Haven’t you heard vinegar is the hottest healing ingredient for sensitized post-treatment skin? If not, we’re here to fill you in. We know how vulnerable skin is after treatments like lasers and peels, so you often leave the doctor with a lengthy list of post-care directions. The easiest one to check off is a vinegar soak. You probably even have the product in your kitchen, and it takes about 20 seconds to make the solution.
“It’s a very inexpensive way to help wound healing, resulting in quicker and more comfortable healing time,” Delray Beach, FL dermatologist Dr. Janet Allenby says of using a vinegar mix to help soothe and protect skin. But don’t just start dabbing straight vinegar on your face. Read the expert tips below for how to do a vinegar soak safely and effectively.
Featured experts
- Dr. Janet Allenby is a board-certified dermatologist in Delray Beach, FL
- Kathleen Behr, MD is a board-certified dermatologist in Fresno, CA, dermatologist
- Julie Russak, MD is a board-certified dermatologist in New York
- Andrew Smith, MD is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Irvine, CA
What are the benefits of using vinegar post-treatment?
“Vinegar, also known as acetic acid, is a great tool in the aesthetic dermatology practice,” says Dr. Allenby. “We use it on open skin surfaces, meaning after lasers or peels, where the epidermis has been traumatized, and the skin is like an open wound.” Fresno, CA, dermatologist Kathleen Behr, MD, explains that vinegar soaks can help prevent infection and speed up healing.
“The vinegar kills any bacteria or fungi that might be accumulating on the surface, along with reducing the inflammation, therefore reducing the redness,” says Dr. Allenby. She adds that it can also help reduce itching after a treatment.
Why vinegar?
“The natural pH of healthy skin is around 4.5 to 5.5, slightly acidic, which is essential for supporting the skin barrier, maintaining proper hydration, and allowing the microbiome environment to thrive,” says New York dermatologist Julie Russak, MD. She explains that certain treatments can disrupt the pH balance and weaken the skin barrier, making it more vulnerable to irritation, dehydration and infection.
“Vinegar acts as a gentle acidic buffer that helps return the skin to its natural pH. This re-acidification process calms inflammation, supports microbiome diversity, and promotes faster healing,” explains Dr. Russak.
What treatments would benefit from vinegar as post-care?
Dr. Russak recommends using vinegar after “any treatment that significantly disrupts the epidermal barrier or shifts the skin’s pH.” This includes photodynamic therapy, fractional non-ablative and ablative lasers, microneedling with radiofrequency and medium-depth chemical peels.
“These procedures are powerful regenerative tools, but they also leave the skin temporarily more alkaline and immunologically ‘open,’” says Dr. Russak. “By re-acidifying the skin, vinegar helps speed barrier recovery, prevents bacterial imbalance, and minimizes the chance of complications.”
How to use vinegar in your healing process
The approach varies, with some experts recommending a soak and others opting for a squirt bottle and measurements differing, so talk with your doctor about what they recommend for you. Dr. Behr uses about two tablespoons of vinegar per two cups of water to get the proper dilution. Then, “Gauze is soaked in this solution and applied to the laser-treated area of skin. This is done several times a day for the first few days after.”
Dr. Russak soaks a sterile gauze in a solution of 1:1 vinegar and sterile saline and applies them for 10 to 15 minutes a few times a day for the first 48 hours. “This helps reduce the heat, reactivity, and risk of over-colonization by harmful bacteria.” Additionally, doctors will sometimes use “vinegar spray right after the procedure to help cool the skin and re-acidify the barrier.” Irvine, CA plastic surgeon Andrew Smith, MD, recommends making your solution ahead of time and putting it in a squeeze bottle in the fridge so it’s cool and ready to go when you need it.
