problems with vinegar
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Mon May 30, 2011 1:48 am

I was desperate to clear my skin.. so I used vinegar but not apple cider vinegar. just vinegar and spent a whole day putting it on my face thinking it would help.. the next day it was horrible, the pimples that I had squeezed out were red and new little cuts appeared all over my skin, my skin is very dry and I tried calamine lotion, baking soda mask, polysporin and nothing works.. my whole cheek is a mess and I don't know what to do to get rid of the little cuts and redness... any suggestions?

free skin care · Mon May 30, 2011 2:53 am

What type of skin did you have before using the vinegar? It's definitely not a good idea to use just any type of vinegar - not only are certain vinegars not appropriate to the skin, they may also contain other ingredients that can be harmful. Even when people use ACV, they dilute it with water so it isn't as acidic. The best thing to do right now, is to let your skin heal and keep everything basic. Just use a gentle cleanser and a moisturizer and even a sunscreen if you have one that doesn't break you out. It will take some time, but your skin will eventually go back to the way it was.

Also, where did you read that vinegar would be beneficial to the skin? I've read about ACV is great, but not plain old vinegar.

Mon May 30, 2011 11:15 am

my skin is combination because it can get very dry or very oily.. I had tried vinegar with lemon before and it worked well but since I did not have lemon at the time I just used vinegar.. I am never doing it again.

free skin care · Mon May 30, 2011 11:36 am

Yes, it sounds like its the time to be as hands off and gentle as possible. Maybe aloe vera?

Just a note, I'm not sure what this "baking-soda mask" is that you used, but it set off some alarm bells with me. I've been told that its an extremely harsh thing to put on the skin at the best of times, so certainly when your skin has already been traumatized.

Anyway, try and relax, you'll bounce back!

free skin care · Mon May 30, 2011 11:40 am

michi123 wrote:

my skin is combination because it can get very dry or very oily.. I had tried vinegar with lemon before and it worked well but since I did not have lemon at the time I just used vinegar.. I am never doing it again.

Hmm doesn't seem like your skin type would benefit from the vinegar toner in the first place. Usually people with acne "resort" to it because nothing else really works. As LoriA suggested, you can use aloe vera as a moisturizer as it is very good for healing. But as I mentioned before, just stick to the basics for now with a moisturizer and cleanser.

free skin care · Mon May 30, 2011 1:51 pm

Regular vinegar wont do much for your skin both externally and internally. However, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, especially the raved about Braggs Organic ACV with the Mother, taken internally day and night will have noticeable improvements for your skin - less acne, reduced oil production, healthy complexion, and it has numerous health benefits as well (weight loss and reduce blood sugar levels keeping your cholesterol and LDL levels at bay).

Mon May 30, 2011 3:00 pm

LoriA wrote:

Yes, it sounds like its the time to be as hands off and gentle as possible. Maybe aloe vera?

Just a note, I'm not sure what this "baking-soda mask" is that you used, but it set off some alarm bells with me. I've been told that its an extremely harsh thing to put on the skin at the best of times, so certainly when your skin has already been traumatized.

Anyway, try and relax, you'll bounce back!

I read that it would peel off the dead skin and I thought it would be good to do this to get rid of the dead skin and then apply a gentle gel to heal... but my skin is still dry and peeling.. I can't wear make up or anything because it looks disgusting

free skin care · Mon May 30, 2011 3:15 pm

Vinegar, especially white vinegar is very acidic and undiluted it's not surprising it caused this reaction. I agree be very gentle with your skin and allow it to recover. Avoid any actives and just use gentle cleansing and moisturizing products until it does. My guess you disrupted the skin barrier and it needs to repair.

Properties of Vinegar - pH of Vinegar

The term "pH" is derived from "potential hydrogen" and refers to the amount of hydrogen ions present in solution.
Mathematically, pH is equal to the negative logarithm (base 10) of the hydrogen ion concentration in moles per liter, so if the pH of a solution decreases by 1 pH unit then its hydrogen ion concentration increases by ten times.
Pure water has a pH of 7 and is neutral whereas anything with a pH less than 7 is acidic and anything with a pH greater than 7 is basic.

The pH of vinegar depends upon how much acid is present, but most commercial distilled white vinegars contain 5% acetic acid and have a pH of about 2.4.
To put that in perspective, the following table compares the pH of vinegar to some other common solutions:

http://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com/properties-of-vinegar.html

Mon May 30, 2011 5:15 pm

do you think natural yogurt will work?

free skin care · Mon May 30, 2011 5:23 pm

michi123 wrote:

do you think natural yogurt will work?

Natural yogurt can be very beneficial to the skin. I would list out all the benefits but I'm sure you've already found out yourself which is probably why you're asking Laughing

But to back up how great it can be, take a look at this youtube guru's blogpost - she loves using yogourt

http://www.bubzbeauty.com/bubbi-likes/96-best-diy-mask-ever.html

But remember that not EVERYONE will have the same reaction to yogurt so just take caution and don't go overboard.

Mon May 30, 2011 6:54 pm

Although I haven't used any vinegar before, this thread indeed make me have an impulse to try some thing like apple cider vinegar. Smile

My friend said it's good too.

Mon May 30, 2011 8:08 pm

yes I've heard that ACV is very good but just don't try vinegar by itself it was a horrible mistake.. but I've been putting yogurt and oatmeal and it looks way better, it removed the dead skin and now it is pink in the process of healing, hopefully if I continue to apply this on my face it will get better and my boyfriend got me an aloe vera moisturizer to apply before putting on my make up =) thank you for your opinions..

free skin care · Mon May 30, 2011 9:08 pm

michi123 wrote:

yes I've heard that ACV is very good but just don't try vinegar by itself it was a horrible mistake.. but I've been putting yogurt and oatmeal and it looks way better, it removed the dead skin and now it is pink in the process of healing, hopefully if I continue to apply this on my face it will get better and my boyfriend got me an aloe vera moisturizer to apply before putting on my make up =) thank you for your opinions..

Very glad michi123 to hear your skin is on the road to recovery!!!

If anyone is interested there are some ACV toner recipes (diluted) in the index Havana put together, link following,

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=11902 Very Happy

free skin care · Wed Jun 22, 2011 1:41 am

Hi, it sounds like a chemical dermatitis on top of your pre existing acne. It should clear up on its own if you leave it alone. The normal skin ph is 5.5 and you should not put baking soda on it as it is too basic, and once again you will have a ph imbalance. Normally I don't think it would harm much, but now with your skin barriers broken, you would not cope with it very well. If it hurts a lot, you can buy hydrocortisone 0.5% over the counter and apply, but beware that hydrocortisone and steroids in general can make acne worse. Sometimes leaving it alone is the best policy, at least for 2-3 days, if it does not get better then maybe see your doctor, he/she will probably suggest a topical antibiotic like clindamycin for a few days (not more cause it creates resistance).

free skin care · Sun Jun 26, 2011 11:26 pm

I had suffered for warts infection on my scalp for over 3years.
Tried all sort of medicines inluding electro coagulation which a minor surgucal procedure for warts removal. It actually clears it but eventually came back in number.
I came across apple cider vinegar on the net when i was searching for remedy to my skin problem. Thank God after applying it on the affected surface for about two weeks every disappeared and never surface again.

free skin care · Mon Jun 27, 2011 9:54 am

cashmerelover, what does the term "too basic" mean when talking about ph?

I have to admit that for some reason I've never quite understood ph discussions. Just lazy I think.

free skin care · Mon Jun 27, 2011 11:20 am

LoriA, your skin is naturally acidic with a pH of around 4-6. Anything below a pH of 7 is acidic and anything above is basic. When a product is too basic, it means that the pH is above 7, which can compromise the acidic barrier that sits on top of your skin so that you'll be more prone to dryness and various bacteria that thrive on the skin.

free skin care · Wed Jun 29, 2011 9:27 am

Thanks! Honestly, after all the words I've come across on the subject I should at least/already be familiar with the terminology. Its gotta be a mental block!

free skin care · Mon Aug 01, 2011 2:41 am

IIt sounds like you have had an adverse reaction, what you can do next time is DIY the following formulation very easily:

1/2 combination of lemon juice and apple cider vinegar
1/2 Rose water (or just a basic hydrating toner)

It should resolved any adverse reactions this latest attempt occurred with.

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