To Cure Bad Breath
Apple cider vinegar can help treat bad breath thanks to its digestive enzymes. ACV's acidity can help clear the bacteria in your mouth, and its antiseptic properties are known to break down plaque, which is known for building bacteria. You can find more information and mixture ideas here.
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To Treat Heartburn and Reflux
As counterproductive as it may sound, many people swear by using apple cider vinegar to help with heartburn and reflux. It is believed that the acid in ACV helps balance acid production in the stomach and that it might help buffer the acidity level in the stomach because acetic acid (the main component of apple cider vinegar) is a weaker acid than hydrochloric acid (the acid produced by the stomach). The most common recommendation is to mix one teaspoon to two tablespoons with eight ounces of water and drink before meals or when heartburn strikes.
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To Help Regulate Blood Sugar
Apple cider vinegar has been shown to have numerous benefits for insulin function and blood sugar levels. Therefore, ACV can be useful for people with diabetes or pre-diabetes, or those who want to keep their blood sugar levels low to normal for other reasons. (Of course, always check with your doctor.)
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To Treat a Sore Throat
Apple cider vinegar can help to treat a sore throat. To use apple cider vinegar, mix one to two tablespoons of ACV into a small glass of warm water and then slowly drink the mixture. Drink the tonic at least once a day until the sore throat subsides. You may also want to add some honey to the mixture for added benefit.
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As an Energy Booster
You can make healthy and homemade energy drinks using apple cider vinegar. While you may not want to try drinking the stuff straight—the acid can irritate your throat and digestive tract—you can dilute it with water or seltzer to make a healthy, refreshing drink.
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To Fight Allergies
Since apple cider vinegar can help ease congestion and soothe a sore throat, it works great to manage allergy symptoms. Mix one teaspoon apple cider vinegar and one teaspoon honey in eight ounces of warm water. Once combined, drink the tonic and repeat morning and evening.
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To Help Heal Bruises
It's inevitable that I end up with a big bruise on my arm right before an event or my kid gets a bruise on his head before family photos. Apple cider vinegar can help heal bruises! Apple cider vinegar helps in the healing process and also helps in the regeneration of skin cells. Soak a cotton ball in apple cider vinegar and apply to the bruised area. Secure with tape and reapply as needed.
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To Lower Your Cholesterol
Apple cider vinegar can help lower cholesterol. The pectin found in ACV attracts bad cholesterol (LDL) and gets rid of unnecessary cholesterol, making your levels much healthier. With more pectin to absorb cholesterol in your system, your body will maintain levels at a healthy rate.
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As an All-Natural Household Cleaner
Apple cider vinegar makes a great all-natural household cleaner because it acts as a natural disinfectant. Just pour some vinegar into your toilet and let it sit overnight. Also, if you mix half a cup of vinegar with one cup of water, you can use the solution to clean anything from microwaves and kitchen counters to windows and mirrors.
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As a Cold Remedy
Apple cider vinegar can help prevent or relieve a cold. By drinking a tablespoon or two of ACV at the first onset of a cold or the flu—or when someone close to you has it—you can help prevent a full on bout of the virus. ACV actually helps to alkalize your body, and a body that’s more alkaline may be more effective at fighting off viruses that cause colds and the flu.
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As a Detox
Apple cider vinegar can help to detoxify your body. By breaking up mucus and promoting better lymph circulation in addition to aiding digestion, apple cider vinegar pushes toxins out of the body all while supplying your body with natural minerals, vitamins, and enzymes.
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To Aid in Digestion
Apple cider vinegar can help to support digestion by providing enzymes and certain acids. Take some apple cider vinegar in water fifteen minutes prior to meals to help get your digestive juices going (add one tablespoon to a few ounces of water). This can help to prevent indigestion, gas, and bloating. If you find you are already suffering from any of these complaints, sipping on a few ounces of water with one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar can help.
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To Relieve a Never-Ending Itch
Got an itch that won't go away? Apple cider vinegar can relieve those stubborn itches quickly and naturally. Dip a Q-tip or cotton ball into some ACV and apply to the itch topically for relief.
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To Ease an Upset Stomach
Tummy aches are common with children, and so many of the treatments can't be given to the littlest of kiddos. But ACV is all natural and can work wonders for an upset stomach. A mixture of one tablespoon apple cider vinegar, one cup warm water, and one tablespoon honey will ease indigestion and may alleviate cramping and gas in your upset stomach.
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To Treat a Urinary Tract Infection
Because it contains antibacterial properties, enzymes, and minerals such as potassium, apple cider vinegar works great as a UTI treatment. The acetic acid in ACV has the ability to foster good bacteria while killing bad bacteria at the same time. To make a UTI treatment tonic, combine two to three tablespoons of ACV in a glass of water (add raw honey to improve taste) and drink two to three times daily.
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As a Weight Loss Aid
Apple cider vinegar may have weight loss benefits. First, the slowing of starch digestion makes the breakdown of calories in the blood less burdensome for your body. Pectin has also been a notable fibre in making you feel fuller for longer periods of time, one of many reasons that apples have become such an iconic international health symbol. ACV also allows your body to digest protein more effectively and establish hormones that break down fat cells.
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To Treat a Yeast Infection
Apple cider vinegar can help to prevent or treat a yeast infection. There are several methods you can use, from making a drink to a soak or a douche. You can find more information here on how to make your own ACV yeast treatment.
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Help Treat a Sunburn
It may sound strange, but many people swear by putting apple cider vinegar on a sunburn. The vinegar itself has anti-inflammatory benefits that many think soothe the skin and reduce redness. But remember, it is still an acid and must be diluted before being filled in a spray bottle, dabbed on with a washcloth, or added to a cool bath.
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Help Treat Stinky Feet
Foot odour builds due to bacteria caused by perspiration, but apple cider vinegar has powerful anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties that can eliminate odour. Soaking the feet for 15 to 30 minutes in an ACV diluted tub for three days in a row, plus clean socks and shoes, should do the trick.
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Helps Tone Skin
If you never thought about making a facial toner out of apple cider vinegar, think again! ACV will tighten pores while the natural acids will stimulate circulation and prevent future breakouts. There's a great recipe at The Beauty Department.
Photo: The Beauty Department
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) may seem like a weird cure-all, but scientific research has shown that ingesting this cloudy liquid can reduce the glucose and insulin response in diabetics and healthy adults. Similarly, it has been proven to help make you feel fuller (short term, anyway). Everyone from mums to beauticians and doctors swear by ACV as a trusted home remedy, and believe it can cure everything from stinky feet and sore throats to a bad case of indigestion.
Check out this slideshow of some of the most surprising benefits of apple cider vinegar, and read below for my favourite apple cider vinegar recipes that’ll fix some of the most common hair woes.
It’s around this time of year that my hair seems to need the most help. Months of dry air and hiding it under a hat has completely taken a toll on my hair, and now that spring has come around, there’s no hiding from the fact that it’s time to get my beauty routine together and repair the damage that winter has done on my skin, hair, and nails.
The beauty industry is all abuzz about apple cider vinegar, touting it as a one-stop cure-all for a whole handful of beauty woes. But what’s in apple cider vinegar? Particularly, what makes it such a miracle product (if it really even is one)? I did some research, both online and in the shower, and the results were stunning.
What is apple cider vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar is a type of vinegar made from apples or cider and is most commonly used in cooking. The fermentation process of making apple cider vinegar converts alcohol into vinegar by the addition of acetic acid-forming bacteria. It’s most commonly used in cooking, but has recently been touted as the hottest natural beauty remedy making the rounds, promising better skin, teeth, nails, and even hair.
Research proves it’s good for your insides. Apple cider vinegar reduces the glucose response to the carbohydrate load in healthy adults and in people with diabetes. There’s even evidence that it acts as a short-term appetite suppressant (source: US National Library of Medicine).
RELATED: 9 Surprising Beauty Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar, pH levels, and what it all means for your hair:
Regular use of conditioners and product in your hair can lead to weighed down or frizzy hair. That’s where apple cider vinegar for hair comes in. As mentioned above, acetic acid is widely present in apple cider vinegar. It’s also a primary ingredient in clarifying shampoos (the stuff that removes buildup from your hair). The pH levels of shampoo is not regulated, and often have higher pH levels of 5.5 and higher, which is responsible for raising the pH levels of your hair. As the pH value in your hair increases, that’s when frizzyness and static electricity occurs.
Hair that is at its ideal pH value (4.0 to 4.5) is smooth and flat. Since apple cider vinegar is acidic, with a pH level between 2.5 and 3.5 (depending on the brand), using a diluted solution of it is a great way to lower the pH of your hair.
Personally, I’ve experienced wonderful results using apple cider vinegar in my hair and diet. If you want to give apple cider vinegar a try for your own hair, here are some quick recipes using apple cider vinegar (conveniently curated for both in and outside the shower) that solve almost any hair and scalp woe you may have.
Apple cider vinegar for dandruff (pre-shower rinse):
Add apple cider vinegar to water in equal parts and put the solution inside a spray bottle.
Bathe your scalp in the solution and let it sit for up to two hours.
The rinse will cleanse your scalp and rid it of dandruff.
You can do this easy treatment a couple of times a week for severe dandruff. (Source My Healthy Tips)
Apple cider vinegar quick in-shower mask for lowering pH values:
Take two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and an equal amount of water.
After shampooing and conditioning, massage the solution into hair and scalp.
Leave it on the hair and scalp for five minutes and rinse off completely. (Source My Healthy Tips)
Quick clarifying apple cider vinegar in-shower rinse:
To remove dulling product build-up, wash your hair with normal shampoo, and then rinse with apple cider vinegar before conditioning. This treatment also makes your hair shiny and softer. (Source My Healthy Tips)
Apple cider vinegar in-shower deep conditioning mask:
Mix one part of apple cider vinegar with three parts of water per your hair length.
Wet your hair and use a clarifying shampoo on the entire length of the hair and scalp, and then lather it.
Gently brush your scalp with a wide bristle comb in circular movements.
Wash off the shampoo with cold water and apply the prepared apple cider solution.
Massage into the scalp for about three minutes.
Rinse the hair with cold water to remove the vinegar.
Now apply your conditioner and comb through your hair from root to tip.
Cover the hair using a shower cap and leave your conditioner on the hair for twenty to thirty minutes. (Source My Healthy Tips)
Pre-shower anti-itch apple cider vinegar mask:
Take three tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, two tablespoons of honey, and three to four drops of soy oil or olive oil, and three to four drops of peppermint and tea tree oil.
Mix all the ingredients and pour it into a microwave safe bottle.
Shake well and microwave the bottle for ten seconds.
Apply this on the hair by dividing the hair into small parts.
Tie up the hair after applying the solution.
After ten minutes, rinse off with shampoo and water. (Source My Healthy Tips)
Pre- or in-shower deep conditioning hair and scalp mask
Mix equal parts of ACV and water.
Pour the solution into a spray bottle and spray the mixture onto the hair and scalp.
Divide the hair into parts and cover the scalp with this mix.
Allow the scalp to soak in the mix for five to ten minutes.
Rinse off the vinegar solution using a tea tree oil shampoo.
Allow the shampoo to remain on the hair for two to three minutes before rinsing it off.
Make a puree of one avocado and add two tablespoons of coconut oil to it.
Apply mixture to scalp and massage well. Avocado and coconut oil hydrate the scalp and hair very well.
Cover your hair using a shower cap.
Leave the mask on hair for twenty to thirty minutes.
Rinse it off with water and a mild shampoo.
Repeat the remedy at least once a week to cleanse and hydrate your hair and scalp. (Source My Healthy Tips)
Warming and moisturizing treatment for flaky scalp (pre-shower or in-shower):
Take two tablespoons of olive oil and warm it for a few seconds.
Apply this olive oil on the scalp and massage well.
Thirty minutes after applying, comb the hair thoroughly.
Next, use water mixed with vinegar to rinse the hair. You can use two cups of vinegar mixed in ten liters of water.
You can dry the hair just like that, or you can wash the hair in running water for a few minutes. (Source My Healthy Tips)
Soothing & scented apple cider vinegar conditioner (in-shower):
In a saucepan, add three cups of water and a handful of rosemary. Bring the water to a boil.
Reduce the flame to simmer position, then cook the water for about forty-five minutes.
Strain this mixture and then allow it to cool at room temperature.
Now add ½ cup of apple cider vinegar to this solution, along with a few drops of rosemary and peppermint oils.
Mix this solution well, and then store it in a glass spray bottle.
Use this solution after shampooing. Leave it to rest on your scalp for a few minutes.
Rinse it off and then pat dry your hair. You will feel nourishment in your scalp and hair. (Source My Healthy Tips)
pH lowering additive to your regular shampoo (in-shower):
Add ACV to your shampoo or conditioner, and apply it on hair to create lather.
After ten minutes, rinse off the lather.
The ACV smell will dissipate once you wash and dry your hair. (Source Organic Authority)
Have you used any ACV mixes in the past that have cured your hair ailments?
image (edited): Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar, available at Amazon ($12.32)
More Beauty Tips:
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Beyond the Bathtub: 11 Genius Uses for Epsom Salts
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