How to Use Apple Cider Vinegar for Skin, According to Dermatologists

Apple cider vinegar has become one of the darlings of natural skincare. With purported benefits like brighter, clearer skin, can you blame anyone for risking smelling like a salad dressing if it means a better complexion? Even skincare experts agree that this fermented liquid can do great things for your skin. "Apple cider vinegar is not only famous as your favorite salad dressing and as a fat-melting elixir," says NYC-based dermatologist Michele Green, MD. "It also has lots of skincare benefits."

Because it can be found in your kitchen, the pantry staple may seem innocuous to try in a DIY skincare recipe. But before you go pouring the bottle all over your face, find out what skin experts have to say about the potential benefits and side effects as well as the best way to apply apple cider vinegar. (Hint: pouring the bottle all over your face is not recommended).

Below, find expert-approved ways to use apple cider vinegar for skin.

What is Apple Cider Vinegar?

Apple cider vinegar (aka ACV) is derived from apples and made by a process of fermentation. It comes in a liquid form and when used topically, it's commonly applied as a toner but can also act as a spot treatment. "[Apple cider vinegar] naturally has an acidic pH and can help balance the pH of the outer skin layer," says Joshua Zeichner, MD, Mount Sinai Hospital's director of cosmetic and clinical research. As a vinegar, it contains acetic acid, which has antibacterial and keratolytic properties, and it also contains malic acid, a gentle chemical exfoliant.

Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar for Skin

Although there's not enough scientific evidence to support most of the claims made about apple cider vinegar, in theory, its properties could potentially provide the following skin benefits:

• Balances the skin's pH: Because apple cider vinegar can help balance the pH of the outer skin layer, according to Zeichner, it may keep your skin functioning optimally—that is, doing things like producing the right amount of oil and dealing with acne-causing bacteria.
• Exfoliates: "Apple cider vinegar contains malic acid, which is similar to alpha-hydroxy acid," Green says. "Malic acid works well on acne-prone skin as it gently exfoliates to unclog the pores and eliminate bacteria."
• Fights blackheads and acne: According to Green, apple cider vinegar, which has antibacterial assets, can also be mixed with baking soda and water to exfoliate and help diminish blackheads.
• Improves hyperpigmentation: Green says the malic acid in apple cider vinegar may help clear up any hyperpigmentation issues like dark spots. "Malic acid is known for its ability to decrease the production of melanin," she says. "Melanin is what gives the skin its pigmentation; therefore, malic acid is great at improving hyperpigmentation." 
• May prevent and treat certain skin conditions: Thanks to ACV's anti-microbial and antibacterial properties, it may help prevent certain skin infections, including those induced by sunburn.

Side Effects of Apple Cider Vinegar

Because the chemical exfoliant malic acid is milder than most AHAs, Green notes that it's suitable for all skin types—just make sure to patch test any new products on your skin beforehand. Other components of apple cider vinegar can be irritating and drying to the skin, and studies show the acetic acid found in apple cider vinegar can cause chemical burns. An easy way to avoid this is just to dilute the formula more than is recommended if it ends up being too harsh.

How to Use It

Apple cider vinegar is very strong and, as we mentioned, can cause chemical burns. For this reason, it should always be diluted with water first before applying it to the skin—generally, a ratio of one part apple cider vinegar to four parts water. Consider incorporating it into your skincare regimen as follows:

• Apply it as a toner: "It’s a beauty product–saturated world we live in," says Sophia Roe, a natural-beauty expert, holistic chef, and member of The Vitamin Shoppe Wellness Council. "So many are using multiple cleansers, masks, etc. Over time, this can disrupt the skin's natural defenses." Once that happens, you open your skin up to things like breakouts and dry skin. "Using ACV as a quick toner is a great way to restore the skin's natural defenses, remove excess dirt, and help fight against acne,” she says. Cosmetic chemist Ginger King, CEO of Grace Kingdom Beauty, concurs. "It's been used as a toner due to its acidity," she says, "and dilution is recommended, especially for sensitive skin."
• Try it as a spot treatment: "Apple cider vinegar is remarkable at fighting acne-causing bacteria and helps to reduce the appearance of both pimples and scars," Valerie Grandury, founder of Odacité, tells us. Her recommendation is to use it as an overnight spot treatment by mixing a bit of it with a powder mask like Odacité Synergie Immediate Skin Perfecting Mask ($64) until it forms a poultice, then applying it to your blemish and leaving it on overnight.
• Make a DIY facial cleanser: While applying apple cider vinegar directly to skin is ill-advised, concocting a diluted solution of ACV with water makes for a simple yet effective DIY facial cleanser.
• Use it as an exfoliant: Thanks to the malic acid found in ACV, it's ace at gently exfoliating skin. To reap the most benefits, enjoy a bath soak with warm water and a cup of apple cider vinegar. 15 minutes is all it takes to get soft skin.

The Best Products With Apple Cider Vinegar

Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar $5.00

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A popular brand and available in any grocery store, Bragg's ACV is just your standard bottle of apple cider vinegar—good for drinking or use in at-home skincare remedies.

Boscia Resurfacing Treatment Toner with Apple Cider $32.00

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Made for people with oily and problematic skin, this toner is extremely potent thanks to its inclusion of not only apple cider vinegar but glycolic and salicylic acids. If you have lots of acne or need a more intense toner, this is a good option to look into.

dpHUE Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse $35.00

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Apple cider vinegar isn't the kind of ingredient that needs to be reserved for your face—this rinse from dpHUE is a beauty editor favorite. Although some choose to make their own rinses from ACV, this one is fortified with aloe and lavender meant to repair and cleanse the scalp. It also doesn't strip your scalp of the natural oils that keep it healthy.

Volition Beauty Apple Cider Vinegar Resurfacing Peel Pads $64.00

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Dermatological peels aren't one-size-fits-all, but when it comes to peel pads we too often forget that. Luckily, these apple cider vinegar-based peel pads are meant for every day, so they're gentle enough that if you have sensitive skin you can use them occasionally. You should start with once or twice a week, as the brand recommends, but if you have tougher skin you can go up from there.

Kristina Holey + Marie Veronique Intensive Repair Serum $90.00

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Marie Veronique is an esthetician-favorite brand and kind of a queen of serums. So her collaboration with skincare specialist Kristina Holey comes as no surprise but is exciting regardless. This particular serum contains AHAs, BHAs, and vitamins B5 and B3 to decongest your skin and bring it to tip-top shape.

Meow Meow Tweet Geranium Palmarosa Face Toner $24.00

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Meow Meow Tweet is another natural brand that picked up on apple cider vinegar's potential detoxifying, exfoliating, and anti-acne properties—which make it perfect for use in toners.

Graydon Face Foam $35.00

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This foam cleanser uses apple cider vinegar and willow bark to cleanse your skin gently but effectively and manages to balance the pH of your skin while doing so.