(MindBodyGreen) By Erica Scime
I had acne pretty much since puberty and spent most of my middle school, high school and university years with a broken-out face. I tried everything in my battle against blemishes — drugstore cleansers, department store skin regimens, medicated creams, dangerous prescription pills — you name it. It wasn’t until years later, after hearing Scarlett Johansson sing the praises of apple cider vinegar as her skin care secret, that I made my own apple cider vinegar toner and found my acne cure. After all, who needs “dermatologist recommended” when you’ve got Scarlett Johansson?
I don’t mean to sound like a commercial, but that apple cider vinegar toner changed my skin. After just a couple weeks my skin was softer, my pores were smaller, my scars were faded, my skin tone was the most even it had ever been, and there wasn’t a pimple to be found on my face. Not to mention the fact that my apple cider vinegar toner was natural, organic and made from one ingredient that I already had in my kitchen cupboard. I tossed all those cleansers, creams and pills in the trash and haven’t looked back.
After doing a little research, I learned that our skin is naturally acidic but, when we use harsh cleansers and soaps, that natural acidity is disrupted. This destroys the acid mantle of our skin, which is needed to protect our skin from germs, bacteria and pollution. Apple cider vinegar is so great for curing acne because it returns the acidity to our skin and restores that acid mantle. It also kills bacteria, removes excess dirt, oil and makeup and dissolves dead skin cells.
If you suffer from acne and want to make the apple cider vinegar toner that cured mine, here is how!
1. Purchase your apple cider vinegar.
Make sure it’s organic, unfiltered, unpasteurized and that it has the “mother” in it. The “mother” is the somewhat gross, brownish strand that you will find floating in your vinegar.
2. Pour a small amount of the apple cider vinegar into a glass container.
The amount of apple cider vinegar that you use will depend on how much toner you want to make but I recommend starting with about a tablespoon.
3. Now dilute the apple cider vinegar with filtered or distilled water.
Here, the amount of water that you use will depend on whether or not you have sensitive skin. A ratio of one part apple cider vinegar to two or three parts water is most common but, if you have sensitive skin, you'll want to use a little more water. You may have to play around with the ratio of your toner a bit, but once you find what works best for you skin, it will be worth it!
4. To use your apple cider vinegar toner, pour a little onto a cotton pad and apply it to your skin after cleansing.
Wait until the toner has dried and then use whatever other lotions, potions and creams you wish. Do this twice a day or any time you wash your face.
Will this toner for work for every person and every kind of acne? Of course not! But if you've tried everything else, this natural, organic apple cider vinegar toner may be what your skin has been waiting for!
About the Author:
Erica Scime is a journalism grad turned wellness blogger who has a passion for holistic health, natural nutrition, local food, community gardening, practicing yoga and running outdoors. Erica published her first cookbook of recipes featuring fresh, local ingredients last fall and is currently writing another cookbook for college students, which will be published this summer. She lives in her small hometown in Ontario, Canada, where she is forging her path in wellness communications, but you can find her on Facebook, Twitter and on her blog, The Mindful Mouthful.
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