You’re probably no stranger to vinegar, be it of the red wine, apple cider, or balsamic variety. In fact, you probably reach for the trusty ingredient at least once a day, for all intensive salad purposes. What if we told you that the acidic liquid is good for more than just leaf-drizzling, though? Turns out, vinegar may be just as valuable of an addition to your beauty regimen as it is to your salad bowl. We’re showing you five new ways to use vinegar and how to incorporate the condiment into your daily beauty routine. Ready, set, hit the pantry!
1. Skin Savior
Sometimes (ok, almost always) glowing skin like Jessica Alba‘s above seems an impossible feat. Some of us tend to be super oily while others get uber-dry. Finding the right products for your face can be hard and also wildly expensive. Thankfully, vinegar is cheap and with the right combinations, it can serve a purpose for all, no matter the skin type.
For the oilier among us: make a half-apple cider vinegar, half-cool water mixture and apply to the face. The combination acts as an astringent, making the muscles tighten and restricting the secretion of oils.
For the drier among us: combine equal parts vinegar and hand cream and apply to the hands and body to improve chapped skin.
2. Manicure Manager
Don’t you just love when you spend $15 dollars on a manicure and it chips within four hours? Not quite. Outsmart the mani experts with this pantry-inspired trick: mix two teaspoons of vinegar with 1/2 cup of warm water, then soak fingernails in the solution for one to two minutes (before painting your nails) to make polish last longer.
3. Hair Cleanser
We’d kill for Blake Lively‘s locks, but we’ll go the route of at-home hair repairs rather than violence. Vinegar is known to be a healthy hair helper in more ways than one. Some suggest applying a few drops of a vinegar/water mixture to cleanse the scalp post-shower in order to help clear out the debris left behind by our shampoo and conditioning agents. Another up-top use for vinegar? Dandruff removal. The antifungal properties in apple cider vinegar can help remove the flakes when combined with warm water and sprayed (from a bottle) at the roots. Double whammy.
4. Teeth Whitener
Does your smile shine as bright as Beyonce’s, above? Her pearly whites match her to-die-for jumpsuit and we are jea-lous. Alas, enter vinegar once again. For stain and bacteria removal (and thus a whiter smile), simply gargle apple cider vinegar before brushing your teeth in the morning. It may not taste minty fresh, but your teeth and gums will thank you by shining a bit brighter.
5. Deodorant
It’s no nectarine/white ginger Dove product, but apple cider vinegar may be a better choice of deodorizer, since the kitchen staple doesn’t have the same potentially-harmful effects of antiperspirants, which block the natural production of sweat. Dabbing apple cider vinegar under your arms is one way to avoid commercial deodorants if you’re nervous about their consequences. The slightly-sour smell of the vinegar fades once the liquid dries under your arms, and thereafter absorbs and neutralizes whatever natural odors are emitted from those nooks and crannies.
