Of all the well-touted natural health remedies that exist today, very few are followed quite as religiously as taking a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar every day.
Apple cider vinegar has been hailed as a cure-all supplement, from allergy relief to weight loss.
Anywhere you look, you can find people who believe that drinking apple cider vinegar has helped them.
With all the benefits, it's hard to figure out what ACV is not good for.
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Take A Look: Your Cheapest Beauty Potion in Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar Uses That Will Change Your Life
1. Appetite Suppression
A 2006 study found that people who took doses of vinegar while eating bread reported feeling more full than people who ate bread alone.
While this study has been cited by those who believe in the health benefits of apple cider vinegar, it is important to note that it only tested 12 individuals, and the authors concluded that much more research was needed before firm conclusions could be drawn.
This study did not suggest that the way these people burned calories was affected.
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2. Detox Your Body (Inside & Out)
Use ACV in your bath. Add ½- 1 cup to your bath water along with Epsom salts and lavender essential oil for a relaxing and detoxifying bath.
3. Hiccups Be Gone!
I like using apple cider vinegar to get rid of hiccups—the sour taste of a straight teaspoon can stop hiccups.
4. Recover Faster from Exhaustion
Beat exercise exhaustion—lactic acid buildup in the body causes fatigue, while the amino acids in ACV act as an antidote.
Add a tablespoon to a glass of water after a workout.
5. Skin Tag Removal
People have been using vinegar as a natural remedy for centuries. Its acidic properties are thought to protect against infection, sterilize wounds, and preserve food. More recently, apple cider vinegar has become the vinegar of choice for everything from treating colds to promoting weight loss.
Some people believe that the acetic acid in apple cider vinegar can help to break down the tissue surrounding skin tags, causing them to eventually fall off.
6. Hair Detangler/Restorer
Create shiny, untangled hair by adding 1/3 cup ACV to 4 cups of water and pouring it over your hair after shampooing.
Leave it on for a few seconds and rinse with cold water.
7. Clear Sinuses
Since breaking up mucus is one of apple cider vinegar’s many talents, it also helps clear out the sinuses.
Since it’s antibacterial, it can also prevent a sinus infection or cold as well. Sip some water and apple cider vinegar to breathe a little easier.
8. Wart Remover
Over-the-counter wart removers are anything but natural. A trip to the doctor to remove it can be scary, painful, and leave a scar.
Instead, soak a cotton ball in apple cider vinegar and cover the wart.
Leave it covered overnight (I use a bandaid or medical tape) and repeat every night until the wart falls right off.
9. Energy Boost
Don’t reach for a chemical-filled energy drink if you’re feeling tired. Instead, grab a bottle of apple cider vinegar for an energy boost.
The potassium and enzymes in apple cider vinegar help to give you a pick me up. Just add some ACV to a glass of water.
I like adding it to my water during a workout to prevent fatigue.
The amino acids in apple cider vinegar combat lactic acid build-up that can happen after exercise.
10. Lowering Cholesterol Levels
A successful study was done on rats but has yet to be replicated in humans.
The study found that rats on a diet with an acetic acid supplement had lower cholesterol levels than rats without the acetic acid supplement.
Acetic acid is one of the ingredients in apple cider vinegar and many other kinds of vinegar.
For those who believe in the health benefits of apple cider vinegar, this study is promising.
But there are other things to consider before assuming that the findings will be true in humans — primarily that there are key differences between the metabolism of rats and humans.
The study authors recommend that the next trial be on hamsters, which break down fat in a way that is more similar to humans.
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11. Diabetes Management
A few studies have found that apple cider vinegar helped in the management of diabetes; however, these studies are also limited by their small size.
One study, which found that taking vinegar at bedtime reduces blood sugar levels the next morning in people with type 2 diabetes, examined only 11 people.
Another study found that taking cider vinegar might have some effect on insulin sensitivity in some diabetes patients, but that research, too, was limited by the small number of people being studied.
12. Hair Restorer
Apple cider vinegar has long been used as a natural hair care product to promote healthy hair in both men and women.
Its acidity is close to that of natural hair, it's a good conditioner and cleaning agent and it's also an effective germ killer.
As a result, apple cider vinegar uses and benefits for the hair include:
- Vinegar hair rinse
- Hair Herbal rinse
- Essential oil vinegar hair rinse
- Dandruff and itchy scalp relief
- Natural hair loss treatment
- Home Remedy for head lice
Take a Look: Apple Cider Vinegar for Your Hair
13. Teeth Whitener
Yellow teeth are no match for apple cider vinegar.
For stubborn stains, rub apple cider vinegar directly on your teeth then rinse with water.
Be careful not to do this too often, as it can break down tooth enamel.
For a less abrasive whitening mouthwash, mix one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar with a cup of water, then swish around in your mouth.
Researchers are still involved in new studies about apple cider vinegar which may soon offer more information on how this really works.
Here are more home remedies for a popular household product.
6 Incredible Uses For Witch Hazel
It's not alcohol or peroxide, but what is it? That was the question I asked when I found out about witch hazel.
It sounds like something from the old days but I never really knew what it could do for your body.
Once I found out, I saw witch hazel in a whole new light and started using it almost daily!
Witch hazel (which has the species name Hamamelis virginiana), a type of plant native to North America, is a member of the Hamamelidaceae plant family.
Sometimes also called winter bloom, the leaves, and bark from the plant are used to make a skin-healing astringent that’s capable of naturally reducing acne, blisters, insect bites, poison ivy, inflammation and much more.
It goes back to being widely used for medicinal purposes by American Indians.
Now, many more people swear by it too. Here are some of the favorite uses for this wonder product:
1. Acne fighter
As a natural home remedy for acne, applying witch hazel to acne-prone skin can help slow down inflammation, redness, oiliness, and bleeding.
As a natural cleanser, it’s capable of reducing bacteria growth on the skin and speeds up the time needed to heal infections or scabs.
Another benefit for sensitive skin is that it reduces the look of pores (although no product can actually shrink pores) and helps stop excess oil production, sweating, and development of blackheads or whiteheads, which can contribute to embarrassing breakouts.
Instead of opening up a pimple and making the problem worse, apply witch hazel directly to the skin wherever you notice a zit forming or tend to break out.
It’s even more effective when used in combination with other antibacterials like tea tree oil, coconut oil or apple cider vinegar.
Apply witch hazel with a clean cotton ball up to several times per day anywhere you experience irritation, starting slowly and giving your skin time to adjust.
2. Reduce Puffy Eyes
Puffy eyes are another common skin problem that many people face, it can be caused by allergies, stress, overindulging in alcohol, sun exposure, cigarette smoking, and many other factors.
The next time you wake up and find yourself with puffy eyes, be sure to have some witch hazel around, and you’ll have a quick fix for that problem.
Witch hazel is known to tighten skin, which helps reduce under-eye baggage and puffiness.
Just soak some cotton balls with witch hazel, and apply it to closed eyes.
Let it remain for five minutes or so, allowing it to soak into the skin.
Repeat one more time for severe puffiness.
As it can be more effective if it’s cool, storing your witch hazel in the refrigerator is a good idea, particularly if this is the main reason you plan to use it.
3. Hair Cleanser and Scalp Protector
Use witch hazel on your hair to help reduce oil buildup — which leaves your hair shinier, healthier and more volumized.
It’s also great for removing hair odors, helping with an irritated scalp, or speeding up healing from any bites or acne at the base of the neck when you’re prone to sweating.
One study conducted by the Center for Dermatology and Disease in Zurich, Switzerland, found that shampoo containing
witch hazel extract helped soothe patients’ irritated scalps, redness, itching and inflammation.
After testing the effects of witch hazel on 1,373 patients, a percentage of patients reported improvement in symptoms and better tolerance of other hair products.
Add several drops to your shampoo or make your own hair wash using coconut oil, argan oil, witch hazel, and other cleansing essential oils like lemon or orange oil.
4. Makeup Remover
For a gentle, all-natural make-up remover try using a quick witch hazel recipe that combines oil and water.
- 2 tablespoons witch hazel
- 2 tablespoons oil such as almond, extra virgin olive oil or jojoba
- 2 tablespoons filtered water
- 1-2 drops tea tree oil (if you are making the cloths)
For the solution itself, just combine the witch hazel, oil and water in a bottle and shake before each use.
Use a round cotton pad or cotton ball soaked with the remover to remove makeup.
5. Eczema Soother
If you’re suffering from eczema, witch hazel can help with that too, thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties. It not only helps stop that incessant itching, but it improves symptoms like scaling, redness, burning and even scarring.
One study found that patients with eczema who were treated with witch hazel on one arm, and a non-steroidal cream on the other over three weeks, experienced just as effective relief in improving symptoms with the witch hazel as compared to the cream.
Simply apply witch hazel onto affected areas of the skin twice a day.
6. Hemorrhoid Healer
Witch hazel also acts as a hemorrhoids home remedy. You can apply witch hazel water to the skin to help lower pain and inflammation caused by uncomfortable hemorrhoids.
It’s useful for relieving itching, irritation, bleeding and burning from hemorrhoids as well.
Most experts recommend using hazel water (Hamamelis liquid extract diluted with water) up to six times a day on irritated skin or after every bowel movement.
(BONUS) Underarm Dark Spot Remover
Witch hazel can also be used as a natural deodorant that also doubles as a dark spot remover under your arms.
To use it instead of your regular stick or aerosol deodorant, pour a generous amount onto a large cotton pad and dab liberally underarms, letting it dry before dressing.
For those with thick underarm hair, using witch hazel in a spray bottle to thoroughly penetrate the hair and reach the skin may be necessary for effective odor control.
