Apple cider vinegar is one of those ingredients that you bought once to make a fancy salad dressing, but it now hangs out in the back of your fridge.
But, maybe you can use up that spare ingredient after all - on your face.
There is a lot of talk about using apple cider vinegar on your face to help tame acne breakouts, but does it actually work, and how should you apply it?
There are not a lot of evidence-based studies out there for apple cider vinegar and acne, but let’s look into what we know about the vinegar.
Apple cider vinegar is known to have antibacterial and exfoliating properties, and these properties come from the vinegar containing lots of organic acids like lactic acid, acetic acid, and succinic acid.
These acids can help kill off the bacteria that is a common cause of your general acne breakouts - P. Acnes.
And, apple cider vinegar itself has a slightly acidic pH, much like your skin, meaning that if your breakouts are being exacerbated by an out of whack skin pH, apple cider vinegar may help balance your pH.
Finally, a lot of these organic acids are known to help slough off the top layers of skin, much like a chemical peel.
This means that that top layer of flaky dead skin cells will be less likely to clog your pores.
And, If you already have some marks from previous acne breakouts, apple cider vinegar may be able to help you there as well by using some of its lovely acids to slough off that discolored top layer of skin.
Apple cider vinegar can be a little intense, both in the smell and ability to irritate your skin.
So, never use apple cider vinegar on your skin without diluting it with water first, and always do a small patch test to make sure it is not too irritating.
Wash face with a gentle cleanser and pat dry.
Dilute apple cider vinegar by mixing 3 parts water with 1 part vinegar.
Apply the solution to a cotton ball and apply a light layer to your face.
Leave on for 5-15 minutes to let those organic acids do their thing.
Wash off and go about your day.
You can do this a couple of times daily as long as your skin is not reacting.
Apple cider vinegar may have a drying effect on the skin, so if you have chronically dry skin, using apple cider vinegar might make the dryness even worse.
Do not apply apple cider vinegar to already irritated skin or open wounds, apple cider vinegar can be pretty intense so wait for everything to heal up and calm down before using it.
If you have very bad acne breakouts or deep cystic acne, apple cider vinegar will likely not be strong enough to fully clear up your skin situation.
For severe acne that did not respond to your normal over-the-counter acne treatments, you should speak with your doctor about prescription options.
Strut Acne Formula is a prescription-only doctor-formulated compounded acne cream that combines strong retinoids with a topical antibacterial agent and vitamin derivates for an acne formula that covers all the bases.
Schedule an Online Visit with our doctors today to see if your acne might respond well to our prescription acne formula.
If you are a good candidate for treatment, your medication can be shipped directly to your front door.
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