Using ACV as a “medicine” is certainly not a new phenomenon.  In fact, Hippocrates, the father of medicine, used ACV in 400 BC as a natural remedy for detox cleansing, energizing, and overall healing.  Later in 1958, Dr. D.C. Jarvis touted apple cider vinegar’s amazing curative abilities in his published book, Folk Medicine: A Vermont Doctor’s Guide to Good Health. So what makes this golden vinegar so potent, especially for eczema?

Properties of apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is made from fermentation of fresh ripe apples, in which sugar in apple cider broken down by bacteria and yeast.  ACV contains a myriad of essential vitamins and minerals including, pectin, beta-carotene, sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorous, sulphur, and iron.  ACV also contains lactic, acetic, and malic acids, giving it powerful anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.

Why apple cider vinegar is a good treatment for eczema

Apple cider vinegar is beneficial for eczema because of its immune boosting abilities due to the host of vitamins and minerals it contains.   Strengthening the immune system is one of the cornerstones to healing eczema.  Beta-carotene is a particularly important antioxidant which helps to improve the skin’s cell renewal process, firmness and overall skin health.  Potassium is important for alleviating the effects of allergies

The anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties are especially beneficial for combating dry skin and skin infections, relieving the skin from inflammation, itchiness, and dryness.

Apple cider vinegar may also provide indirect benefits by promoting regularity and improving digestion and elimination.  Pectin, the fiber in the vinegar helps to regulate blood pressure and reduce cholesterol.  It also helps the body maintain a healthy natural weight by breaking down fats.

Alternative medicine suggests that apple cider vinegar helps to restore a healthy alkaline/acid balance.  The theory behind alkaline/acid balance is our blood is slightly alkaline, with a normal pH level of between 7.35 and 7.45. Our diet should reflect this pH level and be slightly alkaline.  A body too acidic may manifest illness and disorders, including eczema.

Using apple cider vinegar as a natural treatment for eczema

You can receive the benefits of apple cider vinegar internally and externally.  To use ACV to treat eczema, do the following:

• Three times a day, 30 minutes before meals, Dilute 1 Tbsp of ACV in 16 oz. of tepid water.  You can add a little honey, maple syrup, or blackstrap molasses for taste.  If you absolutely can’t stand the taste of three large doses a day, you can add a tsp of ACV to your drinking water throughout the day.  Drinking with water is best, but another option is to add ACV to a fresh fruit or veggie juice.
• Add 2 cups of ACV to warm (not hot) bathwater and soak for 15-30 minutes, following up with a cold rinse in the shower for one minute.  You can take these baths 3-4 times a week for best results.
• For immediate relief from itching and dryness, make a well diluted mixture of ACV and water, mixing 1 Tbsp to a half cup of water. Apply the mixture to the affected areas several times daily.
• If you suffer from seborrheic dermatitis, create a diluted apple cider vinegar rinse and apply it on the scalp.  Leave the solution on the scalp for at least 30 minutes before rinsing from your hair.

Other tips…

• If you are using an apple cider vinegar solution on a child, make the mixture more diluted to prevent a burning or stinging sensation.
• Always use unfiltered and unpasteurized ACV.  This vinegar will appear to be dark and cloudy, with sediment at the bottom of the bottle.  You can easily found this type of ACV at health food stores, online, and some grocery stores.

Some cases of eczema (atopic dermatitis) are caused by a skin disorder that is a result of abnormal skin cell growth and turnover.  The epidermis, which is the outer layer of the skin is made up of moist, living cells and dry dead cells known as the stratum corneum.  The stratum corneum functions as a barrier, protecting the deeper layers of the skin from damage caused by infections and irritants and help to keep the skin from drying out.  When this barrier is broken down or damaged, the skin is no longer protected from irritants and may also lose moisture and become infected by bacteria.

Antioxidants are powerful treatments for eczema since they act as chemical scavengers, intercepting reactive molecules called free radicals before they have a chance to damage cells.   Free radicals are so dangerous because they not only kill cells, but also injures the cell and damage the cell’s DNA. When the DNA is changed, the cell mutates, growing and reproducing abnormally quickly.

Treating eczema with antioxidants may help prevent or regulate abnormal skin cell growth and turnover.

How to treat eczema with antioxidants

The most important antioxidants that are beneficial to helping eczema is vitamins A, C, E, and selenium.  Vitamin A is important for regulation of rapid turnover in skin cells, vitamin C helps to strengthen the skin, vitamin E helps to heal the skin, and selenium helps to detoxify heavy metals in the body.  The best way to get these antioxidants is by making sure that your diet is rich with this vital vitamins.

Foods rich in vitamin A:

• Carrots
• Yams
• Red bell peppers
• Liver
• Cantaloupe

Foods rich in vitamin C:

• Red bell peppers
• Broccoli
• Oranges
• Grapefruit
• Mango
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Green leafy vegetables

Foods rich in vitamin E:

• Peanuts
• Almonds
• Sunflower seeds
• Hazelnuts

Foods rich in Selenium

• Brazil Nuts
• Wheat germ
• Tuna and other oily fish
• Brewers yeast
• Sunflower seeds
• Cashews
• Lentils
• Shellfish

You can also take supplements for these particular antioxidants.  The suggested doses are as follows:  vitamin C, 1000 mg twice daily; vitamin E, 400 IU/day; vitamin A, 5000-10,000 IU/day; selenium, 50-200 mcg/day.  The best supplements are natural whole food supplements rather than synthetic man made.

Other Antioxidants for healing eczema

Grape seed and grape skin.  The antioxidant components of grapes are great for preventing formation of free radicals, which can be an effective treatment for eczema.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10).  CoQ10 helps the cells convert nutrients into energy, increasing oxygen when necessary, and reducing oxygen before it reaches toxic levels.

Green tea extract.  Green tea extract helps to boost the immune system and supports the kidneys.

Milk Thistle extract.  Helps to detoxify the liver.

Making sure that you intake an adequate amount of antioxidants daily may prove to be one of the most practical and sufficient eczema treatments.