4 Reasons You Should Add Apple Cider Vinegar to Your Next Bath

POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. BeautyLeeBar gets a small commission, whenever you lovely beauties purchase an item directly from the links that are provided in this post, past posts, and any other posts after this. However, this DOES NOT change the price or the value of the product(s) that BeautyLeeBar recommends. I repeat, this DOES NOT change the price or value of the product(s).

Is there anything apple cider vinegar can’t do? It’s one of those kitchen staples, like baking soda or lemons, that has so many benefits—from cooking to cleaning to everything in between. But it’s not just household tasks that can benefit from its magic. Apple cider vinegar also does wonders for the body. Simply add some to your bathwater next time you require a soak, and you’ll be amazed at what it does for your skin, hair, and even your joints.

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Benefits of an Apple Cider Vinegar Bath

I firmly believe that apple cider vinegar is a miracle worker that really does do it all, but for it to work, you need to buy the raw, organic kind. Unfiltered and unpasteurized ACV (with the “mother” of live organisms) still contains the vitamins, minerals, and probiotics that are so beneficial to the body. Simply look for a brand like Bragg’s, or head to your local health food store to find the raw stuff. Then hop in the tub and soak away.

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Here are just some of the things an apple cider vinegar bath can do:

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1. Relieves common skin issues

ACV naturally kills bacteria and yeast on the skin, which can be helpful for people suffering from dry skin, eczema, dandruff, or yeast overgrowth. Because bacteria doesn’t stand a chance around the pH of vinegar, it can also help clear up acne when applied to the face and body. ACV also contains the gentle exfoliant, malic acid, which can help remove dry, dead skin cells and leave fresh, vibrant skin in its place.

2. Soothes inflammation

Vinegar contains acetic acid, one of the components of medications such as aspirin. It can help ease sunburn pain, itching, and inflammation. Soaking sunburned or inflamed skin for 30 minutes can help calm the redness and irritation, so it heals faster.

3. Restores pH balance

Our skin is naturally acidic, but some common bath and body products make our skin a little too alkaline, which can lead to dryness and eczema. Because ACV is acidic, it can help restore our skin’s pH balance, which helps reduce dandruff and makes skin feel soft and moisturized.

4. Eases pain

Applying apple cider vinegar topically is also said to help with muscle and joint pain. If you’re a runner or if you simply suffer from sore knees, take an ACV bath regularly to soothe pain and nurture your joints.

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The Best Soothing Herbs for a Bath Soak

To boost the skin-soothing effects of apple cider vinegar, choose flowers and herbs that calm inflammation, and promote relaxation. You can add them to the bathwater directly, or wrap and tie them into a bit of cheesecloth, like when you are making a broth, to soak in their essence. Another way to use them is to brew a concentrated tea, strain, and then swirl into the bathwater—still nice and hot.

Here are a few flowers and herbs to try:

Lavender

Lavender has been used for centuries to relax jittery nerves, calm any feelings of anxiety [source], and soothe aching muscles. 

Rose Petals

A powerful mood booster, rose can moisturize, protect skin from oxidative damage [source], and soothe those itchy and flaky areas. It has also been shown in one study to help joint pain symptoms in patients with arthritis [source]. If you don’t have any roses in your garden or can’t find rose petals, feel free to use rosewater instead.

Peppermint

Peppermint is said to disinfect and calm inflammation [source]. But since peppermint oils have a tingling effect, it’s best not to use it on sunburned skin.

Chamomile

Often used in tea for its calming effects, chamomile has a similar effect on skin [source]. It’s especially soothing for itchy, irritated skin. 

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Calendula

Calendula has antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties, which makes it useful for soothing eczema and relieving irritation [source]. 

Rosemary

This medicinal herb has known therapeutic benefits. The many compounds within it have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties for the body, but they are also known to have beneficial effects on the emotions [source]. One study showed rosemary’s ability to provide relief of physical and mental fatigue in those with health issues [source].

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DIY Apple Cider Vinegar Bath

To reap the benefits of ACV, you can simply add some directly to bathwater. But to really kick things up a notch, why not try combining it with an anti-inflammatory ginger bath soak?

This apple cider vinegar bath is ridiculously easy to make, and chances are you already have everything you need in your kitchen. The Epsom salt helps to relax tired muscles and ease aches and pains, while the baking soda draws toxins from the body. The ginger has a thermogenic effect, which helps raise your body temperature and induce sweating for toxin elimination.

And last but not least, add some flower petals. While it doesn’t aid with the detox, flowers help make the whole thing look nice!

Apple Cider Vinegar Bath FAQs

Can I add oat flour or any flour substitutes to my apple cider vinegar bath?

Yes, definitely! Ground rice flour, oat flour, or even coconut milk powder would be great in this bath soak. I recommend adding about 1/4 cup to the mix.

Can I add essential oils to my bath instead of herbs?

It depends on the essential oils you use. Oils like lavender, frankincense, tea tree, and sandalwood oil can be an excellent addition to your bath. Dilute the essential oils with a carrier oil such as sweet almond or jojoba by combining 6-9 drops of essential oil to 1 tablespoon of carrier oil.

Read this article for more information on essential oils and how to mix CBD with your essential oils..

Can this be used in whirlpool tubs without affecting the jets?

Yes, it can. But, I would still check with the manufacturer and see if anyone has the same tub as you and see if they ever used essential oils and flowers to see their results. Or you can always research it, YouTube has become my best friend lol. If you’re still worried about it messing up your tub or your pipes, it’s better to be safe than sorry and just skip it. 

How much soak/vinegar should I use per bath?

I recommend using the whole thing: approximately 1 cup each of Epsom salt and vinegar. If you’d prefer, feel free to use less and store any remaining soak in your bathroom cabinet for up to a month.

How often should I do an ACV soak?

Soaking 1–2 times a week is considered safe. If you have sensitive skin or if you notice skin irritation getting worse, it’s best to take a break or consult a doctor. 

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Other Beauty Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar

ACV shouldn’t just be relegated to the bath. You can also use it to clarify hair, clear up dandruff, and exfoliate dry skin. 

Apple Cider Vinegar Bath Soak

Vegan Gluten-free · This apple cider vinegar bath will soothe tired muscles, reduce inflammation, restore your skin’s pH balance, and detox the body. Add some fresh herbs for an anti-inflammatory healing boost.

Equipment

  • Small jar
  • Measuring cup

Materials

  • 1 tbsp Ginger, ground
  • 1 Rose petals or herbs, Dried (Optional)
  • 1/4 cup Baking soda
  • 3/4 cup Epsom salt
  • 1 1/2 cups Apple cider vinegar, raw
  • 1 Essential oils

Instructions

Combine everything except the vinegar in a jar and set aside.

Fill the tub with warm/hot water and add apple cider vinegar. Then add the entire cup of salt bath soak and stir with your hand until completely dissolved.

Notes

Hop in the tub and soak for at least 30 minutes. When you’re done, gently blot skin with a towel to remove excess water, and let the vinegar sink into the skin as much as possible. Now is a great time to apply moisturizer to seal in the benefits.

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As always, this is not personal medical advice, and we recommend that you talk with your doctor. POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. BeautyLeeBar gets a small commission, whenever you lovely beauties purchase an item directly from the links that are provided in this post, past posts, and any other posts after this. However, this DOES NOT change the price or the value of the product(s) that BeautyLeeBar recommends. I repeat, this DOES NOT change the price or value of the product(s).

THANK YOU FOR READING. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE CONTINUOUS SUPPORT 🤍

BODY CARE HACKS WITH KYNCARE

In our latest edition of BeautyLeeBar hacks, we’re sharing ways to shortcut your body care routine. The reality is that sometimes there’s just not enough time to apply our tried and true regimen. In these cases, we can rely on fast tweaks that still bring solid results. Scroll down below to find out body care tips on how to get better smooth skin by using Kyncare

WHAT IS KYNCARE: KYNCARE is a brand that was created by Kyndall Sands who is an Artist and a YouTuber. She created this brand for those who are struggling with Eczema but couldn’t find reliable products. Of course, Eczema is the main reason that KYNCARE was born but if you have dry skin, really if you suffer from troubled, problematic skin then this brand is definitely for you.

Below we’re highlighting eight resourceful body tools and tips to adopt for healthier, smoother skin. Maximize your time with the body care hacks Team BLB swears by below.

• Apply moisturizer while the body is still damp from the shower. This locks in moisture, and applying lotion to damp skin takes half the time rubbing it in.

Kyncare OATS + HONEY BODY CREAM ( $18 ), is a thick, creamy, and luxurious body lotion that makes dry skin a thing of the past. Creamy oatmilk, honey, and almond come together to create this comforting scent. The fragrance doesn’t irritate the skin and doesn’t cause any breakouts.

• Use coconut oil as a shaving cream. It’s all-natural and leaves skin smooth and moisturized.

Kyncare COCONUT CREAM BODY OIL ( $12 ), heals chapped skin. Coconut Cream Body Oil uses Avocado oil to hydrate & moisturize your skin all day, and leave you with the long lasting scent of creamy coconut. You will be smelling like a snack all day and night!

It gives a cool summer beach vibe; very light and smooth on the skin. Primp Tip: Combine the Vanilla Body Butter Cream, it is AMAZING!! You will feel like you are on a tropical paradise island drinking a Pina Colada ❤

• If Lee tries out a serum or cream for her face but doesn’t necessarily love it, she’ll use it on her body so that she’s not being wasteful.

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• Use lotion on hands and feet and wrap them in socks for 20-30 minutes. It will heat up the moisturizer so that it penetrates deeper into the skin. The result: hands and feet that are soft, smooth, and ready to be touched.

GARDENIA BODY CREAM( $18 ), has a subtle, floral blend of gardenia and delicate jasmine. The type of cleanness and freshness that you will feel on the daily and nightly is unexplainable. Before you dip your feet into all that goodness, make sure you exfoliate exfoliate exfoliate. GARDENIA FOAMING SUGAR SCRUB ( $12 ), is formulated with sugar and foaming whipped soap, the sugar scrubs will leave your skin feeling fresh & smelling delicious! Lather onto a loofah or between your hands and buff onto the skin. It makes you smell edible & the consistency of the scrub is light a fluffy, not too rough, but still exfoliating. Love it! The packaging is cute as well. 10/10 recommend.

• If you’re going out at night and showing skin, use body oil for extra glow—and you can add a dollop of a liquid highlighter to the oil for seriously sexy skin.

PASSIONFRUIT SPLASH BODY OIL ( $12 ), uses Avocado oil to hydrate & moisturize your skin all day, and leave you with a long lasting tropical smell. This body oil is very light and smells like heaven. It feels amazing especially after a nice bath. Try pairing this with Gardenia Body Butter! It is the best combo ever! These two scents compliment each other very well.

• After applying your daily sunscreen to your face, make sure to wipe the remainder on the tops of your hands and chest. These areas get overlooked, but they’re in desperate need of SPF too.

• To naturally get rid of ingrown hairs, exfoliate, then use a dry brush, and a tweezer.

PINEAPPLE MOISTURE SCRUB ( $16 ), slough off dry, dead skin & leave your skin feeling ultra moisturized and baby soft. Kyncare juicy moisturizing scrubs are perfect for those who want exfoliation AND silky skin even after leaving the shower.

• Always wash your face and body after you condition your hair so you don’t have lingering product on your skin.

Lee didn’t find many reviews on this brand but from the videos that came up, all of the feedbacks were positive and uplifting. She will be going back for more, can’t wait to see what new products are going to be in the KYNCARE catalog! Each jar is handmade in small batches in-house so be patient and read the directions carefully.

Have you purchased from KYNCARE? If so, what was your experience like and what did you get? Comment Below!

Dry Hand Tips

If you’re constantly washing your hands and using sanitizer around the clock, your hands are probably dry AF. While it’s important to wash your hands as often as possible, it can wreak havoc on your skin. Your skin is your body’s first defense against bacteria, so you need to ensure you keep your hands hydrated. Cracked, dry hands and damaged skin means a weakened skin barrier, which makes it easier for germs to enter.

Fortunately, we’ve got some easy solutions so you can say goodbye to dry hands, for good!

Find a Nourishing Hand Wash

Many celebrity dermatologists recommends avoiding bars of soap as they can seriously dry out your skin. They explains, “Soaps have a special molecule that finds oils and strips them from the skin. We need our natural oils for retaining moisture.” Therefore, trade-in your traditional soaps for a nourishing hand wash instead. We’re currently using the Bath & Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soaps, $8.50, as they’re infused with essential oils, as well as vitamin E to nourish and clean the skin. Plus, they foam into a rich lather that smells so good – it makes washing your hands feel luxurious! Another hydrating soap that’s a little more boujee is the Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Wash, $52. The formula boasts orange, rosemary, and lavender essential oils to cleanse and restore the skin.

If you already have a liquid handwash, you can try adding in a tablespoon of coconut, olive or grapeseed oil, which will help to lock in moisture while you wash. After you wash your hands, try to follow with a moisturizer almost immediately.

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Use Oils

If you don’t have any hand creams use oil instead and massage it into your hands. Our favorite oil to use is extra virgin olive oil, a recommendation we got from Julia Roberts. It’s super-hydrating and packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and fatty acids that help hydrate while repairing damaged skin. It’s also suitable for all skin types and is anti-microbial. If you don’t have olive oil in your cabinet, you can use coconut oil (our go-to DIY oil), or any other oil.

If your hands are super dry, create a DIY hand mask by massaging oil into your hands, then put on a pair of plastic gloves. If you don’t have gloves, you can wrap your hands in clingwrap. Try to leave them covered for up to an hour for super soft, hydrated skin.

Apply a Rich Cream or Balm

As you can probably guess, applying hand cream RN is essential. In fact, we’ve gotten into the routine of applying lotion immediately after we use hand sanitizer. You can also keep hand cream next to your sink for easy access after hand washing.

Look for a hand moisturizer that contains rich, hydrating ingredients like shea butter and oils like apricot and avocado oil, as they’re packed with natural goodness that will help seal in moisture and repair the skin. Here are three of our faves:

soft hands

Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion, $16.26: While this may not be the most luxe hand cream on our list, it’s a household staple. The fast-absorbing formula is clinically proven to heal dry skin within five days. Plus, it doesn’t leave your skin feeling greasy or tacky.

L’Occitaine Honey Harvest Hand Cream, $29: This hand cream leaves our skin feeling so smooth! The rich combination of shea butter and honey hydrates while strengthening the skin, helping prevent future moisture loss.

Kiehl’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve, $28: This cream is infused with sesame oil, avocado oil, and olive, which are all packed with essential fatty acids to nourish and repair dry skin.

Check out more of our all-time fave hand creams here.

What’s your fave hand cream? Let us know in the comments below.

These $10 Face Scrubs Will Leave Your Skin SO Soft!

Exfoliation is easily one of the most important parts of your weekly skincare routine – it helps buff away dead skin to keep blackheads under control and keep your skin feeling smooth and soft. That being said, you need to be careful, because if done too often or too hard, you’ll risk over-exfoliating, which can lead to breakouts and general redness and sensitivity.

Our latest drugstore discovery is the L’oreal Smooth Sugars Scrubs, and we unexpectedly fell in love with them. The thing is, sugar scrubs can be notoriously harsh, which is why we often recommend them for body-only exfoliation. However, the new offering from L’oreal is exfoliating without being too harsh, and we were seriously impressed with the results. The three formulas that we tried combine three types of pure sugar – brown, blonde, and white – and each is concocted with cleverly-chosen ingredients to target different skin concerns.

For Oily Skin Prone to Blackheads: Purify & Unclog Kiwi Scrub, $10

With real kiwi seeds to smooth skin and reduce blackheads, the gel-like texture of this scrub doesn’t feel harsh as the sugars gently melt into the skin. The addition of peppermint essential oil, a natural antibacterial and anti-fungal, soothes the skin and helps control bacteria that can lead to breakouts, while lemongrass essential oil helps purify the skin.

The formula smells amazing and feels gentle on the skin – be sure to be light-handed with any exfoliators as the harder you scrub, the more you’re likely to damage your skin and the fragile skin barrier. We recommend using this a maximum of three times a week.

For Dry to Normal Skin: Nourish & Soften Cocoa Scrub, $10

This divine, chocolaty-scented scrub is ideal for those with dry patches or normal skin. Mixed with the trio of sugars is finely-crushed, antioxidant-rich cocoa, antibacterial and hydrating coconut oil, and nourishing cocoa butter. Post-scrub, your skin will feel moisturized and smooth as a baby’s bottom, without that tight or itchy feeling that some exfoliators can leave.

Add warm water to soften the sugar particles for a buttery texture that melts into the skin (don’t forget to do your lips as well), then admire how bright your skin looks after. Follow with a hydrating toner to remove any residue.

For Normal or Dull Skin: Smooth & Glow Grapeseed Scrub, $6.50

Packed with vitamin E to protect and promote even tone, grapeseed oil nourishes and soothes your skin while moisturizing monoi oil protects the skin. The addition of acai powder, and the fact it smells so good may make you want to eat it, but the vitamins and minerals are just as good topically for your skin as they are for your tummy.

Again, be gentle when you’re massaging this into your skin. As you add warm water, you’ll feel the sugars dissolve while the natural oils soften the skin and give a major post-exfoliating glow. We love that you can use this on your lips as well.

Primp Tip: We recommend using a gentle cleanser before using your preferred scrub and then following with a hydrating toner on a cotton pad. Continue with your essences, serums and moisturizers to ensure your skin stays hydrated, but avoid using any other exfoliating products, like toners that contain AHAs or retinol. Use these scrubs a maximum of three times a week and be prepared to see your skin glow.

Have you guys tried these scrubs? Let us know in the comments below!