Cleopatra’s Skin Care Secret Was Apple Cider Vinegar?

Visualise this: one of the famous beauty secrets of Queen Cleopatra, well known for her flawless skin, was to clean her skin with the sour-smelling tonic known as apple cider vinegar.

It seems this fermented apple juice played a significant role dating back some 5000 years to Babylonia and the Phoenicians, where the root of the word “cider” comes from “shekar,” which means a strong (intoxicating) drink. Today, this word has become in the Arabic language “sakar,” which means “to drink deeply (be drunken)”.

Military soldiers throughout history, such as the Samurai fighters and Roman soldiers, it has been said, drank apple cider vinegar for strength and energy.

By definition, apple cider vinegar is manufactured from apples and has an amber colour. Hippocrates gave his patients apple cider vinegar and honey to treat a number of ailments.

What is it?

The vinegar is manufactured by crushing apples and squeezing their liquid out, which is then fermented through the addition of yeast and bacteria (Rose, 2006). The fermentation process takes place in two stages. First, the apple sugars are turned into alcohol. Second, the alcoholic juice is turned into acetic and other acids, such as lactic, malic, and citric acid, and the acetic and malic acids contribute to its sharp, sour taste.

The resulting apple cider vinegar contains numerous active ingredients, including minerals, such as pectin, potassium and calcium, and acids, such as malic and acetic acid, alongside “ash”. All these active ingredients are important to the body, with pectin reducing LDL cholesterol. In addition, calcium strengthens bones alongside other antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties. It is worthy to mention, acetic acid is essential to the treatment of diabetes. Ash is responsible for the alkaline property of the product, and potassium is essential for treating oedema.

Apple cider vinegar is a household staple used in cooking and as a low-calorie salad dressing. It has been demonstrated scientifically to reduce swelling and may be used to reduce fluid retention in the body. Apple cider vinegar is safe for such use on a short-term basis. Otherwise, high dosages may lead to throat irritation, due to its acidic nature. To avoid this effect, it is advised that one drink a lot of water alongside vinegar supplements, and always dilute vinegar with water or juice.

Some other uses of vinegar:

• Apple cider vinegar is widely used domestically to detoxify homes in place of other, chemically manufactured products associated with numerous adverse effects.
• Use vinegar as an anti-bacterial wash for your fruits and vegetables. Please remember not to soak them in the vinegar or their taste will change.
• Apple cider vinegar is able to make human hair shine, assists in regulating the pH of human skin. It soothes sunburned skin.
• As highlighted earlier, apple cider vinegar is essential for weight loss and balancing the entire inner body system through detoxification. One should add two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to 16 ounces of water and sip it slowly.
• Apple cider vinegar usually is good for domestic use in a number of ways. Spray apple cider vinegar on pets’ fur and rub it generously on their skin and it can repel fleas.

Another interesting fact is that after a long day of walking or long hours at work, just soak your feet with this remedy, sea salt, and hot water. Massage them a bit. Your feet will feel very light and relaxed.

In conclusion, apple cider vinegar can be used both internally, as explained above, and externally. It is one of those ageless remedies that we need to remember and keep at the front of our kitchen cabinets for regular use.