Why You Should Wash Your Face With Apple Cider Vinegar

By Jenny Hills, Nutritionist and Medical Writer October 8, 2014 Beauty

Why You Should Wash Your Face With Apple Cider Vinegar

The thought might put you off. Why would you want to smear such smelly stuff like apple cider vinegar all over your face when there are delightfully scented face care products available? I’ll tell you why. Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has amazing health benefits for your face and you can use it to treat skin problems such as: age spots, acne, pimples, razor burns as well as other skin conditions. Let me elaborate…

Apple Cider Vinegar is Beneficial for Your Entire Body

Real apple cider vinegar is made by fermenting pressed apple juice until the natural sugar turns into vinegar. The apple cider vinegar you should use is the raw, organic, unfiltered, and unpasteurized kind of apple cider vinegar with the mother. Not the refined kind.

Only the good quality kind of ACV contains the “mother” of vinegar, which is the cloudy stuff that sinks to the bottom of the bottle. This substance contains the beneficial enzymes, bacteria, pectin and trace minerals that makes apple cider vinegar so good for your entire body (and not just for your skin). You can purchase apple cider vinegar in your local supermarket or you can easily make your own natural ACV.

Just remember to shake the bottle each time before using ACV to distribute the nutrients.

Amazing Reasons to Wash Your Face with Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is effective when taken internally and also when it is applied to the skin externally. There are a lot of people who use apple cider vinegar as part of their daily skin-care routine to get rid of acne, reduce age spot and fine wrinkles, and to cleanse their skin. Using apple cider vinegar as a skin toner is a cost effective and natural way to keep your skin feeling fresh and supple.

Here are some of the best reasons to wash your face and cleanse your skin with apple cider vinegar.

Apple cider vinegar can reduce age spots (liver spots)

Washing your face daily with apple cider vinegar can help to reduce age spots and create a more even skin tone.

Apple cider vinegar contains powerful alpha hydroxy acids to help remove dead skin cells and reveal a fresher and healthier complexion underneath them. Many expensive commercial face washes bang on about the tiny amounts of alpha hydroxy acids they’ve added to their products, but ACV is full of far higher levels, of which are alive and ready to revive your skin. The ‘natural’ ingredients in commercial face products are actually dead and useless by the time they are processed and bottled up.

When you use apple cider vinegar to reduce age spots, apply a little undiluted apple cider vinegar directly onto the age spots with a cotton wool bud and leave for about 20-30 minutes and rinse your skin with cold water. Repeat once or twice a day to get rid of brown spots on your face as well as other skin areas. Repeat the apple cider vinegar treatment for about 6 weeks to see if you notice any improvement.

Apple cider vinegar fights acne and pimples

Instead of buying a typical over-the-counter pimple or acne creams, why not allow ACV to work its magic on your skin? Celebrities such as Hilary Duff and Scarlett Johansson use apple cider vinegar to cleanse their skin and keep pimples and acne away. They have the choice to use super-expensive products and they choose to use good old ACV, and here’s why…

Apple cider vinegar is an excellent home remedy for treating and clearing acne, pimples and blemishes. During the creation of apple cider vinegar, substances such as acetic acid are formed, which give ACV antibacterial, anti-fungal and antiviral properties. Its antiseptic and antibacterial properties prevent acne or pimples by keeping the skin pores free from bacteria, and skin infections. You can find more information in my article about the 5 research based reasons to use ACV for acne where you can find various applications containing ACV as well as other ingredient to help clear your acne.

Apple cider vinegar can unclog your pores

ACV’s natural goodness also unclogs skin pores and allows your skin to breathe properly, so it is very effective in treating acne and pimples on your face and on your back.

Apple cider vinegar balances your skin’s pH

Apple cider vinegar doesn’t just effectively remove excess oil from your skin, it also helps to balance your skin’s pH levels. It can also prevent your skin from becoming too oily or too dry by balancing the production of sebum to prevent acne and pimples.

Apple cider vinegar fights wrinkles

Washing your face with diluted apple cider vinegar may help to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Just mix equal amounts of apple cider vinegar and water. Soak a cotton bud or cotton cloth in the diluted apple cider vinegar face wash and dab on your skin. Rinse with warm water and pat dry.

Apple cider vinegar can clear redness on face

You can use apple cider vinegar (ACV) to help reduce redness on your face. The acidic properties of ACV help to disinfect the skin from germs that can cause inflammation and redness. The low pH level of vinegar also aids in reducing skin itchiness and irritation.

Apple cider vinegar removes toxins from your face

Some people claim that regular use of an apple cider vinegar wash can help draw toxins out of your skin leaving a youthful and clean glow. But remember that you can also use ACV internally to cleanse and detox your entire body. By consuming ACV internally as a natural detoxifier, you help your body to get rid of free radicals and other harmful toxins that contribute to acne.

How to Use Apple Cider Vinegar to Cleanse Your Skin

ACV is strong stuff, so you are best to dilute it with water when you apply it all over your face. Don’t be naughty and use undiluted ACV on the skin. It is very acidic and can damage the skin. This is especially important when you use apple cider vinegar to wash your face.

To make your own ACV skin toner, mix equal parts of ACV and water. You can get creative with your ACV solution. Try adding green tea, aloe vera gel or witch hazel. After a while when your skin got used to it, you can gradually increase the concentration of the ACV. It depends on the tolerance of your skin. Just make sure you shake it before you use it, so that the water and ACV are thoroughly mixed up.

Before you wash your face with apple cider vinegar, it is advisable to test it on a small area of your face. Under the chin is a good spot, just in case you do get a reaction, then it’s not too noticeable!

To apply ACV to your face, simply use a cotton bud and gently glide over skin to remove make-up, oil and impurities. Be careful not to get it in your eyes! If you are suffering from a breakout, then be warned it will sting your pimples. However, this should feel like a ‘good’ hurt, and not be intolerable.

When you use ACV on your skin for the first time, after 5 minutes, it is a good idea to rinse it off with warm water. This is just so your skin isn’t too exposed to ACV on your first time. If you don’t get a reaction, then the next time you use it, don’t wash it off, and then you can build up your skin’s tolerance. It is best to apply the ACV toner at night as ACV can increase sensitivity to ultra-violet rays.

Don’t leave your body out. ACV isn’t just for your beautiful face. If you suffer from acne on your back, you are not alone. Fortunately, Apple cider vinegar is one of the best home remedies for treating acne on the back. If you’re worried about how you’re going to apply it, then just use a spray bottle and you can also add a few drops of tea tree oil as it’s an effective acne treatment. Repeat the apple cider vinegar treatment daily to help your skin heal and reduce the number of pimples you have on your back.

Moisturize your skin. To finish off your new fabulous ACV skin care regime, you can use a natural, chemical free moisturizer such as jojoba oil or coconut oil (read my article about the 10 secret ways to use coconut oil on your face) or whatever suits your skin. You can also use essential oils for skincare.

Other Uses of Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar has a lot more uses which I’ve mentioned in my previous articles:

Maintaining healthy skin is also one of the 70 habits featured in my e-book 70 Powerful Habits For A Great Health which will guide you how to take positive steps to improve your wellness and overall health.

Read my other related articles:
1. The Best Home Remedies to Treat Oily Skin: The Ultimate Guide
2. How to Use Baking Soda for Gorgeous Face and Skin
3. Turmeric Face Mask Recipe for Glowing Skin, Acne, Rosacea, Eczema and Dark Circles
4. The Most Effective Homemade Acne Face Masks