From avocado facials to honey scrubs, reaching into your kitchen cabinet in hopes of attaining clearer, smoother skin is nothing new. But does apple cider vinegar (ACV), another superfood ingredient, also deserve a spot on your bathroom vanity?
If you’ve considered using this pantry staple to help treat acne or another skin condition, such as eczema, psoriasis, or rosacea, that isn’t surprising. The popularity of apple cider vinegar for skin care has only grown in recent years, thanks to its reputation for healing common infections and wounds or lowering blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, as some research has shown.
But you should know that those benefits are not backed by high-quality research: Long-term randomized controlled trials on the potential effects of ACV in humans are lacking, notes Harvard Health Publishing. (And, as University of Chicago Medicine points out, despite what you may have read online, ACV won’t cure cancer.)
When it comes to helping you achieve a healthier complexion, some of the components in ACV may help, but experts are cautious about the ingredient’s use either orally or infused in beauty products. Below we explore the possible benefits and risks of using apple cider vinegar for skin care.
Can Using Apple Cider Vinegar Help Improve Your Complexion?
For many people, one immediate question is whether it’s beneficial to put apple cider vinegar right on your face and skin. And while a study noted that ACV may offer antifungal and antibacterial properties, the research on how it may affect your complexion is lacking, says Melissa Piliang, MD, a dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic. “There is really no good scientific evidence proving the skin-care benefits of ACV (topically or orally), and it can be harmful,” she says. But she adds that it can help skin conditions if used cautiously and with supervision from a dermatologist.
There are a few things in ACV that may boost the appearance and health of your skin;
- Acetic Acid Research has shown this acid is antifungal and antimicrobial. When used topically, it clears bacteria that may be related to either infections or skin conditions like acne, rosacea, and chronic scalp rashes such as seborrheic dermatitis and eczema.
- Citric Acid This is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). AHAs are used to increase skin cell turnover and have been shown to decrease wrinkles and age spots.
- Acetic acid and citric acid are found in higher levels in ACV, but they are also found in other types of vinegar. White vinegar probably works as well for skin conditions as ACV does, says Abigail H. Waldman, MD, a dermatologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. “Doctors have been using vinegar soaks forever. The theory is that ACV has more citric acid, which might be where the hype is coming from, but a lot of the effects are overblown,” she says.
Diluting Apple Cider Vinegar Is Key to Using It Safely
When it comes to using apple cider vinegar in a skin-care routine, experts do not recommend applying pure ACV to your skin, as the acids in it may cause chemical burns and irritation, according to case reports. “Putting it on the skin straight up is highly irritating, and I have seen many patients who have irritated and burned their skin by repeated use of apple cider vinegar,” says Patricia Farris, MD, a dermatologist in Metairie, Louisiana, and a clinical associate professor at the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans. “I advise patients against using this particular home remedy for this reason.”
For skin infections, Dr. Waldman advises making a dilution of 1 tablespoon of ACV per 1 cup of water. There’s a wide range of recommended concentrations, but it’s generally advisable to start there and see how much you can tolerate.
“The higher the concentration, the more likely it’s going to irritate your skin,” Waldman says. “But it probably also works better because of the higher levels of acetic and citric acid. It’s a balance. You never want to use ACV in its concentrated form.”
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