Apple Cider Vinegar & Witch Hazel

Apple Cider Vinegar is one of those wonder products that has a TON of uses, apart from using in food:

Works to remove buildup in hair if used as a rinse mixed with water after shampooing (can also fight dandruff)
Help reduce acne and age spots and rosacea

and a TON more, just google “Apple Cider Vinegar health benefits”, or even just “apple cider vinegar uses” to see how many things other than health related this stuff is great for. This is a great site for information!

BUT, today we are simply talking about how great it is for acne. I’ve been using this for awhlie and it works REALLY well for me. I especially like using it with witch hazel!

My friend Brooke also uses witch hazel and has a great video explaining it.

Here are some answers to some FAQ I got in the video I posted:

A toner is like an astringent- is used to balance the skins PH level. Generally you use it after you have washed and dried your face, and you can apply it with a cotton ball or pad. Once it has dried, you can apply moisturizer over top.
I got asked a lot of questions on how long a toner would last for before it goes bad. I really am not sure, but if this concerns you I recommend making small batches at a time so that it doesn’t have time to go bad.
Witch Hazel is a natural astringent that you can buy from basically any drugstore. I bought mine at Walgreens in the skincare section.
NO, you cannot use normal distilled vinegar in place of apple cider vinegar, they are completely different.
If you don’t have witch hazel, you can simply make a toner from 1 part apple cider vinegar and 3 parts water.

If you have any more questions about this, let me know!

Ashley

My Mom drinks the 2 tbsp mixed with a glass of water in the morning. She’s been doing it for a few months now, and she says she feels a lot better! She has extremely high blood pressure, and she says she’s noticed a huuuge difference. I can’t stomach the smell, so I don’t do it lol. Although, maybe I should start!!
- Leesha
  
  i’m gonna start doing that to see it if helps speed up weight loss!
  - Elle
    
    Me too!
  - Anastasia
    
    to table spoons of apple vinger helps weight loss realy how much
Jessica

do you get like a cotton swab or a cotton pad and put it all over your face?
- Leesha
  
  cotton pad.
Elle

When you use it as a spot treatment, do you use it full strength or mix it with water? THX
- Leesha
  
  I do full strength but its not really recommended as it can be REALLY drying. what i’ve heard others do is wetting a cotton ball and then putting a bit of ACV on it then using that as a spot treatment so its diluted.
  - Stacey D
    
    I agree with Leesha-I used full strength ACV on my chin a few nights ago, and my skin started peeling. I actually mixed 1 part ACV with 3 parts green tea, and am now using that as a spot treatment.
http://xoxo-parisky.blogspot.com Helena

Thank you so much for this! I’ve heard about it before and actually wanted to try it, but completely forgot about it.
I’ve also heard that mixing it with aspirins helps as well.
sarah

products have a little mark on the back that looks like an open jar with a number inside of it. that number generally represents the amount of months that a product is good for after it has been opened. :)
- Leesha
  
  true, but people were asking if you mix it with fresh green tea, how long will it be good. i am not too knowlegable at how long green tea’s antioxidents and stuff are good so i dont knwo how long itll last :)
  - http://www.finishedwithabow.blogspot.com/ kathrina
    
    The longer green tea sits the less antioxidants are still there. So when you buy green tea there are not too many antioxidants left. So you should make the green tea in small batches so the antioxidants are still there!
Jenni

Hi Leesha,

I just wanted to tell you your hair looks really good! Healthy and shiny! What are you using? Mine is starting to look a little fried and nothing is working :(
- Leesha
  
  hii thanks! its all thanks to that global keratin treatment i got :)
  - Stacey D
    
    Hi Leesha, I got a Brazilian Blowout in Sept, and loved it. I haven’t gotten it again, though, because of the controversy surrounding its formaldehyde content. How does the keratin tx you got compare to a Braz Blowout?
Danyle

Is your apple cider vinegar from Fry’s electronics!?
- Leesha
  
  no hahaha my grocerystore in AZ is Fry’s. same people i think though
  - Jenny
    
    lol!!! Fry’s marketplace is the best!! :) it was kinda neat to find out you were an AZ’er too Leesha :)
    - Stacey D
      
      OMG Leesha, you are from AZ? What part? Do you come back much? We live in Ahwatukee!
http://mythreadofthought.com Anna

I’m going to try this toner. :)

By the way, I gave your blog an award on my blog: http://mythreadofthought.blogspot.com/2011/01/newsletter-and-blog-award.html
Krystina

While witch hazel is a great natural astringent, it is recommended more for oily to acne prone skin. It can make dry skin more dry and can mess up the oil/water balance in normal skin. It can be too strong on those skin types.
Also, another great natural spot treatment is straight tea tree oil which has great antibacterial properties. I’m an esthetician so that’s how I know all this. ;)
Linnea

re: apple cider vinegar
I have REALLY thick wavy/curly hair…i get shampoo build up easily because it takes FOREVER to rinse out all the product! I have started to rinse my hair with a diluted apple cider about once a month and my hair is MUCH more soft, shiny and bouncy! I LOVE it!
Kendra

Are you using this instead of the proactiv toner?
Charisa

This isn’t really about the apple cider, which I love using! but do you know any tips for wrinkles around the eyes and mouth? I’m asking for my mom
http://dreamlandofbeauty.blogspot.com/ Angelica

I will give this a try! It just sound like heaven in a bottle. I absolutely love you!! Thanks to you I learn alot about makeup. Thank you Leesha. You inspired me to create a beauty blog and help others learn about makeup.
Liz

Hey Lady,

I absolutely love your videos and blog, BUT claims such as: apple cider vinegar helps “cleanse” your system, speed up your metabolism, “curing” allergies and sinus problems, lower blood pressure and high cholesterol constitute medical advice which you are not qualified to give. Here is an article explaining what ACV can’t do. (scroll about a quarter down the page to the part where it says “Sour Wine”)

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2008/04/houston-we-have-problem-apple-cider.html

I encourage you to do your research in the future, or better yet, skip any medical claims and get right to the makeup. That’s what we’re all here for. :)
- Leesha
  
  this is very true, I have just been going around lots of blogs and finding out different information I thought was interesting, but as you said I am not qualified to say them, so i took them off.
  - Liz
    
    Thank you
    
    *high five*
    - Sandra
      
      Apple cider vinegar deals with a lot of health problems, including severe allergies. Allergies run in my family & it’s been the ONLY thing that has worked for 90% of us in our family that have a variety of them. It doesn’t work for everybody, but neither do pharmaceuticals. The things she posted were of no harm to anybody. Pharmaceuticals DO harm many people, and often kill them. Apple cider vinegar will kill nobody. Never has. It’s a very old remedy that’s been used in many cultures.
      
      One thing people should know about ACV is that only ACV with the ‘mother’ has any health or skin care benefits. You should look for a brand such as Bragg’s, which has sediment on the bottom & is somewhat cloudy. That’s the type that has the beneficial acids in it. Heinz ACV is rubbish for skin care/health applications.
      
      In addition, most people are not aware that most witch hazel, such as the ones found in drug stores, contains a great deal of alcohol. This can actually cause more acne for some people, or excessive dryness & irritation. If you find this is the case for you, look for better quality, alcohol free witch hazel which has been distilled. Just Google or check Amazon. They have a lot of health care products, including witch hazel & apple cider vinegar.
carolcarol92

im sooo going to try to drink the ACV with water too see if it speeds up my metabolism.. i swear my metabolism is the slowest thing evvvvar…. and im going to try that on my pimples !!! Thanks!
- Leesha
  
  taking vitamin B12 tablets may help tooo
http://beautifulloft.blogspot.com/ Michelle

I saw your video on this! I love DIY all natural products! :)
Becky

I’ve been doing the ACV/water for a toner for about a month or so now and it’s made a HUGE difference in my skin! I have combo w/ my t-zone being oily and usually get acne on my chin (like, when did I NOT have a blemish on my chin is a better question). My skin is WAY more even looking, my t-zone isn’t quite as oily and for the past 8 days I have had ZERO blemishes. ZERO!!! It’s simply amazing. LOVE IT!!
Persephone

How often would you use this as a toner?
- Leesha
  
  i use it every night
Patricia

I drink a glass of green tea twice a day (morning and night) and when Im done steeping the tea, I take the tea bag out and massage it over my face. I know that sounds naughty, hahaha. But it makes my skin feel tighter. I do it before I put on my makeup and after I take it off. I cant get enough green tea!
http://maquillage-maenad.blogspot.com/ Marin

I tried this with the green tea soon as I saw your video.. you’re right, it does smell a bit funny. But do you think a tiny bit of organic vanilla extract could help with that? I’m thinking about trying it because I’ve read up a little on vanilla properties and while people seem to be sceptical about everything except the aphrodisiac properties (haha) I haven’t heard of any negative effects. Wanted to know what you think before I try it out!
Wren

I’ve tried this before and used green tea as the other part, I just couldn’t handle the smell.
Bryony

I have been doing this treatment for the past two weeks along with my usual routine and have noticed such a difference! Especially with those spots which don’t actually surface – you know those horrible underneath ones? They actually diminished in size and my redness has gone down so much aswell. Thank you so much Leesha!
Layla

Thanks so much Leesha! I’ve been using it for the past week or so and it’s working great! So excited! Nothing else has worked better for me. :)
Glenda Martinez

Hey Leesha just wanted to know if u still recomend Proactive & if u still use it do u use it with ur apple cider vinegar toner?
kate

all i can say is this: i would drink one tablespoon of ACV every morning and night then immediatly drink eight oz of water to wash it down and noticed a huge difference then i stopped taking it and broke out badly, it also helps clean up your gut and lose weight but the first day you drink it, your guts like a war zone after that your fine

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