Apple Cider Vinegar uses for (HAIR, SKIN, WEIGHT LOSS)

Last updated: August 25th 2017

Apple Cider Vinegar, or ACV for short, has been used for centuries for health and beauty reasons, and in and around the home. The first records of the use of ACV date back to when ancient Babylonians first fermented dates back in 5,000BC. Later, apples were fermented and people experienced the many apple cider vinegar benefits first hand. A key natural remedy, many people use apple cider vinegar daily and naturopaths recommend it to their patients all the time.

Recent studies have shown that apple cider benefits and can improve a number of conditions, including:

● acid reflux
● high blood pressure
● diabetes
● obesity
● acne
● dandruff

What is Apple Cider Vinegar?

Apple Cider Vinegar is made from apple must (cider) and has a amber color. Commonly used in food preparation, it adds a unique flavor to chutneys, marinades, salad dressings and food preservatives. Manufacturers squeeze the liquid out of apples by crushing them and then adding yeast and bacteria to activate the alcoholic fermentation process, which turns the sugars into alcohol.

Upgrade Content: Recipes for Sauces & Dressings

Once this initial phase is complete, a second fermentation process converts the alcohol into vinegar using acetobacter (acetic acid-forming bacteria) which brings about the sour taste. The unique composition is the key to the wide range of apple cider uses we will discuss in this guide.

Who the Heck is the ACV Mother?

Organic, raw (not heated above 49°C/120°F), and unpasteurized ACV contains “mother of vinegar” and has a cobweb-like and slightly congealed appearance. This type of apple cider vinegar has not been exposed to any synthetic chemicals.

Mother of vinegar is an enzyme which settles at the bottom of the bottle. The mother is made up of fermentation byproducts and yeasts, and is extremely beneficial to your health.

It is thought that the name stems from the fact that Hippocrates treated many of his patients’ ailments using the mother of vinegar and honey, and this is what caused modern users to investigate the apple cider health benefits and uses.

 

 Apple Cider Vinegar Side Effects

Your ACV source and quality play a role in the safety of the product, especially if it is unpasteurized. Manufacturers generally don’t use the best apples for ACV, but rather those that fall from the tree. There have been cases in which apples used for ACV have been contaminated by cow dung, causing E. Coli infections.

That’s why I buy Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar, it’s organic, raw and contains the mother.

According to Webmd, it is ‘likely safe’ to consume ACV in food amounts, and it is ‘possibly safe’ for adults to use for short term medical purposes. However, ingesting large amounts of ACV could be harmful.

Cases in which people have consumed 8 ounces of ACV per day in the long term can lead to health issues, as it reduces potassium levels. Also, ACV has high acid levels and can cause burning and tenderness.

Experts recommend avoiding ACV as medicine during pregnancy and breast-feeding, and if you are diabetic and using apple cider vinegar, you should ensure that your blood sugar levels are monitored closely.

 

In the next half of this post, we will deal with some of the specific benefits of ACV for the hair, skin, weight loss, household and offer some helpful recipes.

Using Apple Cider Vinegar for Your Hair

Apple cider vinegar is great for your hair, as it:

Clarifies the Hair

Over time, hard water, chlorine and commercial hair care products leave behind residual buildup, which attracts dirt and grime. This buildup can leave your hair heavy, greasy, and unmanageable. Of course, you could use expensive clarifying shampoo, which also contains harsh chemicals.

Then again, why spend a lot of money when you could use apple cider vinegar? ACV gently strips the residue from your hair, including the minerals from hard water.
How To: Simply add 1/4 cup of ACV to two cups of water and massage it into your hair. Cover your head with a shower cap for fifteen minutes before rinsing your hair with cold water.

Detangles Your Hair

When your hair is damaged, raised cuticles will catch onto others, causing tangles and knots. If you have naturally curly hair, the problem will be exacerbated, because cuticles are already raised.

How To: Make your own detangler by mixing half a cup of ACV with 2 cups of water in a spray bottle. Apply the spray to a section of towel-dry hair before combing it out.
If your hair is badly tangled, you may apply a light coating of coconut oil to the hair before combing it. While the ACV seals the cuticles to prevent it catching, the coconut oil will lubricate the hair, easily untangling the worst knots.

Balances the Hair’s pH

Since your hair is naturally slightly acidic, the alkaline nature of hair products tends to cause follicles to open up, allowing moisture to escape, and leaving the hair dry, frizzy and dull. Additionally, imbalanced pH can also render it unable to stave of bacterial and fungal infections, dandruff, frizz, dryness, tangles and damage. Save money on expensive hair care products by using apple cider vinegar.

How To: After your normal wash and condition, mix a tablespoon (for short hair) or two (for longer hair) into a cup of water and apply it to your hair, leaving it in for a few minutes before rinsing.

Relieves Itchy Scalp and Dandruff

Bottle bacillus is the bacteria that cause itchy scalp and dandruff. These bacteria thrive when the scalp’s pH is imbalanced. As the follicles become clogged, dead skin cells and sebum accumulate, forming large flakes.

How To: Treat your scalp using half a cup of ACV and a cup of water. Massage this solution into the scalp, leaving it on for 15 minutes before rinsing it off using cool water. You may need to repeat this daily for a week or until all the dandruff has disappeared. You may also do a weekly maintenance treatment to prevent it from coming back.

Expert Tip: Add a few drops of tea tree oil for added relief and a lovely fragrance.

Helps Your Hair Grow Faster

People with thinning hair can stimulate hair growth by balancing the pH and clearing out clogged follicles, allowing them to produce hair again.

How To: Use a toothbrush to apply two tablespoons of ACV and 2 tablespoons of coconut oil into your scalp to remove dead skin cells before washing it as normal. Afterwards, rinse with equal parts water and ACV. Be patient to see results, as hair grows slowly.

Helps Remove Head Lice

You could use toxic commercial head lice treatments, or you could coat the hair with coconut oil before covering your head with a shower cap. Leave the coconut oil on for four hours before rinsing with half a cup of ACV mixed with 2 cups of water. Afterwards, use a fine-toothed comb to get rid of all the nits (lice eggs). You may need to repeat this every few days until all the nits and lice are gone.

 

Household Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar

More households are starting to go back to the basics, and opting for natural ways to do things around the house. Apple cider vinegar is a great tool for many household tasks.

Cleaning: A solution of one part ACV to two parts of water is an effective cleaner for glass, mirrors, kitchen surfaces, bathroom tiles, ovens and microwaves.

Flea Repellent: Include ACV in your pet’s diet by adding a couple of drops to their water. Alternatively, you could spray a 50% dilution onto the pet and onto furniture and carpets.

Fabric Softener: Instead of fabric softener, add half a cup of ACV to your wash to condition your clothes. This is particularly handy if you have skin sensitivities.
ACV Recipes

Ideally, you should buy organic apple cider vinegar. Although it is relatively inexpensive, you could also make your own ACV, particularly if you have access to lots of sweet red apples.

Here’s how:

1. Gather organic apples and give them a good wash.

2. Crush the apples and strain the juice through a filter if you have one, or a cheesecloth.

3. Pour the juice into glass containers for the fermentation process. Note: Do not use metal containers, as they can react with the acid, leaching unwanted compounds into the vinegar.

4. Add unfiltered apple cider vinegar or yeast into the containers. If you don’t have either, don’t worry – it will just take a bit longer.

5. Cover the container with a cloth lid only, as this will allow in the oxygen that is needed for the juice to turn into vinegar. You can place a rubber band over the lid to keep bugs out, while still allowing air in.

6. Store the container in a room with an ambient temperature of around 70’F and bright light for at least a month.

After a month, you could strain most of the mother out of the vinegar, as it will continue to ferment for as long as the mother is in the container.

Ideally, the acid content should be between 4%-6%, but it is not easy to control when you make your own at home. Don’t use homemade ACV for any purpose that requires a specific acid content for safety reasons.

 

This guide is by no means an exhaustive account of the numerous uses and incredible benefits of apple cider vinegar. As you can see, it is a must for every pantry. Do you use ACV? Have you experienced amazing results? Please do share your tips and results in comments below.