Apple Cider Vinegar: Miracle Cure?

Some time ago I blogged about my recurring (and life-long) skin conditions. Mostly, I have suffered with moderate-to-severe eczema, chronic contact dermatitis (I react to most things I touch!) and severe cystic acne. Dealing with just one of these conditions is enough to keep you busy, but having all 3 of them for the majority of my life has been rough. Some days I didn't even want to leave the house--and I'm a highly social person!

Over the years I've tried many home-remedies, doctor's prescriptive treatments and infomercially-touted cures for my various skin ailments. I've also kept home-grown aloe vera on hand for the secondary stinging and itching that these conditions can cause. Typically, this stuff either worked in small, unremarkable doses or simply not at all.

However, when I posted over at AlphaWomen about my invitation to take part in a clinical study for my eczema (to which I eventually opted out of), I received some encouraging comments and helpful suggestions. One of these suggestions came from my new friend and fellow Alpha Woman Danielle, a.k.a beautymark75.

Danielle suggested I dab apple cider vinegar on the itchy spots, and perhaps even consider ingesting a teaspoon a day. It had worked for her in a similar situation.

At first I was hesitant and spent several days in consideration of trying it out. I mean, have you ever smelled apple cider vinegar? Whew... not something I'm looking forward to translating into a taste, let me tell you. Also, there seemed to be little bits of something floating around in the bottle. I don't like floaties in my Diet Coke, so I was pretty sure I wouldn't like them in my medicinal liquids, either. It wasn't faring well for the vinegar.

But, desperate for something (I was suffering a great deal with my eczema at the time... awful splits and cracks on my fingertips that made even typing painful) I decided to go for it. I consulted with Danielle and eventually added it to the juice 'cocktail' I was currently taking every morning. I'd already been drinking 6 oz. of grapefruit juice every morning with a 1 oz. shot of pure aloe vera gel (loaded with lots of its own helpful properties), so it was a no-brainer to just add a teaspoon of the apple cider vinegar to the concoction. Furthermore, when my fingers would get itchy, I filled the cap with the stuff, dipped each finger in and then poured the rest into my cupped hand and did a 'wash' with it, without rinsing. (The smell evaporates pretty quickly.)

Well, that's been 3 months ago now, and--although I hate to use the word 'cure'--my eczema is GONE! I mean gone as in it D I S A P P E A R E D! Finito! Hasta la vista itchy fingers!! Good-bye to bleeding fingertips that made it painful just to touch my husband. Good-bye to my worries about meeting someone new and having to shake hands. Good-bye to a band aid on every finger!!

I am so excited about this! Scott's trying to be all clinical, figuring I have an internal PH issue or something that the vinegar has addressed. Quite frankly, I have NO idea why it has worked the way it has, but I really don't care!

It was a gradual improvement, but each little bit was so noticeable to me that it was easy enough to keep track of. Within the first month of 'treatment', my eczema didn't worsen; by month 2 my fingers were all healing, with only minor irritations every 3 to 5 days; this month I have no new eruptions, no itching, nothing.

I've done some research and discovered that medical professionals are concerned with long-term use of vinegar (white or otherwise) because of the acetic acid. However, new studies (as recent as 2006) are revealing that apple cider vinegar can actually help to improve blood pressure and lower cholesterol.

I've also been dabbing it on my face whenever I notice something trying to flare, and--whether simply a coincidence or not--I have managed my acne much better, too. (I still take tetracycline twice a day.) Plus, the clarity of my skin has never been better!

I am a believer! And, thanks to my dramatic results, Scott (whose cholesterol reads like an SAT score) has been adding the daily teaspoon to his juice in the mornings too, for just over 6 weeks now.

Has anyone else experienced miracle cures through home remedies?