5 Reasons To Wash Your Face With Apple Cider Vinegar Instead Of Your Usual, Boring Soap
Just so you know, health and wellness influencers clogging your Instagram feed with apple cider vinegar shots, hot toddies, and salad dressings aren’t the only ones taking advantage of ACV's health benefits. The fermented juice is awesome for your digestive system and the common cold, but did you know apple cider vinegar for skin is also a thing? For the record, this isn’t necessarily “news,” so it’s high time I catch you up on the trend. Beauty experts have been shipping ACV and face wash regimens for years, because if you thought this liquid gold was multipurpose when you drink it, just wait until you experience all it can do topically.
Is it just me, or do natural home remedies feel, ironically, super new-agey? While our grandmothers can probably rattle off home remedies for everything from sickness to stain removal and hygiene off the top of their heads, somewhere between their teenage years and ours, beauty took a turn for highly processed products. Granted, while the industry has definitely made a few key strides moving toward a more organic, less chemically enhanced market, we’re seeing a heightened trend of holistic alternatives — one of them being apple cider vinegar face washes and masks.
Because store-bought soaps and face products are oftentimes pumped with chemicals no one can pronounce, in addition to strong fragrances and dyes, you have to be extremely careful not to put something irritating and potentially damaging on your face. Apple cider vinegar, on the other hand, is all-natural, 100 percent organic, and super cost-effective, which I think every beauty guru can appreciate.
Still on the fence? Set aside your beloved soap bar and foamy cleansers and give any of the following apple cider vinegar home remedies a shot. If it's not for you, you can return your ACV bottle back to the kitchen cabinet and continue on with your morning shots (shots, shots).
01ACV Can Combat Nasty Spouts Of Acne And Scarring
Before doing my homework on skincare products that would actually cure an acne-prone complexion, I was convinced that the more a blemish stung under corrective creams, the more the product was working its magic. I was wrong, friends. I was so wrong.
Sensitive skin is just that, sensitive, so it needs to be nursed back to health gently. Because apple cider vinegar is a natural astringent, dabbing a few drops of diluted ACV on pimples or lingering acne scars can reduce their appearance overnight.
02It Also Works As A Natural Toner
Toners are extremely controversial in the beauty space. The fear is that, because toners are normally used on acne-prone skin, depending on how much alcohol is in a product, they could strip the skin of natural oils and feel very harsh on sensitive complexions.
There are both alcohol- and water-based cleansers on the market, but if you'd rather skip all the trial and error, you can substitute ACV for pricey brand-name bottles by mixing a tablespoon of the stuff with two cups of water. Mix well before taking a cotton ball, tissue, or clean fingertips and applying the blend over a freshly cleansed, dry face to shrink visual pores and stimulate circulation.
03Apple Cider Vinegar Can Balance Your pH Levels
Instead of resorting to the usual bubbly elixir or Instagram-worthy face masks you use to correct your skin, do yourself a favor and switch things up tonight. Pour a few drops of apple cider vinegar into a cup or so of warm water. Gently massage the mixture over your face (make sure you're careful around your eyes), and I can guarantee you'll emerge from the rinse feeling fresh AF.
According to Women's Health, ACV has a very similar pH level to that of our protective layer of skin. This indulgent soak can be used to "help restore balance" when your pH levels get wacky.
04ACV Also Soothes Sunburn
The second you notice you have sunburn is, of course, the same moment you realize you're fresh out of aloe. Luckily, if you have a bottle of apple cider vinegar on hand, you're in less of a bind than you think.
To ease the aches of sunburn over your cheeks and forehead, dip a washcloth in diluted ACV and gently apply to the affected areas for quick relief.
05It Can Even Be Used To Clean Your Makeup Tools
OK, I know this technically has nothing to do with washing your face, but washing your makeup brushes on the reg is still super important when it comes to your complexion's hygiene.
Rather than going by the book and using dish soap to wipe your cosmetic tools clean, using ACV to clean makeup brushes can eliminate grime the natural way. Dr. Karen Hammerman, cosmetic dermatologist at Vanguard Dermatology in New York City, told InStyle that because ACV contains malic acid, washing out your brushes this way will also extract germ buildup, too.
