From avocado facials to honey scrubs, reaching into your kitchen cabinet in hopes of attaining clearer, smoother skin is nothing new. But does apple cider vinegar (ACV), another ingredient often touted as a “superfood,” also deserve a spot on your bathroom vanity?

If you’ve considered using this pantry staple to help treat acne or another skin condition, such as eczema, psoriasis, or rosacea, that isn’t surprising. The popularity of apple cider vinegar for skin care has grown in recent years, thanks to its hyped-up reputation as an at-home antibacterial and antifungal treatment, despite a lack of robust, long-term research on humans.

When it comes to helping you achieve a healthier complexion, some of the components in ACV may help. But experts are cautious about its use, both orally and as it’s infused in beauty products. Below, we explore the possible benefits and risks of using ACV for skin care.

For many people, one immediate question is whether it’s beneficial to put apple cider vinegar right on your face and skin. And while one lab study found that ACV offers antifungal and antibacterial properties, the research on how it may affect your complexion is lacking, says Melissa Piliang, MD, a dermatologist at Cleveland Clinic. “There is really no good scientific evidence proving the skin-care benefits of ACV topically or orally, and it can be harmful,” she says. But she adds that it might help certain skin conditions if used cautiously and with supervision from a dermatologist.

There are a few things in ACV that may boost the appearance and health of your skin.

Acetic Acid Research has shown this acid is antifungal and antibacterial. When used topically, it clears bacteria that may be related to wounds, infections, or skin conditions like acne and stretch marks.Citric Acid This is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). AHAs are used to increase skin cell turnover and have been shown to decrease wrinkles and age spots.Acetic acid and citric acid are found in ACV, but they are also found in other types of vinegar. White vinegar probably works as well for skin conditions as ACV does, says Abigail H. Waldman, MD, a dermatologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. “Doctors have been using vinegar soaks forever. The theory is that ACV has more citric acid, which might be where the hype is coming from, but a lot of the effects are overblown,” she says.When it comes to using apple cider vinegar in a skin-care routine, experts do not recommend applying undiluted ACV to your skin, as the acids in it may cause chemical burns and irritation, according to research.

“Putting it on the skin straight up is highly irritating, and I have seen many patients who have irritated and burned their skin by repeated use of apple cider vinegar,” says Patricia Farris, MD, a dermatologist in Metairie, Louisiana, and a clinical associate professor at the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans. “I advise patients against using this particular home remedy for this reason.”

For skin infections, Dr. Waldman advises making a dilution of 1 tablespoon of ACV per 1 cup of water. There’s a wide range of recommended concentrations, but it’s generally advisable to start there and see how much you can tolerate.

“The higher the concentration, the more likely it’s going to irritate your skin,” Waldman says. “But it probably also works better because of the higher levels of acetic and citric acid. It’s a balance. You never want to use ACV in its concentrated form.”

Experts have mixed opinions on the use of apple cider vinegar for skin conditions. Anecdotally, they’ve heard of both successes and bad reactions. Waldman doesn’t recommend that her patients use ACV, but she doesn’t dissuade those who are using it successfully. “If you have a mild condition, it might help, but for more severe cases, it’s probably not going to be the be-all and end-all of products,” she says.

If you do use diluted apple cider vinegar for your skin, some basics to keep in mind: Your skin has an outer layer, the epidermis. “That layer is essentially like a brick wall. When you pull it apart, water gets out and irritants can come in,” Waldman says. “A lot of face washes, toners, and bar soaps are just too harsh and strip that layer.”

The pH of skin is slightly acidic (it’s about 4.1 to 5.8 on the pH scale, with 7 representing neutral on the scale), but ACV is considered highly acidic (it’s about 2 to 3 on the pH scale). Using it risks stripping the epidermis of its natural oils. You want to keep everything where it belongs — the lipid layer in place to keep the irritants from penetrating into the skin, Dr. Piliang says.

Acne

Acne forms when dead skin cells and sebum (the oily, waxy substance produced by skin) build up in a pore and form a plug, creating blackheads, whiteheads, and other nodules. AHAs like citric acid dissolve the plug so the pore can open up and drain, helping to improve the appearance of acne scars. Retinoids and benzoyl peroxide have a similar effect, though benzoyl peroxide’s main function is antibacterial.

“We know that breaking down [dead skin] can help acne, and ACV does contain AHAs, so the potential is there, but there just aren’t good studies to show that,” Piliang says.

Anti-acne washes or treatments can be irritating to the skin, causing dryness and peeling. Adding diluted ACV to your routine could contribute to epidermal stripping and irritation.

“It defeats the purpose when you let all the water out and [let] everything outside — chemicals in the air, irritants, bacteria — in,” Waldman says. “Everyone is a little different, and oily skin probably has a higher tolerance for applying more acidic products. Sensitive, dry skin has a much lower threshold. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all recommendation.”

For teens with oily skin and acne, using ACV is less risky because their skin is more resistant to irritation. The oil protects the outer layer of skin, and it comes back faster in a younger person than an older adult with drier skin, Piliang says.

Eczema or Psoriasis

If you have psoriasis or eczema, you should be very careful about using ACV because if you put apple cider vinegar on areas of your face or skin that are already broken down, fissured, or bleeding, it’s going to burn like crazy and be very uncomfortable, Piliang says.

When you have eczema, your skin doesn’t have a strong barrier, leaving it vulnerable to bacteria, fungi, and viruses. That also puts you at high risk for infection. Some experts have recommended using diluted ACV, theorizing that it may help get rid of the microbes, therefore preventing infection. But limited research has not shown it to be effective at improving the skin’s barrier or altering the microbiome, and it may be irritating to some. Researchers have suggested that additional studies are needed.Waldman says she’s seen cases where ACV has improved psoriasis, but “mechanically it doesn’t quite make sense.” She has seen ACV help some people with seborrheic dermatitis, when you have a scaly scalp (like with psoriasis), and greasy, thick scales on the face. It’s thought to be connected to fungus and bacteria on the skin, which is why a diluted vinegar soak may help.

Rosacea

People with rosacea should be very cautious about using ACV since their skin is already very sensitive and the outer layer is already damaged, Piliang says. Waldman doesn’t recommend using ACV because rosacea is complicated and could be caused by a reaction to your normal skin organisms, the sun, spicy food, coffee, or even an irritating cream.

“Rosacea can be inflamed from a lot of irritating conditions, meaning ACV could make it better,” Waldman says. “But it could very easily make it worse if used inappropriately, meaning if it’s not diluted enough or if the person is just particularly sensitive to any sort of irritant on their skin.”

Skin Infections

Waldman has seen patients successfully use vinegar soaks for chronic or acute local skin infections, such as fungal infections like athlete’s foot and paronychia (a fungal or bacterial infection around the fingernail). Diluted vinegar soaks can be effective for treating nail infections caused by a type of bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa, research shows. This type of toenail infection comes with greenish discoloration of the nails, also known as chloronychia.

When evaluating skin-care products that contain apple cider vinegar, Waldman warns that you may not know the concentration of ACV you’re getting. Instead, look for products with acetic acid, citric acid, or other AHAs, or make your own toner with 1 tablespoon of organic ACV in 1 cup of water. “Otherwise you’re probably just paying for labeling,” she says.

Though medical research doesn’t yet support using apple cider vinegar as a topical skin-care treatment for specific conditions, it is currently being explored as a potential aid for skin and cosmetic benefits in clinical settings. One small study found that a twice-daily topical application of apple cider vinegar in conjunction with conservative medical treatment reduced pain, edema, itching, pigmentation, cramps, and other symptoms in participants, compared to control subjects who received only the medical treatment.

While it’s generally deemed safe to ingest diluted ACV or apply it to your skin, don’t overdo it, or else you’ll risk irritating your skin. If you’ve been struggling with a skin issue for a while and are using ACV in your skin-care routine, Waldman recommends seeing your primary care physician or a dermatologist for advice.

It’s possible that you may have a different condition than you think — one that ACV can’t alleviate. Waldman says she’s seen patients who thought they had acne but actually had rosacea, and patients who thought they had areas of hyperpigmentation but actually had very early melanomas.

“I know everyone wants an alternative treatment, but sometimes you do need to seek medical care for things that aren’t going away,” she says. “An outside, expert opinion can at least reassure you that everything is normal or [let you know] if you need to seek other input.”

• Experts say there is no high-quality scientific evidence to support the use of apple cider vinegar as a way to boost your skin health and improve your complexion.

• That said, limited evidence suggests that ACV contains some components that could have benefits: acetic acid, which has antifungal and antimicrobial properties; and citric acid, which research suggests can improve the appearance of wrinkles and age spots. Using ACV can lead to irritation and burns, so if you are going to try ACV for your skin, experts advise diluting it with water.

• Discuss the use of ACV for skin conditions with a doctor before trying it. There are safer and more effective alternative skin remedies.

Additional reporting by Jamie Ludwig.