Does apple cider vinegar help skin problems like eczema, acne or psoriasis?

The evidence doesn't support apple cider vinegar as a treatment for eczema, psoriasis, acne or rosacea. The one controlled study to test it directly — a two-week diluted soak in people with eczema — found no improvement in skin barrier function, and most participants reported skin irritation from the vinegar itself.

What the evidence doesn't support

No controlled trial has tested apple cider vinegar for psoriasis, acne or rosacea. Eczema is the only one of the four where it's actually been tested on skin, and that trial found no benefit and a high rate of irritation. Nothing below supports drinking, diluting or applying apple cider vinegar for any of these four skin problems.

What the trials found

A 2019 pilot study in Pediatric Dermatology had 22 people (11 with eczema, 11 healthy controls) soak one forearm in diluted apple cider vinegar (0.5% acetic acid) and the other in plain water, 10 minutes a day for 14 days. Researchers measured transepidermal water loss and skin pH — two markers of skin barrier health — before and after. The vinegar soak had no lasting effect on either marker, and 16 of the 22 participants (72.7%) reported mild skin irritation from it, which improved once they stopped. The authors concluded dilute apple cider vinegar soaks don't improve skin barrier integrity and can irritate skin.

A 2023 systematic review in JMIR Dermatology searched the literature on oral nutritional supplements for atopic dermatitis (eczema), using apple cider vinegar as one of its search terms among many. Across the 18 studies it found covering various supplements, evidence for any single one was rated weak overall; the review's shortlist of supplements showing some promise (a specific herbal formula, kefir, and a fermented whey/herbal extract) didn't include apple cider vinegar. The review calls for larger, better-controlled trials across this category.

No trial identified anywhere in this search tested apple cider vinegar for acne, psoriasis or rosacea, applied topically or taken orally.

Questions people ask

Will apple cider vinegar help eczema?

The one controlled study that tested it directly found no improvement in skin barrier function and skin irritation in most participants who used it. That doesn't support using it on eczema.

Can apple cider vinegar help acne?

No controlled trial has tested apple cider vinegar for acne. Undiluted vinegar applied to skin is also acidic enough to irritate or damage skin, which the eczema study above documented even at a diluted 0.5% concentration.

Which apple cider vinegar is best for acne?

Since no trial has tested any apple cider vinegar product for acne, there's no research basis for recommending one form or brand over another for that use.

Does apple cider vinegar help with psoriasis, including on the scalp?

No trial identified in this search tested apple cider vinegar for psoriasis, on the scalp or anywhere else.

Is apple cider vinegar good for rosacea?

No controlled trial has tested apple cider vinegar for rosacea. Rosacea-prone skin is often more reactive to acids and irritants generally, which is a reason for added caution, not a reason to use it.

When to talk to a doctor

Eczema, psoriasis, acne and rosacea are all conditions where a dermatologist can offer treatments with an actual evidence base, and where self-treating with an acidic kitchen ingredient risks irritation without a documented benefit. Apple cider vinegar is not a treatment for any of these conditions; a flare that's painful, spreading or not improving with what's already being used is worth a dermatologist's input.

Related reading: apple cider vinegar side effects, what is apple cider vinegar, and apple cider vinegar: what the research does and doesn't show.