VINCA: Natural Exfoliant and Antiseptic

Do you know that cane vinegar can exfoliate your body too? It can also help heal minor wounds, cuts and burns. Yes, believe it or not, cane vinegar works wonders to our skin! This is so true especially when combined with Calamansi or Lemon extracts. I call this solution “VINCA” (vinegar & calamansi). VINCA is so easy to prepare, just mix ½ cup vinegar & calamansi extract (1 medium size) or 1 tbsp. lemon extract.

How do I know this? One day I got curious. I know for a fact that calamansi is a household remedy for stain on our clothes and vinegar is a good disinfectant. I thought of combining the two ingredients and make them as my whitening solution. Anyway it’s safe since they’re natural ingredients, I thought. And it’s the cheapest whitening ever. So, I was the guinea pig of my own solution. I’d been using it for two years now. Uneven dark spots are gone. Scars from minor wounds and burns are gone. My skin seems to be radiant.

Then I also discovered that VINCA is better than Betadine. You see, my eldest had a bad fall from biking and created a big wound on her knee and several scratches on her legs. For two days I applied betadine, but it seemed not to be working. Worst, it gave my child pus that hurt her knee so much. Desperate for a better remedy I thought of VINCA. And it worked faster! Just overnight, the wound started to dry up and close. My daughter could walk without feeling hurt and could straighten her knee right away. Now, we don’t have Betadine in our house. I just make sure I always have cane vinegar and calamansi.

Body Exfoliant
Apply the VINCA solution before starting your bath. Apply it to your whole body like applying rubbing alcohol. Let it dry for a minute. Warning: you might not like the smell (just like “kilawin”…hehe!). Rinse with lukewarm water and soap your body well, then rinse again. Rub your body with your thumb (to your legs and arms, and other parts of your body) as if you’re removing a dirt. Believe it or not, dirt will eventually come out. And that’s exfoliating! Then have a final rinse with cool water. Towel dry. Notice the smoothness of your skin. Do this once or twice a week. If your skin is too sensitive (there is too much redness and itchiness upon applying the solution), stop using it.

Antiseptic for minor wounds, cuts, burns and insect bites
Put a small amount of VINCA on a cotton ball and wipe it to the affected area. Let it dry and do not rinse. Do this 2-3times a day. Believe it or not, it heals faster than with Betadine. VINCA works well also with infected laceration (i.e. w/ pus). You can save the VINCA solution for 3 days, just keep it refrigerated.

I guess VINCA may be also use as first aid for sea urchin’s stings.