Apple Cider Vinegar from Head to Toe

Apple cider vinegar has been touted as a cure all for many centuries. I can attest to the fact that it does work for a number of health and beauty issues.

Apple cider is essentially pressed apples. Unlike juice, which has been filtered, apple cider still contains particles from the apple. Apple cider ferments and becomes hard cider, which is the alcoholic version. One more fermentation and we have apple cider vinegar, a cloudy, yellow-brownish liquid containing acetic acid bacteria. Frequently recommended unfiltered and unpasteurized, you can buy at most health food stores.

Here are suggestions for external uses of apple cider vinegar:

Dandruff, flakiness, and itchy scalp: Thought to be caused by an overgrowth of yeast, if you rinse your hair with a four-to-one solution (four parts water to one part vinegar), the vinegar essentially kills this fungus. The vinegar also helps to remove any product build up in your hair, leaving it shinier and cleaner.

Acne: Mix 2 tablespoons in 8 ounces of water and apply with a cotton ball several times a day directly to the blemish. The vinegar will reduce the inflammation and dry out the blemish, helping to clear it up quickly.

Sunburn: Applied full strength directly to the burned area, the vinegar will help reduce inflammation and cool the burned area quickly.

Body odor: Applied full strength, apple cider vinegar makes a great deodorant by killing the germs that cause odor.

Eczema: Applied as a 50-50 solution with water, apple cider vinegar will help relieve the itching and dryness associated with eczema.

Insect bites and stings: Applied full strength, apple cider vinegar will help reduce the inflammation, pain and itching.

Athletes foot and nail fungus: Soaking feet twice a day in a 50-50 solution of apple cider vinegar and water will eventually kill off the fungal infection associated with both issues. Treatment can take anywhere from two weeks to two months. Whereas anti-fungal medications are costly and hard on your liver, apple cider vinegar is relatively cheap and has zero side effects.