Apple Cider Vinegar has a plethora of useful and medicinal properties. There have been resources written on all the amazing benefits that Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) has regarding multiple physical ailments as well as cleaning and DIY purposes.
ACV is a cheap and effective multi-purpose cleaner, you can add it to your water, tea and salad dressings for a refreshing zing and capitalize on the multiple health benefits you'll be receiving.
Why All The Fuss Over Apple Cider Vinegar?
The word vinegar translates to vin aigre, is french for “sour wine”. The medicinal uses of vinegar date way back to when it was discovered in 5000 BC by a courtier in Babylonia.
MD’s during the 18th century used it as a multi purpose treatment for ailments like dropsy, stomach ache and even for managing diabetes.
Columbus had barrels of apple cider vinegar on his ships to prevent scurvy. Apple cider vinegar was used during the civil war to disinfect wounds and Japanese Samurais drank it for strength and power.
Hippocrates used vinegar to treat seventeen different conditions (2) ranging from ulcers to fractures.
Apple Cider Vinegar is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, it’s various enzymes help with digestion and 1 Tbs equals is just 3 calories.
1. Cleaning
ACV combined with 2 parts water makes an effective natural disinfectant solution for all surfaces (3).
It’s amazingly affordable compared to commercial natural cleaning products and the smell is really pleasant, you could add a few drops of thieves oil and have a great antibacterial spray for countertops, bathroom, kitchen and carpet deodorizer.
2. Hair Rinse
There’s a new hair craze on the rise and it relies on the simple method of using baking soda as a shampoo and ACV as a conditioning hair rinse.
Instead of spending loads on junk free shampoos and conditioners, this “no poo“ (short for shampoo, not the other stuff) method of hair care works really well and makes your hair super soft.
Thanks to the pH balancing effects that ACV has, anecdotal reports claim it can add shine, softness and break down build up from other hair products.
3. Dandruff and Thinning Hair
The high acidity and powerful enzyme in ACV kill the bacteria responsible for dandruff and hair loss, bottle bacilli, and stimulates our hair natural oils to secrete more effectively and moisturize our scalps better. I also recommend using coconut oil for a dry scalp treatment.
Saturate the scalp with ACV and let it sit for a few hours if you can, use the same treatment for thinning hair and itchy scalp.
4. Pets
ACV is a great remedy for repelling fleas from your dogs skin, it’s totally safe to use so you don’t have to worry about your pet getting sick from licking afterwards.
It works on pets the same way that it works on humans, reestablishing the proper acid mantle of the skin to repel microbes and other pests.
You can also add Apple Cider Vinegar to your pets food to keep a healthy pH balance in their gut and to prevent allergies, deter parasites, ringworm, ticks, fungus and other microbes from invading.
A 50 lb. dog would get about 2 tsp per day with food, and if you wanted to use ACV externally you could mix it 50:50 with water and put it in a spray bottle, saturating the dogs coat once per day (5).
5. Skin Toner
Most skin care products are on the alkaline side of the pH scale, some people try everything for their skin problems but nothing seems to work! The issue is most products are harming the acid mantle, a protective layer on our skin.
ACV is great because it’s acidity is closer to the natural pH of our skin, which keeps the acid mantle intact to do its job, protecting against germs and foreign bacteria which can be perpetuating the skin problem.
If you want to try ACV as a toner, just combine one part ACV with two to three parts water, you'll want to add more water for very sensitive skin.
Apply this concoction to your face after cleansing and allow it to absorb into your skin.
