Cleanse, tone, mosturise. These three skincare steps have been firmly planted in our heads. But is toning really a required step? The answer is no, not necessarily! But if you suffer with problematic skin, a natural toner can certainly help to treat, improve and heal your complexion. I used to always buy store bought toners for my skin, many of which are filled with alcohol (no wonder they smell so strong!) and the majority of which are filled with other unnatural ingredients. No toner has ever worked as well for me as a natural one, so now let me introduce my current favourite, apple cider vinegar!
If you’ve never heard of anyone using this on their skin, then I’m sure it sounds quite strange to you, but rest assured, it really does work wonders!
The benefits of apple cider vinegar applied to the skin
- Balances the PH levels of the skin.
- Reduces inflammation, making it ideal for use if you suffer from blemishes or psoriasis.
- Draws out toxins from the skin, leaving it toned and moisturised.
- Fades a number of marks on the skin, such as scars, hyperpigmentation, age spots, sun spots.
- Evens out skin tone.
How to apply ACV to the skin
- Always use apple cider vinegar diluted with water. I like to pour one small cap-full into a small glass/bowl, followed by roughly three cap-fulls of water.
- Make sure skin is well cleansed before applying the mix.
- Take a cotton pad and soak it in the ACV. Apply this all over your face (I apply it to my neck also). You may feel a slight tingling sensation, but this is perfectly normal. If you feel like it is burning, then you need to apply more water to the mix! Rinse off immediately to prevent irritation.
- I allow it to soak in completely for a minute or two, and then apply more. Repeat until you have used all of the mixture. Always follow with an oil or moisturiser, to lock in the goodness and retain moisture.
- As your skin gets used to the mixture, you can use a slightly stronger mix.
The question that’s probably in your minds as you read this is ‘doesn’t it smell awful!?’. Well, it does have quite the strong smell, as you can imagine, but thankfully the smell completely disappears once it has soaked into the skin and you follow up with an oil/cream.
I only use this at night, in case it makes my sun more sensitive to the sun. My personal preference of brand is the one pictured above, Bragg’s organic apple cider vinegar, but you can pick any kind up in a health food store. It’s extremely affordable and will last you a long time. so why not try this out and see if it works for you!
Sinéad X
Skindividual Blog 
I’ve used this for a while as a spot treatment which works wonders but I’ve just started using as a toner and already I really like it. It can be a bit drying but I’ve found it’s really helped those small under the skin congested spots that I could never seem to get rid of. It does make my scarring look worse at first but I’m hoping this will improve!
sheepishlyshameful.blogspot.co.uk
It should definitely improve, Charlotte! The skin can purge at first and scars can look a little worse but give it a few weeks and your skin will thank you for it 🙂 Just had a look a your website, love it!
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