Treating Acne with Apple Cider Vinegar: A Transformation Story
In this article, we tell you everything about how to treat acne with apple cider vinegar.
Why is apple cider vinegar effective against acne?
Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid, which helps regulate skin pH and kill bacteria.
If you want to use apple cider vinegar to treat your acne, it's important to dilute it with water and test it on a small area of skin before applying it to your entire face. Here's our miracle apple cider vinegar recipe for fighting pimples and acne. The before/after results are quite impressive.
Recipe: Apple cider vinegar facial tonic
- Water
- Archie Apple Cider Vinegar
- A spray bottle (ideally glass)
- Option: 1 drop of organic tea tree or lavender EO
Dilute 1 part water to 1 part vinegar (or less depending on your skin's sensitivity). After cleansing, apply to your face.
Beating post-pill acne naturally. Quite a story, and yet, in hindsight, it wasn't such a complicated path. The discovery of apple cider vinegar had a lot to do with it! It's very difficult to discover, after the age of 25, that the quality of the skin you've always had isn't sustainable. It's as if, while on the pill, your perfect skin texture was living on borrowed time. When I made the decision to stop taking it, I had to learn how to manage the skin damage.
Post-pill acne: when apple cider vinegar changes everything
A personal experience
“I would like to stop it too, but I’m scared.”
There's every reason to want to stop taking these synthetic hormones, but with the expected rebound effect, it's understandable that there's reason to fear the transition to the other side. For my part, I stopped without any transition, a clean break. The first few months went by without a hitch, nothing to complain about. It wasn't until 2 to 3 years later that things got serious. Here's the story of this epic journey:
After unsuccessful attempts at following dermatologist prescriptions, drugstore creams, and medications, it was looking at my diet that really helped me. I was able to explore this avenue because I was becoming sensitive to every food I ate. There was clearly a problem going hand in hand between my stomach and the condition of my skin. “Active on the inside, it shows on the outside…” and all that. I decided to conduct my own experiment.
Step 1: Food and digestion
I was vegan for 7 years. However, I allowed myself at that time, and more recently, to eat cheese whenever I felt like it (morning, noon, and night). That was the first thing I stopped. I also started looking to see if certain foods were aggravating my acne. I discovered that I particularly broke out when I ate: soy, cashews, tomatoes, coffee, and last but not least: GLUTEN! Disappointed.
Role of Apple Cider Vinegar in My Acne
That's where apple cider vinegar came in. Certainly, when I stopped eating these foods, my digestion was a little better. What I noticed most was that when I took apple cider vinegar after eating them, I had absolutely no problem digesting them. No unwanted skin problems appeared either! So, no need to deprive yourself too much, no guilt to overcome post-pill acne naturally. This is the first reason why apple cider vinegar has never left me on a daily basis.
Step 2: Minimalist cosmetic routine
Every time I tried a new product, I listened religiously to the advice, from the pharmacist to the Sephora saleswoman (I was lost & every word counts). When I started to take an interest in apple cider vinegar, I came across mountains of articles praising its miracles on acne when used externally. You should know that the pH of apple cider vinegar is the same as that of healthy skin, and that unpasteurized vinegar contains good bacteria necessary for healthy skin flora and the fight against acne. Tim Ferriss' podcast (who also did his own experiments), talking about his acne and the importance of bacteria for the face came back to me. It clicked (see our article on apple cider vinegar and its bacteria).
Routine adopted:
By stripping my face I was removing everything, the good bacteria & the bad, so my skin felt bad and produced sebum to defend itself which also caused the appearance of my spots… That's what I understood. I prepared a facial tonic made of water + cider vinegar and I gave my skin time to do its job, knowing that I was giving it what it needed. From there, I undertook a minimalist bathroom operation.
When it came to soap, I kept it simple: I used Aleppo soap to remove my makeup and it was all done. As for cream, a magical exchange with my boyfriend changed my outlook on life:
“But you don’t need cream! Should I put cream on?”
– If I don't wear any, it feels tight, we don't have the same skin.
– Well, don't put any more on, you'll see, it will pull until it doesn't pull anymore.” …
Today it doesn't feel tight anymore. I only wash my face when I have makeup on or in the shower. When I do wear makeup, to avoid drying out caused by the not-so-clean foundation I use, I use this mixture as a base: jojoba oil (or black seed oil) + aloe vera. Perfect.
I admit it's sometimes hard to challenge the idea that women absolutely must wear cream and adopt a specific cosmetic routine. Personally, giving my vinegar and my skin's natural regeneration processes a chance was the best idea I've had for getting rid of my acne.
The little quirk I've kept is to make my cider vinegar + clay mask 3 times a week. It brightens and makes my skin so soft, I love it (that's also why we sell it ;-).
Step 3: Maintain over the long term
Today I know my skin. Every day I refine my knowledge a little more about what it likes and doesn't like. I know that my apple cider vinegar, which came into my life 3 years ago, will never leave me again, whether in my stomach or on my face. I know that during my period there will be 1 or 2 new little friends for a few days and a little more relief on my forehead, but that's okay. My skin is alive and it's clear enough for me. I don't forbid myself anything anymore, I know that the situation can be under control. I just avoid making my body work too hard unnecessarily.
Cosmetically, I've become impervious to the "clear skin" hype touted by cosmetics salespeople. I still give a lot of credence to vegetable oils and small beauty brands with clean formulas, however, but I use very little of them.
And now ?
If we count the whole process before I found my current routine? 2 years.
If we count from the moment I asked myself the right questions, started taking my apple cider vinegar and changed my diet? 2 days. The effects on my digestion were immediate and truly in 3 weeks I had regained skin that I was truly satisfied with.
I don't claim to have a miracle cure here. However, after 2 years of unsuccessful tests, research, and reading before finding my routine, I think I've grasped a few tips. So, if I can save time for those who will be passing by on how to overcome post-pill acne naturally, that's all that matters. I am convinced that 90% of the poor condition of our skin comes from internal imbalances, and that the benefits of collagen can also contribute to this, although everyone is different.
Today this topic fascinates me and I almost thank my acne for leading me to discover apple cider vinegar and to carry out all this exploration. I said almost…
*To date, there are no published French scientific studies on the benefits of apple cider vinegar. To address this information gap, Archie has formed a Scientific Committee dedicated to providing the greatest possible transparency regarding the benefits of apple cider vinegar.
