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the only reason ACV balances out our skin is because almost all the products we use on our faces are alkaline, so using something acidic would def. balance it out. I'll research it some more.
Hi !
😀 You're both absolutely right 😀
The Baking soda is basic in nature and therefore the skin needs the ACV to neutralize that.
I only use the baking soda in the morning right after I've cleansed..hell, you can even just add the Baking soda to your cleanser and lather, then wash off immediately after; it will be gentler for your skin. The point is that the (basic) baking soda is only on your skin for 10-15 seconds, whereas the ACV is left for the rest of the day and nourish it really nice throughout the day. Another benefit of the Baking soda is that it draws out the dirt and sebum of whiteheads/blackheads and kinda acts a bit like a clay/zinc mask would do.
I use ACV 50/50 and applies with a cotton ball and leave it to dry. Then a add my BP and let it dry and then ( if needed) I add moisturizer.
In the evening I cleanse normally (no baking soda), then add the egg white/lemon mask. Leave it on for 10 mins and wash off with plain tap water (no cleanser, just water). Then i add ACV and let it dry. Then BP and let it dry...And then I'm off to get me head down 🙂
For the egg white mask I only use the white and throw out the yolk. Then I add a little squeeze of fresh lemon ( you can also use a few drops from the concentrated lemon bottles, but don't overdo it). Then I whip it to a froth and ..voila.. A really nice timesaving trick is to put the eggwhite and the lemon in a little Tupperware box/tumbler with a tight sealing lid, and then you just shake it like a madman for half a minute and you got a nice and frothy mask that is absolutely awesome. Plus, the mask in your little Tupperware container can be put in the fridge and the remaining eggwhite/lemon can be used for a couple of days 🙂
Hope this helps
How long does it take you to do all that everyday?
I will try it some other day Yes, thank you. :angel: How long does it take you to do all that everyday?
Well, it takes approximately 2 mins to make the mask. And when finished it lasts for 2-3 days, if you keep it refridgerated. The mask I leave on for about 10 mins, or until it feels dry/stiff. You can definately tell when it's time to wash off because your face gets really rigid/stiff. And remember I only do the mask at night. It's not necessary to do the mask every night; consider it a "beauty supplement", which tightens your pores and gives you a nice "finish" and some minerals incl. proteins..lots of 'em..I've never had a facelift (don't need one...yet :)), but I reckon this is how it would feel after a facelift.
The baking soda takes 10 seconds after I've washed my face in the morning. Just mix some water and a teaspoonful of BS and apply to your face as if you were washing it again. Don't scrub..just smear it around your face and wash off with water.
ACV I put in a little "schnapps" glass and mix with water and apply with a cotton ball. This takes 30 seconds. I leave it on until it's absorbed/about 5-10 minutes. Then I add BP and wait for 3-4 minutes ( I'm not too 'anal' about the waiting times..when the BP seems to be absorbed I apply moisturizer).
So..To sum up, I'd reckon I spend a total of 20 minutes in the morning, incl showering ( Cleansing and baking soda is done in the shower, btw..)
In the evening I spend about 15-20 minutes also (due to the mask). On evenings where I don't use the mask it takes 5 minutes in total.
So even if it sounds like a lot, it's not really that timeconsuming...I agree that when I first red about this regimen, I thought :"Jaysus, this'll take for-bloody-ever" :wacko: ..But it's actually not that bad 😀
I have done most masks except the egg white one .. I will find a recipe for a mask with ACV
No sweat 😀 let us know if you find the ultimate one.. 😀
I'm sure you can use just the egg white alone.. the lemon is mostly for the citric acids (AHA), I think..
Anyway, you should REALLY try the mask..It's full of protein and good stuff, and I've never tried a mask like this before..It's beyond comparison to some of the outrageously expensive masks I've bought over the years..
But it's your call.. 😉 I hope you can dig up a nice ACV mask somewhere. Good hunting 😀
I didn't really mix it too well. So I think my ACV:water is 70:30.
Any hoo, it stung and made my face red. The redness still hasn't gone away. Hopefully it'll be gone tomorrow.
Gonna use ACV and egg white + lemon mask with differin and moisturizer and see how things go. Pretty easy to make and put on.
Egg white really makes your skin smooth and you can store it in the fridge for a few days.
haha, thanks for asking rebecca, my skins doing great. it's so much easier to cover up the red marks because they've faded significantly. plus, the oil-free skin is a really great byproduct. your skin (from your gallery pics) are looking really nice, esp the right side!! acv really does work.. picture proof right there. look at all these people trying it!! it's great.
question: do you think i can pop 1-2 aspirin in for a bottle that has enough ACV toner for a week? is that a good ratio, or do you think it's excessive?
2 or 3 aspirin would do fine .. i added one just to see what it would do I can't say for certian if it has done anything but I will add 2 more.
I can't believe how much money I've wasted on products over the years, when an inexpensive ACV does many jobs @ once. So, I've been using ACV a few days now and I can't believe the difference. I had a really bad zit for about 3 weeks and BP wasn't even budging it. I use ACV and it is healing so fast now. I had a few other active zits that popped up about a week ago that are healing much faster than usual as well. I am thrilled!!! My makeup goes on so much smoother also!!!
Thanks for all your posts, Smashing Pumpkin, they help so much!
Just curious though about the difference in Organic ACV, because mine is just a No-Name brand that I bought for under $2 and It's working beautifully.
Great info on our skin's pH and how it influences acne - long but should read it!
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The Importance of your Skin's pH
Hormones, Sweat glands and pH
The pores of our skin are made up of a combination of oil and sweat glands (sebaceous and sudoriferous glands) helping to keep our skin healthy and elastic. An excessive sebum secretion is often associated with oily skin and acne. This is particularly common in adolescents as the increased levels of sex hormones stimulate sebum production and secretion. When in balance, the combined excretion of oil and sweat from the skinžs pores has a pH of about 5.5.
The Acid Mantle, Age and the importance of the skin's pH
This slightly acidic layer, also referred to as the …œAcid Mantle?, is our bodyžs first defence mechanism against bacteria invading it and is not a favourable environment bacterial growth to occur. This defence layer develops at puberty, which is why children are more susceptible to disease, viruses and fungal infections such are ringworm. The pH of childrenžs skin is closer to neutral (pH 7).
At puberty, however, we start to produce more hair on our bodies. Hair follicles have an associated sebaceous gland or glands which become active as hair growth increases, causing changes in the skinžs pH. The hormones that control sweat also become active and the whole surface of a teenageržs skin is totally different to that of a young child. This is our bodyžs way to increase our defence system.
The pH of normal, healthy human skin is somewhere between 4.5 and 6. However, this varies with age. Typically, newborns have a pH closer to neutral (pH 7) that quickly turns acidic in order to protect young childrenžs skin.
In the late teens to early 20žs, our Acid Mantle is well developed and provides good protection against potentially harmful, external environmental factors. Our skin usually looks healthy, heals quickly when injured and seems to take care of itself.
With increasing age however, the skinžs pH becomes more and more neutral, and thus more susceptible to bacterial growth. This reduced acidity kills fewer bacteria than before, leaving the skin susceptible to bacterial growth and infections. The skin weakens as a result and begins developing problems with increasing age. (Interestingly, the pH value rises beyond 6 when a person actually suffers from a skin problem or skin disease.)
The aging process of the skin causes biochemical changes in collagen and elastin, the connective tissues underlying the skin, which give the skin its firmness (collagen) and elasticity (elastin). The rates of loss of skin firmness and elasticity differs from individual to individual, depending on their genetic makeup, general health, over exposure to the sun, skin care regime, or lack there of, and other factors.
As the skin becomes less elastic, it also becomes drier; the underlying fatty tissue begins to disappear resulting in the skin beginning to sag. Our skin is less supple, and wrinkles begin to form. At this stage, our skin is more easily injured, heals more slowly and tends to dry out more quickly.
The role of pH in Acne
As outlined above, the skinžs pH is important and maintaining a slightly acidic pH of around 5.5 is critical.
The skinžs pH value is one of the major contributors to acne and other skin problems. Propionibacterium acnes is a bacteria that normally lives on the skin and is a normal bacteria found in all persons regardless of the presence or absence of acne.
However, in individuals prone to acne, the number of P. acnes is greatly increased. It has been found that the growth of this bacteria is very much dependent on the pH value of the skin and its growth is at its minimum at the normal skin pH of 5.5. A slight shift towards the alkaline pH would provide a better environment in which it can thrive.
Importance of the skin's pH: Do's & Don'ts
One of the major culprits that radically alter the pH of the skin, is soap. Ordinary, commercially available soaps are highly alkaline (pH range 9-11) and raise the skinžs pH to be much more alkaline. This can be adjusted by using products such as the Wild Herb Toner or Milk of Roses Toner, depending on your skin type. These toners restore normal pH of the skin and thus provide an environment not conducive to the growth of bacteria. In addition, soap dries out the skin, because of its high alkalinity.
Thus if you choose to use a commercially available soap, you must restore the pH of your skin to prevent loss of moisture and the excessive growth of bacteria. It is important to remember that this applies to the entire surface of your skin, not just the face.
Instead of using ordinary soap, you need to use products such as the Skin Renewal Gel from Wildcrafted Herbal Products, which cleanses your skin, removing dead skin cells and leaving your skinžs pH as it is meant to be. Following this with the use of a Toner will close the open pores, preventing blackheads and loss of moisture from the skin.
Other factors influencing your skin's pH
Another factor that helps in regulating your skinžs pH is the presents of microflora on your skin. Staphylococcus epidermis is involved in the breakdown of fatty acids, and is therefore partly responsible for the acidic pH of skin. The use of ordinary soap, not only changes the pH of the skin to be more alkaline, effectively removing the protective acid mantle, but also kills the bacteria responsible for creating, at least in part, the acidic pH of your skin ‚ a double whammy.
It is therefore of great importance to have a good skin care regime in which high quality, natural skin care products are employed. There are a couple of simple steps to take before buying a particular brand of natural skin care products.
- Identify the skin type(s) on the face. There are usually two or more. One skin type is usually isolated to the T-Zone (forehead and nose), the other applies to the rest of the facial skin.
- Carefully select your natural skin care products. It is not good enough to choose products, which add natural ingredients to an otherwise non-natural base cr’‚¨me or lotion, as is the case in many supermarket brands. READ the label carefully, ask questions and if you are buying the products on-line, make sure there is a guarantee that allows you some time to evaluate the products before they need to be returned for a refund.
- Also, look for ingredients you can not pronounce. For example:
- 1,4-dioxane
- 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (Bronopol)
- Alcohol, Isopropyl (SD-40)
- Ammonium Laureth Sulfate (ALES)
- Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (ALS)
- Anionic Surfactants
- Benzalkonium Chloride
- Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA)
- Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT), just to mention a very few. There are hundreds, yes hundreds more. This type of ingredient is not a natural ingredient and should not be in your skin care products.
- Look for manufacturers that have qualified herbalists or naturopaths on staff. These people generally do not support the use of artificial ingredients because it goes against everything they teach their patients, friends and family. ‚ For the most part, itžs a pretty good indication that the products are pure and natural, when natural therapists are in charge of the formulation of the products.
Your skin is not replaceable and is one of the most important organs with many major functions and roles to play in your health and well being. Look after it, invest in it. It will pay you back many fold and you'll radiate the benefits.
smashing pumpkins you dont have acne and I cant see any of those marks or even that one whitehead you noted, be happy with yourself and dont obess over little things
I have red marks first of all and second I grew out of my acne and most of it I get from hormomes. Thirdly, is there something wrong with helping people? This is what has been improving my skin and many other's skin. You should not come into a thread and start accusing people especially when you knwo nothing of their background. Lastly, I still have oily skin and maybe my skin isn't so bad I need acne but is that a reason for me not to help others? ACV has imrpoved my skin texture, it's ability to heal faster, and less oily skin. It is hard to take any pictures of my red marks seeing as they are healing very rapidly and msot of the time I forget. Not only that my camera is 4 years old it isn't that great and my shirt altered the pictures and I didn't realize it until I put them on the computer. I guess you aren't for helping people, I guess it is hard for you to understand that some people actually enoying helping others, and if I can make atleast one person benefit from this regimen then I am happy and know atleast I tried.
