15 Ways Vinegar Is a Secret Health and Beauty Hack
Before you run to the nearest drugstore to spend money on health and beauty products, reach for the vinegar in your cupboard.
Get rid of greasy hair
Vinegar is not just for the kitchen; it gets grease out of oily hair! Simply shampoo your hair as usual, rinse, then pour ¼ cup vinegar over it and rinse again.
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To preserve that amazing color you got at the salon, rinse your hair regularly with white vinegar to seal the hair cuticle.
Fight foot fungus and odor
Let’s face it: No one likes to talk about it, but foot fungus happens. Before you head to the doctor, give this simple home remedy a try. Soak your feet in white vinegar once a day for a few days. If it doesn’t clear up, it’s time to seek professional help.
A vinegar bath will also help tackle foot odor.
Make your own dry shampoo
Between washes, vinegar can help revive hair. Add 1 teaspoon vinegar to 2 cups water in a spray bottle, and spritz onto your roots.
Bring back beautiful nails
If you have an unsightly nail fungus that makes you want to hide your hands or feet from view, you’ll love this tip. Soak your nails in a mixture of 1 cup vinegar and 2 cups warm water every day for 15 minutes. The acid in the vinegar will attack the fungus, leaving you with lovelier nails.
Take the sting out of jellyfish
The acid in vinegar can soothe the stinging and pain caused by jellyfish venom. Some research has found that it can actually prevent the release of more venom as well.
Be prepared by keeping a small container of vinegar in your beach bag.
Cool sunburned skin
To ease sunburn pain, rub vinegar on the affected area with a cotton ball or soft cloth.
Prevent swimmer’s ear
If you or your children are prone to swimmer’s ear, a bacterial infection of the ear canal, take this precaution when enjoying time in the pool, ocean, or lake: Dab a solution of 1 part vinegar and 5 parts warm water into each ear three times a day. The vinegar will ward off bacteria and keep ears pain-free.
Cheap and easy denture cleanser
Here’s an effective method for cleaning dentures that works just as well as the expensive tablets: Soak them overnight in a solution of one part white vinegar and one part water. The acidity of the vinegar fights tartar buildup and removes stains.
Stop a nosebleed fast!
Just dampen a cotton ball with vinegar and plug the nostril. The acetic acid in the vinegar cauterizes the wound.
Soften cuticles
Prep for manicures and pedicures by soaking your fingers and toes in a bowl of white vinegar for just 5 minutes.
If you plan on applying nail polish, prepping with vinegar may help the polish last longer.
Banish bruises
Are you one of those people who seems to get bruises from every simple brush or bump? You can speed healing of simple bruises with vinegar! It helps dissolve the pooled blood that causes the bruise by enhancing blood flow. Simply soak a cotton ball in vinegar to create a compress and apply to your skin for up to 30 minutes. Gently massage the area as you apply, if it feels comfortable. Use twice a day and rinse after each application.
Cure hiccups in seconds
So many supposed “cures” for hiccups get shared. But the only one many experts stand behind is downing a swig of vinegar. The dosage: Just a teaspoon of any kind of vinegar (though some say apple cider vinegar is more palatable). You can mix it in a bit of water, as needed. Exactly why it works hasn’t been discovered, but it’s suspected that it somehow calms the spasms that bring on hiccups.
Soothe insect bites
Is the itch driving you crazy? Dab the area with a cotton ball soaked in vinegar.
Skip this remedy if you’ve already scratched the area raw. Remember, scratching will only make the itch worse and slow healing.
Enlist to help fight lice
While it won’t get rid of lice on its own, white vinegar can make it much easier to remove those sticky eggs, called nits. Vinegar works by dissolving the sticky solution that secures the lice eggs to your hair. Then you can use a special nit comb to remove nits from the hair. Mix equal parts white vinegar and water, then dip the nit comb into the mixture. Repeat dipping the comb as needed.
Be careful not to get vinegar near the eyes.
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About the Author
Bruce Lubin and Jeanne Bossolina-Lubin are the proud parents of three boys and more than a dozen books. After saving thousands per year using everyday tips and simple lifehacks, they started their own business in the hopes of sharing their knowledge with others. They have been known to go into their friends’ refrigerators to turn their eggs upside down so that they last longer.
