Take this skin quiz to find the best ingredients for your skin and build your skin care routine.
Take The Skin Quiz
You may have read some DIY skincare ideas that include using apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar, or cider vinegar, is a vinegar made from fermented apple juice. Yes, it is usually used as an ingredient in delicious salads and sauces, but did you know that apple cider vinegar contains potassium, antioxidants, and amino acids, all of which can be beneficial to the health of your skin? It also has antibacterial properties.
Diluted apple cider vinegar can be used in DIY face cleansers and acne treatments, due to its natural antibacterial and antifungal properties. It has also been used as a folk remedy for some types of dermatitis. It could help combat acne caused by bacteria build up within our pores and around microscopic breaks in the skin. Apple cider vinegar also contains a natural antihistamine, called quercetin. Some dermatologists therefore recommend apple cider vinegar rinses to reduce breakouts associated with acne.
There is still a lot of research underway exploring the use and effects of apple cider vinegar as a skin care ingredient. Pure apple cider vinegar can cause chemical burns when applied to the skin in some people, so we don’t recommend using pure apple cider vinegar in a DIY skin care regimen without specific guidance from a dermatologist.
Pores are itsy-bitsy openings in the skin—and there are millions covering every millimeter of skin. There are two types of pores with different functions: sweat pores and oil pores. The sweat pore allows moisture, produced by sweat glands, to exude out to the surface of the skin, where it helps to cool the body in response to heat, exertion or fever. Sweat pores are so tiny, they are mostly invisible to the human eye.
The oil pore, on the other hand, is a bit larger. Oil pores are also known as hair follicles because these pores produce oil from the sebaceous glands, but they are also the openings from which hair emerges. The oils help to keep our skin and hair healthy. It is the oil pores that can get clogged with sweat, debris and other gunk, causing acne, blackheads and whiteheads. Sweat pores rarely get clogged, as they are so tiny.
Benzoyl peroxide is a topical agent for fighting bacteria and unclogging pores. It is one of the longest-used medications to keep pores clean and healthy. Jojoba oil and rosehip oil are also good for reducing inflammation, fighting bacteria, and keeping in moisture for healthier skin. Ingredients that help exfoliate dead skin cells and increase new skin cell production, such as Vitamin A/Retinol, glycolic acid, and salicylic acid, are good for keeping pores unclogged as well.
apple cider vinegar may be effective for clogged pores, but there are many other factors that may affect whether this ingredient would work on your skin or if there are better ingredients that may work for you. Take this skin quiz to find the best ingredients for your skin and build your skincare routine.
Next: Does BHA (beta hydroxy acid) work on acne scars ?