FAN MAIL FRIDAYS: Is Apple Cider Vinegar effective and safe to use as a toner?

Hey, hey, hey! It's Friday. Whoa, that week went by so fast. It's actually raining right now and I hope this doesn't get any stronger later in the day.

Today, we have a very interesting question from Rosella; this is also something that I've been itching to talk about too.

Hi Ms. Martha,
I have acne- prone skin and I've been reading that Apple Cider Vinegar as toner is one of the recommended solutions of beauty gurus for acne. I'm tempted to try it now because looks like it's effective because a lot swear by it, but I wanna know your thoughts about it first. I hope you can help me.
Rosella

Hey Rosella!

First of all, thanks for trusting my opinion on beauty matters; means a lot. I acknowledge Apple Cider's newfound stardom in the world of skin care, specifically among acne- prone skin types. I also acknowledge that a lot have seen success with it in skin care usage.

But beauty gurus are not dermatologists.

...unless some of them are licensed dermatologists, then there's probably some merit in their claims. But then again, there's a lack of research on ACV as a potential acne cure.

Apple Cider is a healthy product; no doubt about that. There's a lot of science backing up why it's good for the health and all that jazz, but when it comes to skin care use of food grade, pure Apple Cider Vinegar (doesn't matter if it's organic or not), truth of the matter is there's still a lot left to be researched on when it comes to its efficacy on acne and there's no solid, peer- reviewed, published research that backs up the efficacy of ACV on acne (I've spent a day reading and researching published journals and studies on ACV use in skin care, and I was only led to blogs and lifestyle/green websites, but hey, feel free to correct me).

But I can't discount the fact that a ton of people have had success with ACV as toner, right??? Hey, good for them. But there's also a saying that goes "What works for everyone might not work for you" and I've found this to be true over and over again, from real life experiences to experimenting with food- grade products as skin care.

Why do I caution thee on the usage of Apple Cider Vinegar as toner or as any form of skin care? Apple Cider Vinegar has a pH level of 2.3-3; relatively low pH compared to most types of vinegars, but nevertheless, acidic. You can argue with me that skin is naturally acidic, but not THIS acidic! Misguided, uninformed use of ACV as toner can result to bad chemical burns on the skin and much worse, severe acne. Also, one thing that stuck with me in a dermatology forum I attended years back is that whatever you put on the outside affects the inside; this means that your skin care can actually affect your health, trigger allergies, or clash with certain medications you are using; ACV can react with certain drug medications for diabetes and high blood pressure.

Besides, why would someone want their skin to reek of vinegar?

Not all that's natural is good for you; there's a reason why there is skin care because it has stable, skin- suitable formulas the will help with your problem. And if that doesn't work, see your dermatologist.

And that is my best advice for you to get rid of acne. ;)

**Got a burning question on beauty, makeup, skin care, fragrance, fitness, blogging, career, relationships, marriage, and everything in between? Email me at martha.stabarbara@yahoo.com, message me via Contact Form, or send me a message at THE BEAUTY JUNKEE OFFICIAL FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.