So I’ve used apple cider vinegar (ACV) for rinsing my hair since I went natural. Usually one a week, all though I’ve stopped since I’ve started doing the “cherrylola treatment” So I tell you now that this post is not about hair.

It’s about my skin.

If you’ve been reading my blog you’ll know that I have super sensitive skin. (I also have a very sensitive internal system.) My skin wasn’t always like this. I had normal, oily t zone skin since adolescence and was always on the look out for something to stop the oil. 3 years ago, a product from L’oreal called Pure Zone was heavily advertised on TV. The claims were that zinc helped it reduce pore size and stop your face from getting oily. I bought the whole line. And destroyed my skin. The moisturiser in particular burnt the t-zone area, mostly the area around my nose and around my mouth and chin. It is in this area that women tend to get red and often, breakouts because of our hormones. I now know that zinc plays a big role in how progesterone and estrogen interact with each other. I’m not sure if this is why i had such a bad reaction to it but I’m guessing that it contributed.

Since then I have had seriously sensitive skin. Flaky and dry and yet oily too. Plus Eczema. I haven’t been able to use normal face washes. Anything with sulfates flare my skin up. Same with parfum. For the first year I struggled to ash my face until I decided to try Pears soap, which my mom has used for years. I found that this was a pretty decent way to get makeup off without irritating my skin too much. But it was drying. To combat the dryness I could only, sadly use Vaseline. Everything other cream I used burned. I tried oil: olive, almond, and coconut all to no avail. Even shea butter, which the rest of my body loves, set my skin off. Vaseline stopped the outbreaks for the most part, but clogged my pores. On the worst days I would use the steriod cream that the doctor prescribed, on top of the vaseline.

Last week, on another fluke, I decided to exfoliate my skin with a mixture of baking soda and honey, and followed with a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water, using the mixture as a toner. It has been eight days now and my skin is super smooth, the flaking is almost completely gone, no acne, and i can tell that my complexion is more even. For the last three days I’ve managed to put a frangrance free moisturizer on it and not vaseline!

I did a search online and a number of people have found that ACV is a great toner for skin prone to acne. So I thought I’d post about it, just in case anyone else is having skin problem. This just might work for you too! If it does let me know.

Recipe for Eczema Skin and Acne-Prone Skin:

Cleanser/Exfoilator
2 tablespoons of baking soda
1 tablespoon of raw honey (unpasturised)
1 teaspoon of warm water
Make into a paste. Wet face adn the massage the mixture gently on skin for a minute or 2. rinse thorughly.

Toner
1 Part apple cider vinegar
1 Part water
Splash on to face or apply with a cotton ball.  The vinegar smell will fade

Follow with a plain moisturiser if necessary