Laurel of Leaves

getting back to my roots: my journey in true health and natural living

Natural Beauty

Apple Cider Vinegar Facial Toner

What isn’t apple cider vinegar good for? For real, this stuff is probably the answer to world hunger (or maybe this is, but I don’t pretend to know for sure). In the world of natural beauty sans toxic chemicals, apple cider vinegar makes an incredible facial toner.

Apple Cider Vinegar Facial Toner

Apple cider vinegar is naturally antiseptic and antibacterial, plus it helps balance the pH of your skin (which is actually supposed to be slightly acidic). I use this after I wash my face with honey. The smell is a bit potent at first, but don’t be dismayed! You won’t walk around smelling like a salad all day. The smell quickly dissipates. You can add different ingredients like brewed green tea or herbs to mask the smell, but it doesn’t really bother me. As easy as it is to make (which you’ll see below), I just don’t worry about anything extra.

Making Your Own ACV Toner

Step number one – acquire some apple cider vinegar. You want the good stuff. Trust me. Don’t skimp on whatever is cheapest at the store. You want raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar that is still full of enzymes, minerals, nutrients, and beneficial strains of bacteria (called the ‘mother’). My favorite by far is Bragg’s, but I also like Eden Organics.

Step number two – add your ACV to a small glass container mixed with filtered water. Start with a 1:1 ratio (50% ACV, 50% water), but you might find you need to dilute the mixture more based on the sensitivity of your skin.

Apple Cider Vinegar Facial Toner

Step number three – take a cotton pad or the corner of a washcloth and dip it into the solution. Spread evenly all over your face after washing it.

Apple Cider Vinegar Facial Toner

Don’t rinse it off, but just let it air dry, then finish with a light layer of coconut oil as moisturizer.

This toner is incredible for balancing your skin tone, getting rid of acne and pimples, and giving you that ‘glow’ – naturally! And did I mention how cheap this is?!

Have you ever used a natural toner like this one? If not, what are you waiting for?

This post is linked to Simple Lives Thursday, Fight Back Friday, Your Green Resource

  1. Rita

    October 6, 2012 at 2:17 pm

    I am in love with coconut oil and apple cider vinegar!
    I’ve been using this for over a month and people have been complimenting me on how clear my face is and how it glows!! I have been spending all this money on these facial products but never showed results! I have given those products away and only use coconut oil and acv as a toner! Works wonders and leaves my face feeling so clean and clear! Absolutely love it and highly recommend it! Thanks for the tip

  2. eve

    November 8, 2012 at 10:21 am

    do i have to apply sun screen after using the ACV as toner?

  3. jenn

    November 15, 2012 at 2:17 am

    Will it be fine to use retinol face serum after the toner? Will it affect in any way?

  4. AdeOla

    November 15, 2012 at 4:33 pm

    This is the next beauty item I am trying on my 1000Miles…First Steps journey to beauty naturally. I started using honey as a facial cleanser yesterday alongside coconut oil as a moisturizer. Changing my toner is next.

    Quick questions, any idea for a natural deodorant?

    BTW, I nominated you for a Versatile Blogger Award on my blog. Nothing fancy, but fun. Visit http://www.thousandmilesfirststeps.com/2012/11/the-versatile-blogger-award.html

  5. angie

    November 23, 2012 at 6:56 am

    may i know how long should i replace the toner inside the container? will it expire faster as it is being diluted? how long did u exchange yours? sorry for throwing out so many questions. btw, i m in love with natural things for my beauty regime too.

    1. Debi

      December 7, 2012 at 1:24 am

      the toner shouldn’t go bad (even if left unrefrigerated) because the acidity of the vinegar is enough to kill any bacteria that may get inside your bottle. That said, if it smells funny/different, throw it out.

  6. Natalie

    December 2, 2012 at 6:44 pm

    Sounds wonderful, my only concern is no one has mentioned outside of one older lady for use of acv toner long term use. I mean over year or so… After balancing the skin can we stop or use it several times a week or must it be used daily? I’m worried that our skin may become immune to it and stop working as effectively…something of concern from another post…but no one seems to mention the long-term affects of using it as a toner. I’ve tried washing the face with manuka honey but there has been no success at relieving the acne. The ACV toner does seem to bring the whiteheads to the surface and ingesting the ACV in a green tea has defineltly been great but I’d like to know about what happens when your skin has rebalanced itself. how do you know if your skin’s PH is rebalanced? Do you decrease the toner use or simply continue? If you stop does the acne come back? My understanding is Coconut oil works great but short term only so how do we make this work. Can you speak about long term use or anyone elses experience with long term use of daily acv toner? And or Coconut oil

  7. Debi

    December 7, 2012 at 1:20 am

    I made a mixture of ACV (organic unfiltered) and green tea (1/3 ACV and 2/3 GT) a few weeks ago, but it made my face REALLY REALLY red. I knew it would burn (as vinegar does) but it made my face look really really red and irritated. I mean, the last time my face looked that bad is when I used to use commercial facial cleansers in my teens. Now I use the oil cleansing method and a raw, organic honey mask (no soap, not even my homemade soap!). I assume my skin’s PH is well balanced as I don’t use anything that could up its PH (oil is slightly acidic like skin). If the whole point is to balance the PH of your skin after you clean it (assuming with soap or a commercial cleanser since they would bring your skin’s PH up), then is there a point to using it if you don’t use soap on your face? this is much like Natalie’s question (above).

    I would also like to comment on the “coconut oil dilemma.” From what I’ve read (and I’ve read a lot) online is that it makes some people break out and it makes some people’s acne disappear. Coconut oil seems to be generally great for the rest of the body including hair. I would recommend each person tries it for themselves. if you don’t like it, stop using it. I use extra virgin olive oil and shea butter in the winter for the face as both of these oils are well known not to clog pores or cause acne.

  8. Sandy

    December 10, 2012 at 2:18 am

    Something else to try. An alternative as a face wash is plain yoghurt. I just massage it into my face and wash off. Leaves skin feeling very soft. You can leave it on as a mask, while you are in the bath.

  9. Timna

    December 13, 2012 at 5:01 pm

    Hi,

    I am so glad I found this website, I am 24 and have been suffering with redness on my face, not really pimples, but redness on my cheeks my mom has it too roseacea I think, we are both into ACV, but to drink (btw no colds, no sickness nothing from either of us since) I never knew it could be used as a toner. I am so happy to find you can put honey on your face, my mom has two huge bottles of raw unfiltered honey she brought from puerto rico, when I say raw unfiltered its this beautiful dark honey. Smells wonderful as well. So excited as soon as I get off from work Im going to try it!!!

    Im going to definitely try the honey, just to see if it helps with redness, I have a good diet, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats etc. I love finding new things to try.

    THANKS

  10. Tina

    December 21, 2012 at 10:51 pm

    hi, i previously posted about acv aging my skin and since i’ve stopped using it, i’m looking younger again.

    since my skin is somehow sensitive to acv, do you think it would just be better for me to drink apple cider vinegar in my daily tea or something?

    thanks!

    1. Lori Winter

      December 26, 2012 at 3:03 pm

      Absolutely! It’s always good to listen to your body. And ACV has about a bajillion health benefits when taken internally as well. ;)

  11. Toni

    December 27, 2012 at 3:21 pm

    I found that a travel size spray bottle is the best to apply, with eyes closed of course. I use it all day long and my face is spotless. It took only a week to see good results and 3 months for a near perfect complexion. I love this stuff!!!

    1. Lori Winter

      December 27, 2012 at 4:31 pm

      Great tip! Thanks Toni :)

  12. Sophia

    January 21, 2013 at 2:39 pm

    Hi!
    I tried this and it made my face very red for a period of 10 minutes. It wasn’t itchy or burning at all just really red. Is that an allergic reaction of some sort or is that supposed to happen?

    1. Tina

      January 22, 2013 at 4:45 pm

      redness shows sensitivity. when i first began doing apple cider, i had diluted 2:1 (water:cider). it still made my face red at first. it only burns on open wounds and i have never had it itch ever! dilute it a bit more until you are used to it. then, you can dilute it a little less at a time to adjust slowly, but always dilute at least 1:1.

  13. Fel

    January 29, 2013 at 2:53 pm

    Lori! Just happened across your blog this morning as I was looking up apple cidar vinegar facial toners..i love this! Thanks so much for sharing! ACV is also a wonder for hair, too–did you know this? If you use it to rinse after you shampoo/condition your hair is legit styled for the day. amazing.

    look forward to reading more! :) xx Fel

    1. Lori Winter

      January 30, 2013 at 1:30 pm

      Glad you found me! And yes indeed – I use ACV in my hair every time I ‘wash’ it (I’m a no ‘poo-er). :-P

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  15. neka

    February 8, 2013 at 10:08 pm

    hi Lori, i have been using acv for three months now for acne and i only see a little improvement to my face. my face still has alot of breakouts, especially my chin. i want your opinion, should i keep using it? everyone has such great results but as for me, all i have is just more break outs.
    what do you think?

    1. Lori Winter

      February 9, 2013 at 2:32 pm

      Hi there,
      There is so much to take into account when it comes to your skin. Every person is different and our bodies are very holistic. What does your diet look like? Do you eat enough healthy fats? Have you cut out sugar and processed food from your diet? What about other chemical-filled skin care products? There’s a lot to consider and there is no magic ‘cure.’ But stay tuned for the ebook that I’m writing currently for more information and practical tips! ;)

  16. Andrea Merrigan

    February 17, 2013 at 3:18 pm

    Thanks for the great idea, I will have to try this out. I shared this post on my Weekend Wanderings post today: http://www.amodernhippie.com/2013/02/weekend-wanderings-21713.html

  17. huina

    February 18, 2013 at 10:10 am

    hai, may i know where can i get the ACV toner and the coconut oil?

  18. abc

    February 20, 2013 at 2:12 am

    Hello to all!
    I would like to share a few recipes too.

    for a face or a body scrub: take some white rice about 4-5 tbsp, 2 or 3 cloves, if you have the red lentils then add about 4 tbsp of that too. now soak these overnight in water. the next day remove all the water and make a paste of all the above soaked ingredients in ur blender.
    when u add the rice to this scrub, it can be slightly strong so make sure to be gentle when scrubbing your skin with it. but am very sure you would love this.
    to the above paste you can add raw milk or curd or plain water, two pinches of turmeric(antibacterial, gives sun protection, but do not use a lot as it can give a yellow tint to the skin which does come of after washing with soap), and honey, lemon juice… whatever you like. it works great. if used every day for a week or two you would see a huge difference in your skin. use it on ur face, neck both front and back and ur entire body. your skin would look clearer, bright and taut. in fact you will know right after the first application. it also takes care of blemishes or any pigmentation or blackheads.
    you can also use it like a mask, let it dry then scrub off gently. if you have dry skin type, use some olive oil and massage on it once dry to remove it and then finally rinse with water.
    to the above paste, you can also add curd, it works wonderfully on any skin type and especially on oily skin type.
    if you think think that the granules of rice feel harsh in spite of soaking in water then either reduce its quality or skip it all together.

    another simple face and body wash recipe: use gram flour mixed with either water,raw mild or curd as your face wash or body wash.

    hope you like them. please let me know how it works for you. am hoping you will be happy with the results.

  19. abc

    February 20, 2013 at 2:19 am

    forgot to add that you can use them morning and evening and then if u use coconut oil as a moisturizer it should not break you out. i have read a lot about this oil but could never muster the courage to use it on my skin as i have acne prone skin. i have tried the above mentioned skin care and it has worked very well on my skin.

  20. Edina

    February 21, 2013 at 5:10 pm

    Hi Everyone, I was just wondering if you think I could replace coconut oil with something else as a moisturiser because I really cannot stand the smell of coconut. Thanks for your advices anyway. I’m just about to try the honey mask :) wish me luck! thanks

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