[SIDE EFFECTS]  01/08/2009: John from Germantown, MD,USA: "Hello everyone, first i would like to say what a wonderfull website this is and i have learned a lot by reading here every night THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I am 28 years old and i have Acid reflux, i started taking apple cider vinegar (ACV) (_____s) 1 to 2 tsp with 8 ounces of water and i saw tremendous improvement in my reflux, everything in my body started to come back to Normal, Unfortunately it also mad me constipated and it is giving me gas/Bloating and discomfort. pressure type of symptom right where Liver suppose to be, i have tried to do research of why this is happening with no success.

I am Guessing maybe because i have TOO much acid and taking ACV Makes my food go quicker without proper digestion which also causes gas and bloating? i don't know..please someone help me, no way i am giving up on apple cider vinegar it's too good, but how do i get rid of this pressure on my side of a stomach and constipation? any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you in advance and God bless.

please emaill me if possible at Vakhtangi_m@yahoo.com.

Thank you again."

01/23/2009: Sarah from Phoenix, USA replies: "You are probably experiencing that side effect because apples have fiber in them. Cider in general will give me that feeling. I use Beano. It works well and it's natural. I hope this helps you! Good luck!"

05/23/2009: Ivette from Pasadena, California replies: "Hello! I have acid reflux and I found that eating one half potato relieves the symptoms quickly. Probably because potatos are high in natural starches, overall, raw potatos have helped me more than prescribed medicine!"

06/02/2009: Seana from Bennett, CO replies: "If you're experiencing constipation after drinking ACV, you'll want to drink more water. You should be drinking about 1/2 your body weight in ounces over the course of your waking hours. So, if you weigh 120lbs, you'll want to consume 60 ounces or 7.5 - 8 ounce glasses over the course of a day.

ACV is a mild cleanse. It gently cleans out your digestive system. If you've never drank it before you may have a lot to eliminate. More water will make your bowel movements softer and easier to pass. It should help with gas, pressure and bloating, too.

Sources: personal experience"

07/09/2009: Sean from Asheville, NC replies: "In terms of adding more acids to your body while experiencing Acid Reflux you may also want to increase your alkaline mineral intake by drinking raw green drink or bone broth. Bitter greens will increase bile production but will strengthen digestion as well as alkalize you. As far as the lower digestive tract and liver pain have you tried colonics and flax/ psyllium/ charcoal stuff, early and late in the day, to promote more regularity? Or maybe only drink ACV water in the morning on an empty stomach. Good Luck!"

[YEA]  01/14/2010: Porky from Metro, Gab replies: "Try taking the ACV with honey (I think 1 tbspn or 1 tsp?) IN 2 tbspn of ACV or 2 tsp and a HUGE glass of H20. This will help lessen the raw stomach feeling or sick feeling with ACV and acid reflux. Won't eliminate it, but eventually you won't need the honey anymore. This helped me I am late 20's and have acid reflux. The ACV DID help SO much, and with energy. I only knew of _____s prior to this well written article. It costs a bit, so I haven't used in a LONG time, but a hair forumn made me realize that ACV is made by more people than _____. I will try the over the counter as long as it is not pasturized since on this forumn someone said that takes away a lot of the good properties.

Much love and blessings and I hope this helps everyone!"

01/14/2010: Porky from Metro, Gab replies: "If you have Acid Reflux, ACV will be TOO strong and TOO harsh on your stomach first thing in the morn with NO food. It may leave you with a sick feeling for up to 10 minutes. It feels not so good, but Try ACV in honey. They say it helps with diabetes taken before a meal, and with other things.

I did it (empty stomach, first thing), but it worried me because it felt SOO like my bod was warning me with the discomfort. But it STILL near cured my acid reflux.

OTHER ACID REFLUX CURES/HUGE HELPS: do NOT lay down after you eat. Sit upright, even laying back a bit is not good enough. Sit as upright as you can for 5 hours after eating ANYTHING. You'll notice you wake up in the morning with 0 buring throat. Also NO SPICES--especially before bed. Even if you sit up right, spices BURN your throat in acid reflux, they'll make your stomach feel raw, bad, and sick--not HUGELY noticeable, but still, kick the spices! I use Morton's Kosher Salt--flavors my food BEAUTIFULLY. Also ramen noodle chicken flavored packets added to water fake chicken stock well! Be sure you ONLY by the ramen noodles with NO transfat and NO MSG's!!!! They exist at grocery stores, you have to check the packaging though!!!! I guess MSG's are Monosodium Gloutamate...I could be wrong, but I KNOW that I want MSG FREE salted stuff! :-)"

01/14/2010: Porky from Metro, Gab replies: "This explains why I got sick and very yuck feeling after ACV, I had an aunt who wouldn't take it because it made her feel sick too. She has GERD and IBS.:

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/applecidervinegardiet/a/applecidervineg_2.htm."

01/16/2010: Brian from Ireland replies: "if you check the usda breakdown of apple cider there is no fiber in it. so i doubt this is causing johns (from germantown) side discomfort and constipation. in fact if there was fiber in it, this would help relieve the constipation"

02/23/2010: David from Newburyport, Mass Usa replies: "John from germantown and others experiencing stomach discomfort after taking that particular apple cider vinegar should switch brands. the type of wooden barrel the cider is aged in can contain resin that can get into the applecider. it's not the acv vinegar thats bothering the stomach ie., bloating, cramping and gas pains etc...it's the resin from the barrel !"

07/09/2010: Patrice from Silver Spring, Md replies: "Regarding the "sick" feeling after drinking ACV. I've read that when you ingest an alkalizing substance the process of the acid being neutralized will give you a nauseous feeling. Like drinking a huge 32oz of water first thing in the morning. I can not drink green tea on an empty stomach. I will get very very nauseated and later realized it is because of the alkalizing effect. No medical professional here so I am not 100% sure if what I am saying is true but it makes sense."

[BETTER BUT NOT CURED]  03/17/2010: Keith from Monroeville, Nj, Usa replies: "HI...Im 54 yrs.and I've had heartburn since I was a child. It got worse the older I got. My Mom always cooked us a well balanced dinner. By the time I was in my late teens I had severe heartburn and always had antiacids in my pocket. Even kept baking soda in my lunch box.We couldnt afford going to doctors unless it was an emergency. I had insurance when the first brand of Acid Reflux meds came out in the mid 80's. I thought it was a Blessing. Soon I lost my insurance and could buy some over the counter brands. But it always seemed to come back twice as bad when I didnt take anything, and a pack of antiacids only lasted 2 days.

I tried 2 teaspoons of acv to 8oz of water 3-4 times a day. It burns going down. So I added 1/4 teaspoon to it. Its been about 2 weeks now. I havnt had to take any meds yet. I have more energy. My sinuses are getting better. But I still have a little heartburn. How can acv be a alkaliser if it says acidity right on the bottle."

[YEA]  09/03/2008: Debbie from Waverly, United States replies: "Apple Cider Vinegar has been a miracle for my mother. She has been suffering terribly from acid reflux and it was so bad the other night she felt like she could not breath. She has tried every medication over the counter and prescription and nothing has worked. She was desperate, so I thought I would look up some natural cures and found this site. I called her right away and told her about the apple cider vinegar. She tried it right away and she could not believe it. She said immediatley her throat felt better and she slept all night for the first time in weeks. She took it agian today and said she still feels great. She said she has not even taken a pill today. She used 8oz of water and a Tb. Apple cider Vinegar and a pinch of baking soda. Thanks for this site. Its a life saver. Debbie"

03/28/2009: Melissa from Berlin, WI replies: "Just an FYI....Apple Cider vinegar is good for more than acid reflux. I had a sore throat that came on suddenly yesterday. It started bad and went to worse very fast. It was so painful I could not swallow. I used to drink apple cider vinegar with hot water and honey daily but because of this goofy diet I was on I stopped. My best friend reminded me of the apple cider vinegar concoction so I tried it. Litterally within an hour my sore throat was gone. I am not sure but I really think I have strep throat. Bottom line is I think it may have cured it. Time will tell but at the very least it aleveated the pain I was experiencing. I love this stuff!!"

EC: Yes, many YEA reports for ACV and sore throats here: http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/sore_throat.html#ACV

02/16/2009: R from Madison, Ohio replies: "I can see this to be true if and only if using the proper acidity. By adding acid you are throwing your pH balance completely out of whack and causing your body to try balance it. You body doesn't necessarily do that for acid reflux as it doesn't find acid reflux as a strong thing that it needs to release a base to neutralize. If acv is too acidic though, your body will not be able to neutralize it and you will be left in pain."

EC: Read this interesting thread for more information about acidity and apple cider vinegar, starting with James' NAY post on down....

07/03/2010: Marie from Seattle, Wa replies: "Has anyone else experienced ACV helping get rid of belly fat!? I was always a slim lady until the past several years and getting older. I have 5 pounds of fat around my middle that 'nothing' will take away. I am a healthy eater and work out at the gym 4 times a week for at least 45 minutes per session."

08/12/2010: Deirdre from Mission, B.c. Canada, British Columbia, Canada replies: "I have arthritis and a naturopath tested that my blood has acid crystals. I checked with Dr. Paul C. _____'s book "Apple Cider Vinegar Health System" and he advocates = 2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar with 1 tsp honey in small glass of water, twice a day. Apparently when acid crystals are allowed to harden in joints and tissues, joints become stiff and tissues are hardened. When acv programme is given the precipitated acid crystals enter into a solution form and pass out of the body. Have you any thoughts on this?"

08/12/2010: Alain from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada replies: "Hi Deirdre
Those crystals are probably uric acid crystals. Their accumulations create all sort of problems. The pain in joints is called gout. So look for gout treatment. Eat the least processed food as possible. Don't drink sodas pop. Avoid food with aspartame, msg, any food with high fructose corn syrup, reduce protein... All these are acidic. 60% or more of uric acid is eliminated by the kidneys via the urine. If the urine is acidic a lot less of it will be eliminated. To measure urine acid level you can use pH paper or sticks. You can verify that your urine is most probably acidic (pH lower than 7). The closer the urine pH is to 7, the more you will be able to eliminate uric acid. This is about the best thing I learned for myself. So, learn about alkalizing, search for alkalizing formulas here or on the web, read some of my posts here. Unlike filtered vinegar, good unfiltered raw unpasteurized ACV is alkalizing. But there are better formulas than just ACV alone. Good luck, Alain"

10/17/2010: Alwayssora from Columbia, Tennessee replies: "I am a great fan of ACV. I drink it in iced water. When I had tonsillitis, I mixed it with a bit of honey and swabbed my throat every hour. The white spots would disappear(and my fever) within 24 hours. I had a small wart on the back of my knee and 2 days of soaking it in ACV and it fell off! I use it with Dawn detergent to shampoo my dogs to prevent fleas. It is also good for gradual weight loss, lowering glucose levels, and relieving my rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. And the biggie: to stop charley horses at night, I keep a spray bottle of ACV by the bed, and at the first sign of leg cramps, I spray it liberally with ACV. Immediate relief. I even have started spraying my leg before bedtime. NO more cramps! "

[YEA]  10/20/2010: J from St. Louis, Mo replies: "My husband has terrible leg cramps. I had read that ACV would help, so we tried it recently when he had a bad bout with the leg cramps. It seemed to help. We put some in the bath too and he thought that was helpful too. I had read not to put it on the skin, but it did not seem to burn his skin. Have you heard if it is harmful?"

04/03/2012: Taz from Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa replies: "I have had such bad bouts of reflux. When I had my gallbladder removed it improved. But this have gotten stressful medication prices have hit the ceiling never mind to mention the side effects. Out of desperation I googled a natural remedy. I used normal vinegar and it worked. So I know that the apple cider vinegar is going to be even more effective. Thank you!!!"

[QUESTION]  01/24/2009: Randy from Concord, Ca USA replies: "ACV and BS has been working for me ( Gout ) can u give the reason for 5 days on and 2 days off "

06/03/2011: Luv2cthemouse from Dallas, Tx replies: "Hi. Do you have to use organic ACV or can it be the stuff you buy at the grocery store? "

06/03/2011: Kelly from Cambridge, Ma replies: "Most here will tell you that the organic ACV is the only way to go, but having tried both, it's been my experience that the regular old "H's" supermarket brand works better."

11/22/2011: Mary From Hyderabad from Hyderabad, Ap/india replies: "Any reviews on why Heinz apple cider vinegar (ACV) is not real one. I brought Heinz only as it is America's #1 brand."

07/10/2011: Leandra from Dover, De replies: "Does it take some time for the effects of ACV to ne noticeable for acid reflux? Or should it be instantaneous? Mine gets better for about 30 seconds then comes back. And I've been using ACV for 5 days now. :("

[YEA]  08/14/2011: Tariq from Abu Dhabi, Uae replies: "Try 4 to 5 Almonds. It is a very good tested treatment for ACID REFLUX."

04/13/2011: Punkygirl from Erie, Pa replies: "I have a few questions.....

I have been reading pages and pages about ACV and acid reflux.... I would love to try this with my boyfriend but worry that it MIGHT make things worse. AND also he is on blood pressure medicine for high blood pressure and has asthma, but doesn't take anything for that. But I read some scary things about ACV and lower blood pressure so I wonder what that would do if you were on BL medicine.

Thanks in advance for any answers!"

[YEA]  04/21/2011: Shaina from Bloomington, In replies: "ACV help acid reflux because your body needs more stomach acid. The body may also need more digestable foods. The combination between a poor diet (may be a personal dietary situation, or processed conventional food including pasturized dairy products) that is had to digest and the body not having the resources it needs to produce the stomach acid to fully digest this food. Without enough acid to digest, indigestion (not digesting) occurs and results in burning of the esophagus.

Inhibiting stomach acid production with an antacid may halt the burning but will surely increase the digestion problems, probably resulting in constipation or other digestive upset. Would seem better to tackle the source of the issue than to compound stressors, through to each his own. Vitamin C also helps this greatly."

07/16/2011: Lauren from Asheville, Nc replies: "@ Ginger from Moncks Corner, Sc ----

Ginger, drinking distilled water is not good. It pulls nutrients out of your cells, tissues, and bones. It is especially bad if used over a long period of time. Here is what just one website says. NOBODY USE DISTILLED WATER!

"- Drinking distilled water over a long period of time will leave you mineral deficient to a certain degree. Manyof the minerals taken into our body are done so through the digestion and absorption are those carried in water.

- When we cook vegetable and other foods in distilled water, the distilled water pulls the minerals out of the them and the nutrient value is lowered.

- Distilled water has zero electrolite value which come from sodium, potassium and chloride. No electrolytes meansdehydration.

- Distilled water absorbs carbon dioxide from the air and it therefore radidly becomes acidic. The more distilled water a person drinks, the higher the body acidity becomes. Acid means a desease environment.

- The less our mineral intake, the greater the risk for osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, hypothyroidism, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure and a long list of degenerative diseases generally associated with premature aging.

I hope that you are getting the idea. Distilled water contributes to bringing about a mineral deficient and acidenvironment for the body. In fact Cells, tissues and organs do not like to be dipped in acid and will do anything to counter act this acidity including the removal of minerals from the skeleton and the manufacture of bicarbonate in the blood.""

07/17/2011: Robert Henry from Ten Mile, Tn Usa replies: "LOREN, you are right on. In industry, all steam lines must have condensate traps to remove the moisture from the steam. Distilled water is just condensate from steam.Where ever this condensate drips on to the concrete it eats a hole by dissolving the calcium. It does the same for your body only it dissolves every mineral, not just calcium. In your steam cookers or irons you used distilled water because there are no minerals to plate out and plug up your system. We have a water ionizer so we can increase the amount of minerals and pH from our well water. A novice should be leary about drinking distilled water full time."

09/19/2011: Tom from Milton, Ontario replies: "Yes, apple cider vinegar is excellent for you as long as you don't have food allergies then you will have acid reflux problems leading to gastro-intenstinal problems. Tom"

10/05/2011: Lisa from Atlanta, Ga replies: "1Tbs apple cider vinegar and Tablespoon of Blackstrap Molasses is awesome!"

11/19/2011: Hazel from Regina, Sk, Canada replies: "A month ago, I had doubts about apple cider vinegar (ACV)... Many thanks to this site. I have not used my asthma maintenance med (Symbicort) for a month now."

11/23/2011: Ella from La Costa, Ca replies: "Hi, I am having constipation and bloating I don't eat dairy, gluten, soy, and corn. My diet is very clean mostly green vegetable, lean red meat, lamb wild wish. I try to drink apple cider vinegar 16oz water 1 tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar it makes me constipated.. Do you have any suggestion? Thank you"

[YEA]  12/13/2011: Lady Day from Somewhere, In replies: "My daughter turned me on to apple cider vinegar (ACV) a while ago. I would like to suggest a WONDERFUL way to consume it. You will look forward to your daily cup if you will try the following:

Add 2 teaspoons of ACV to a hot cup of green tea. I sweeten with Sugar in the Raw (turbinado sugar). Add a couple sticks of cinnamon and voila!

Trust me... (1) cup won't be enough. You 'll think you're drinking apple cider and not only are you getting lots of antioxidants, you're lowering your blood pressure, glucose and acidity."

[YEA]  02/03/2012: Gary from Palm Desert, Ca replies: "About 12 years ago, I read that taking a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (ACV) and a teaspoon of honey in an 8 oz glass of water twice a day would help lower cholesterol... I don't know if that helped... but what I do know is that my heartburn and what I later found out was called gerd disappeared.

I could be having a severe attack of heartburn and take a teaspoon ACV in a half glass of water and it will immediately disappear.

If I take a teapsoon in an 8 oz or even smaller glass once or twice a day, I almost never experience either heartburn or gerd. I've recommended this to several friends, it has worked for most of them!"

02/24/2012: Derek from Dublin, Ireland replies: "I mix two tablespoons of _____s apple cider vinegar (ACV) with a dash of boiling water in a small bowl, using cotton wool I dab it all over my face every other day. This is fantastic for your skin and complextion. Excellent for acne or uneven skin tone, blemishes etc. Also if you ever get shingles use ACV on them, works amazinly well, a little bit stingy, but results are incredible! Much better than any prescribed creams."

02/25/2012: April from Miami, Fl/usa replies: "I started getting sour taste in mouth an year ago. When it continued for few months I consulted doctor/gastroentrologist and after couple of tests and endoscopy I am diagnosed with GERD and Barrets Oesophagus. Doctor said mine is asymptomatic GERD (as I do not get heartburn my only symptom is sour mouth). I was started on omeprazole 40 mg daily which help most of the day but not always. Me and my husband wanted to start family so my gastroentrologist adviced to stop omeprazole and take tums as and when needed. As my reflux is asymptomatic I am worried about my Barrets getting worse.

So I started looking at natural remedies and came across apple cider vinegar (ACV). I started it yesterday. Before going to bed I took 2 tsp ACV 1/8th tsp of baking soda in glass of water. I felt little bloating and warm feeling in my stomach? I am not sure if it is working or not! Is it the right way to consume it? I would also like to know if ACV is safe when trying to conceive or during pregnancy. What is the best way to take it. Do you have any suggestions! Thank you!"

03/12/2012: Tamesha from Manchester, Jamaica replies: "I get yeast infection last week and my aunt told me to sit over hot water with Apple Cider Vinegar in it. What I did was Boil the water, then put it in a bucket then add half bottle of acv. Then sit over it wrap a towel around you so the steam doesn't escape. Just sit over it for 15 mins or more do this 3 times daily. I did it for 5 days now my yeast infection is gone, I also use vagisil creme for the itch. Now am also taking vitamin c pills and eating yogurt and I also drink one glass of water with 1tbp of apple cider vinegar. good luck to those who try it."

04/04/2012: Henr from Ny, Ny Usa replies: "THIS IS A GENERAL COMMENT ABOUT DRINKING ACV:

Apple cider vinegar is gross, as any of you who has tried drinking it surely knows. All the posts I have seen say to dilute it with water, but in my opinion that just prolongs the terrible experience of drinking it.

I just tried mixing it with a little bit of cold tonic water (about 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar to 2-3 tsp tonic) and found that was much better than still water.

IÂ hope that this doesn't somehow counteract acv's effectiveness, because I've found it to be much less disgusting!"

06/28/2012: Tony from Sunrise Beach, Queensland replies: "Apple cider vinager is not alkaline. on your page http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/acvinegar.html you say that it's alkaline because of the ash content and that you take it to make your system more alkaline. But any high school student would know that vinegars are acid. Apple cider vinager is typically 4, 5 or 5 in undiluted form. Was that a mistake or a deliberate mistruth?"

EC: Clearly, and vinegar is going to be acidic, and you're quite right, apple cider vinegar is an acid straight through to the stomach. However, once digested, the component mineral organic compounds of apple cider vinegar have an alkaline effect on the body's metabolism.

08/11/2012: Tonichimayo from Palm Desert, California, Usa replies: "I just read all of the comments on your site, top to bottom. Thank you everyone! Your imput has been enormously helpful. There is one comment that I would like to add, in as much as I didn't see it mentioned: Aluminum-Free Baking Soda. For those who choose to add baking soda to their apple cider vinegar (ACV) cocktail, it can be purchased in your local health foods/natural foods shop. And, rather than throw out the old brand that contains aluminum, it can be used instead to scrub your pots and pans and to remove coffee/tea stains from inside your cup/mug."

[NAY]  12/17/2010: Larry from Detroit, Mi replies: "I must warn anyone who wants to get on the apple cider vinegar bandwagon..... Your body treats vinegar as alcohol. If you are troubled by gout, arthritis or liver problems.... Stay away from this. I have a problem with gout and read that someone used vinegar for a cure.... I was so badly crippled by the apple cider vinegar cure that I was unable to walk. My doctor explained why..... Your body metabolizes vinegar as if it is alcohol... Thus the gout got worse. Be careful before jumping into any of these so called cures.... They could make you much worse than you are!!"

12/18/2010: Self from Ny replies: "The body breaks alcohol down to a compound called acetaldehyde which is then converted to acetic acid (vinegar). Some people have an enzyme defect and can't make this conversion and get sick when drinking alcohol. Vinegar is practically an oxidated or soured alcohol. Bacteria turn alcohol into acetic acid (vinegar). Gout is generally believed to be caused by genes, gender and age, being overweight, drinking too much alcohol, purine-rich foods, lead exposre, certain medications, etc.
Http://hamsnetwork.org/metabolism/

"Alcohol consumption not only affects the production of uric acid, but also its flushing out from the body. Alcohol, especially beer, has purines that accumulate, triggering an increased production of uric acid. "
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/gout-and-alcohol.html

Apple cider vinegar is actually a low purine food which also helps to reduce uric acid levels.
http://www.best-gout-remedies.com/low-purine-gout-diet.html

There are 60 positve feedback posts using apple cider vinegar (ACV) for gout on this website alone and numerous postive feedback on various websites. BUT there are some people who may have an allergy to ACV (e. G. Hives, asphyxiation, or rapidly worsening symptoms, etc) or some enzyme defect, etc, which causes the worsening of symptoms and they need to stop taking ACV. So as said by the poster here, try a small amount and build up and see how your body handles ACV.
http://www.ehow.com/way_5627128_home-remedies-apple-cider-vinegar.html"

08/16/2012: Angeli from Manassas, Va replies: "I too have been helped by using the Apple Cider Vinegar. The acid reflux is so bad that I have heartburn that feels like a rubber band across my chest pulling in both directions and it hurts to laugh, cough or twist and bend. When I take the apple cider vinegar this goes away. I use the below combination

1 cup heated water

2 TBLS unfiltered ACV

2 TBLS Raw natural unfiltered honey

Not only does it help with my stomach, the acid reflux it is also helping me with my hair and skin and boy am I full of energy. Hate to brag too much they may raise the price of this natural product that God made and the goverment may try to alter it by adding all kinds of junk to it. Can't beat the benefits. One way to stay healthy and not depend on this new healthcare insurance that the government is pushing."

02/17/2009: David from Lakewood, Ohio replies: "I just want to know is there a particular kind of ACV pills or just any of them to take the place of the liquid? My daughter is only 18 and I am trying to find something that is going to give her some real relief without constant medication. That is a little harsh on her system. Thank you."

EC: Click here to read ALL of emails that we've received about apple cider vinegar (ACV) curing Acid Reflux, including hundreds of other recommendations to cure Acid Reflux, Gastritis and GERD.

[YEA]  05/03/2013: Marion from Pittsburgh, Pa: "I am a 25 year old female and I have been using ACV for almost a year now mixed half and half with distilled water for a toner after using a mild cleanser on my face 2 times a day. I have had horrible issues with acne since I was 13 years old and have spent over thousands of dollars for invasive lazer treatments, chemical peels, medication, creams... EVERYTHING... And yet... Still not the results I wished for. This product has changed everything about my skin. My pores are smaller, the dark spots have faded, I rarely get any acne anymore, and when I do, it goes away within days. For the first time in my adult life... I can say that I am happy with my skin. I don't have to hide behind make-up and sunglasses any more and that has been the most amazing thing I could have ever dreamed of. This product is absolutely amazing. I have recommended it to tons of my friends with the same issue, and they too have been able to appreciate the benefits from ACV!"