar.
Yeast is added to crushed apples, which ferments the sugars and turns them into alcohol.
Then, bacteria are added to ferment the alcohol further, turning it into acetic acid. It’s this acetic acid (the main active compound in vinegar) that gives ACV its pungent smell and sour taste.
Unfiltered, organic ACV also contains a substance called “mother.” “Mother” consists of friendly bacteria, strands of proteins, and enzymes — giving ACV that murky appearance.

Here’s how ACV can benefit summer skin

Apple cider vinegar has always been held in high regard as an important weight-loss elixir. But when used correctly, it can also have a significant impact on skin. While some of the research is anecdotal, advocates rave about the results they achieve when adding ACV to their DIY skincare regime. Here’s what ACV can do for your skin.

Improves the skin’s barrier — ACV is high in pectin, a polysaccharide that occurs naturally in apples. According to a study published in Biomolecules & Therapeutics, pectin may be beneficial in improving the skin’s barrier. The skin’s barrier is the outermost layer of the epidermis. Its job is to hold in moisture — stopping it from drying out — and protecting your skin from harsh elements.
Helps clear skin conditions — Research suggests that acetic acid, the main compound in ACV, has antifungal and antimicrobial properties. When used topically, ACV helps clear bacteria that cause certain skin conditions such as occasional breakouts, acne, rosacea, and eczema.
Acts as a natural anti-aging remedy — Citric acid, found in ACV, is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). AHAs are used to increase skin cell turnover. Research suggests that AHAs are ideal for decreasing wrinkles, age spots, scarring, pigmentation, and dry skin.

The best way to use apple cider vinegar for radiant summer skin is by diluting it with purified water. Here’s how to incorporate ACV into your skincare regime.

ACV as a facial cleanser

Ditch those harsh soaps and chemicals for an all-natural face wash made from apple cider vinegar.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup of warm purified water

Instructions:

Remove your eye makeup — coconut oil is a great natural makeup remover.
Add ACV to water and stir.
Using a cotton pad, soak in ACV mixture and wipe the entire face — avoiding the eyes.
Rinse with warm water and pat dry.

ACV as a facial toner

ACV is a wonderful natural toner that helps control sebum, improve acne-prone skin, and even act as an anti-aging remedy.

Ingredients:

1-part ACV
2 parts purified water

Instructions:

Mix together ACV and water.
Using a cotton pad, apply the mixture gently over your skin — then rinse.
Apply a gentle, fragrance-free dry oil or moisturizer.

As a sunburn remedy

For sunburnt skin, ACV is very soothing. Simply mix one cup of ACV with five cups of purified water. Soak a washcloth with the ACV mixture and press gently on sunburnt areas of the body. Additionally, you can add two cups of ACV to a cool bath for sunburn relief.

ACV as an exfoliant

Exfoliation is the process of removing old, dead skin cells. ACV contains fruit acids, including malic acid, which acts to exfoliate dead skin cells gently. In fact, natural fruit acids, like those found in ACV, have a number of skin benefits even beyond exfoliation like decreasing skin inflammation and boosting cell turnover. Just saturate a cotton pad with ACV and gently rub onto your face. Then rinse with warm water.

For all-over exfoliation, simply add about two cups of apple cider vinegar into your bath. Soak for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Follow with a gentle moisturizer.

ACV as a spot treatment

When it’s hot outside, people tend to sweat significantly more. Add to that, pollution, grime, and makeup, and it’s a recipe for breakouts. An ACV spot treatment can help clear those impromptu blemishes as soon as they appear. Simply soak a cotton swab with a little full-strength ACV and dab it on the blemish. The acetic acid in apple cider vinegar is both antibacterial and keratolytic, suggests board-certified dermatologist Sejal Shah, MD, for Women’s Health. Meaning it’s actually potent enough to remove warts or calluses.

The bottom line: it will work wonders zapping those zits. And as an added bonus, ACV — thanks to that chemical exfoliation — can also help reduce the appearance of acne scars over time.

Keeping your skin soft, smooth, and healthy doesn’t have to cost a fortune. A little apple cider vinegar in your DIY skincare routine will keep you looking radiant all summer long.

-Susan Patterson

5 Ways Apple Cider Vinegar Will Make Your Hair Rock

September 10, 2018 By Susan Patterson

I make no secret of my love for apple cider vinegar (ACV) and that love extends to my hair, where ACV can help clarify, moisturize and bring balance to my locks. ACV can help just about any hair problem, and its affordability makes it a cost-effective way to care for your hair naturally.

[Read more…]

6 Ways to Use Apple Cider Vinegar for a Beautiful Home and Garden

May 17, 2017 By Susan Patterson

Apple Cider Vinegar is a perfect non-toxic alternative for your home and garden. In fact, it’s suitable for even the toughest cleaning and gardening tasks thanks to the acetic acid in the vinegar. And, because of apple cider vinegar’s antibacterial and antifungal properties, it also makes an effective disinfectant that prevents molds and bacteria from flourishing. Here are six ways to use ACV in your home and garden.

Ant Repellant Spray with Apple Cider Vinegar

Ants communicate by using sounds, touch, and pheromones, and can perceive smells with their antennae. If a forager ant finds food, it will mark a trail leading back to the colony. Soon the other ants will follow to the source of the food. Each time the trail is traveled, the smell is intensified. Apple cider vinegar disrupts their scent trails, making it harder for them to find the food source.

Ingredients:

2 cups apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp dish soap
2 tbsp baking soda

Supplies:

Large spray bottle
Large bowl or bucket for mixing, do not try to mix this in the spray bottle!

Instructions:

Gather the ingredients and the spray bottle.
Measure the apple cider vinegar and the dish soap.
Pour both ingredients into the large bowl or bucket.
Add the baking soda very slowly. It will foam up a lot, so be patient.
After it has stopped foaming, fill the spray bottle with the mix using a funnel.
Now fill the bottle to the top with water.
Mix well before each use.
Spray the problem area with ants really well. This mix will not harm your outside plants if you have an ant problem there as well.
Use as often as needed.

This project takes about 10 to 15 minutes to make.

ACV Drain Cleaner

Some drain cleaners contain an extremely dangerous chemical (sodium hydroxide) that can be harmful to your health if swallowed, inhaled, or come in contact with your skin and eyes. The New York Times health guide notes that some symptoms may cause severe reactions that include:

Abdominal pain
Breathing difficulty (due to throat swelling)
Collapse
Loss of vision if the poison touched the eyes
Mouth pain (severe)
Throat pain (severe)
Severe burns
Vomiting

Instead, use a non-toxic solution to clear and deodorize partially clogged drains made with apple cider vinegar, baking soda and cup salt. Simply mix together 1/2 cup of salt and 1/2 cup of baking soda and pour into the clogged drain. Next, pour 1/2 cup of ACV down the drain. After two to three hours simply flush the drain with water.

Permanent weed killer with apple cider vinegar

Weeds sprouting through driveways and walkways can drive you to distraction. Nothing ruins curb appeal more than weeds. Apple cider vinegar is an effective weed killer, but when mixed with salt — kills them permanently! Unlike commercial weed killers, ACV is eco-friendly and won’t harm people, pets or the environment.

The acetic acid in the vinegar will draw out the water in the weeds, making them dry up. The salt will prevent the weeds from absorbing water, eventually killing them. The dish soap acts like a surfactant, helping the solution adhere to the weeds better. Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients:

4 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup of salt
1 tsp liquid dish soap

Supplies:

Large spray bottle
Large bowl or bucket for mixing
Wooden spoon
Funnel

Instructions:

Measure the apple cider vinegar and salt in a large bowl or bucket.
Mix ingredients together with the wooden spoon until salt completely dissolves.
Add the dish soap to the mixture and stir to combine.
Fill the spray bottle with the weed killer, using a funnel.
Soak the weeds with the solution on a dry, sunny day. Coat all surfaces well with the spray.

Any plants soaked with the ACV weed killer will die within several days. They won’t return, and nothing else will ever grow in their place. So, make sure you only use this where you want nothing to grow like sidewalks, walkways, driveway and patio stones.

Keep animals out of your garden with apple cider vinegar

Animals love the garden. Whether they’re using it as a feeding ground or a litter box, apple cider vinegar will keep them out. Rabbits, cats, raccoons, moles, rodents and deer hate the smell of vinegar. Just soak a few rags in apple cider vinegar and place them around the garden or any areas that attract unwanted animals. Apple cider vinegar will keep them at bay without causing any harm. Simply re-soak the rags occasionally, as needed, to keep animals from entering the garden.

Kill mold fast with apple cider vinegar and baking soda

Mold exposure can cause a number of health concerns. But the problem is, you could be suffering and not even realize your symptoms are due to mold. Symptoms may range from runny noses, headaches, and rashes to fatigue, depression and memory loss. Serious exposure could cause respiratory or neurological problems. Therefore, it’s important to remove mold in your home when you find it. One area that seems to attract a lot of mold is window sills, particularly tracking. Apple cider vinegar and baking soda are a quick way to zap mold fast.

Simply pour baking soda over moldy window tracking. Then pour apple cider vinegar over the baking soda. Let it sit and soak in. Use a paper towel to wipe up the mess. Make sure to wear gloves and a mask to prevent breathing in mold spores.

Homemade glass cleaner with apple cider vinegar

Some brands of glass cleaners contain nerve-damaging butyl cellosolve according to Organic Consumer Association. Others may contain ammonia, which can irritate airways and will release toxic chloramine gasses if accidentally mixed with chlorine-containing cleaners. ACV is a wonderful and safe alternative for cleaning glass, here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol
1 tbsp cornstarch (the cornstarch reduces streaking)
2 cups water
10 drops orange, lemon or lavender essential oil

Supplies:

Large spray bottle (reuse an old one, or head to the dollar store)

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in the spray bottle.
Shake well to mix, and each time prior to use.
Spray onto the glass surface and wipe clean. Make sure to label your bottle.

If you’ve never used ACV in your home or garden, now’s your chance. Along with ACV, keep a few basic ingredients on hand like baking soda, cornstarch, and salt to refill your bottles. Once you try these low cost, non-toxic and environmentally friendly solutions you’ll never go back to using commercial cleaning and gardening products again.

-Susan Patterson