How Does Baking Soda Help With Your Face?

#1 Baking soda (aka Sodium Bicarbonate) is an all-natural wonder agent

that can do literally hundreds of things around the house far more effectively than conventional (and more expensive) cleaning products.

Most people suffer from some type of unwanted skin darkening caused by a range of reasons, such as chafing, sun exposure, freckles, scars, acne, skin irritations, pigmentation, skin allergies, rashes, contact spots, genetics, etc.

#2 Baking soda is composed of sodium and a pH neutralizer which exfoliates the dead skin cells throughout the skin.

Baking soda is an excellent remedy for treating uneven skin, while also brightening it. Baking soda acts as an exfoliator, skin – brightener, teeth whitener, etc. It is a natural, effective and cost affordable remedy.

#3 It also has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties in it that can really help with acne.

Baking soda makes an excellent base for an acne treatment, particularly when combined with another all-natural wonder product – witch hazel!

#4 Baking soda can also rid your skin of excess oil and shrink the enlarged pores of your skin.

If you want to reap the benefits of baking soda but like the way your other products work, you can simply add a little bit of baking soda (about ½ to 1 teaspoon) to your ordinary cleansing or treatment product.

#5 Baking soda works by drawing out blackheads.

This makes it easier to remove the extractions.

Follow these steps at home:

Clean your skin

Mix up the solution

Hold head over the hot water and put a towel on your head

Once the steam is done, you should do the extraction with care. Wrap your fingers in cotton and don’t use your nails.

#6 And if you don’t have skin problems, then you can actually use baking soda as a natural deodorant.

#7 Face Scrub

Mix 1 tbsp of baking soda in 2 tbsp of water and you can use it as a face scrub. Massage it gently over your face in circular motion. do this for 1 minute and then rinse off.

This is a gentle scrub that gives you skin a smooth hand soft feel. It is recommended to use this face scrub once every week. It is natural and safe compared to your commercial face scrub.

#8 Tan Remover

How many times have you ended up with an entirely different tan than what you expected your self-tanner to do? Anytime you get undesired results from a self-tanner, there is no need to wait for it to go away on its own

All you have to do is use baking soda. This natural exfoliator will help get rid of the unwanted tan immediately.

#9 Baking Soda for Skin Whitening:

The fine particles in baking soda remove the dead skin cells to give an even skin tone.

Mix baking soda and water in a 2:1 ratio.

Apply this paste on the affected skin.

Massage gently in the circular motion then leave on for a few minutes.

Wash off with lukewarm then cold water and dry the skin.

Only apply 3-4 times a week.

Note: Rosewater or buttermilk or almond milk can be used instead of normal water.

You can add 1 drop of any essential oil for a relaxing effect.

Process 2:

Mix 2 teaspoons of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of warm water.

Wash the affected area and apply.

Let it dry for few minutes and wash off with warm water then dry the skin.

Process 3:

Scrub baking soda gently on the affected skin. Especially if you have oily skin.

Or you can add some baking soda to your cleanser and use as normal.

Repeat this process regularly.

#10 Baking Soda with Honey

Honey helps to fight against bacteria, tightens the skin pores, protects skin from sun damage and moisturises the skin. Baking soda exfoliates the skin to reduce redness caused by breakouts and thus boosts proper circulation.

Baking Soda & Honey

Process 1:

Mix baking soda and honey in 1:2 ratio to make fine paste.

Apply this on the affected skin.

Leave on for 15 minutes and then wash off with water.

Process 2:

Mix 1 teaspoon of extra – virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of raw honey and 1 teaspoon of baking soda.

Apply on the affected skin and massage gently in circular motion.

Wash it with lukewarm water after 10 minutes.

Apply once a week.

#11 Baking Soda with Lemon

Baking soda mixed with lemon juice has vitamin C that acts as a bleaching agent.

Process 1:

Mix freshly squeezed lemon juice with 1/2 cup of baking soda.

Apply on the affected skin and rub it gently.

Leave it on for few minutes and wash it off.

You can also add few drops of olive oil or any essential oil or honey.

Process 2:

Mix 1 teaspoon each of baking soda and lemon juice in 2 teaspoons of warm water.

Apply with a cotton ball.

Re-apply regularly.

Note: You can replace the lemon juice with no pulp orange juice or grapefruit juice.

#12 Baking Soda with Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider Vinegar (ACV) for your face.Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has amazing health benefits and you can use it to treat skin problems such as age spots, acne, pimples as well as other skin conditions. Get more information in my article on why you should wash your face with ACV.

Apple cider vinegar exfoliates the skin from deep layers.

Mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda with 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.

Apply this paste on the affected skin.

Leave for 15 minutes and wash it off with warm water followed by cold.

Pat dry the skin and apply some moisturiser.

Repeat this process once or twice a week.

Note: If you have sensitive skin dilute 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with 1 tablespoon of water.

You can add some fresh lemon or lime or calamari juice.

#13 Baking Soda Make-up Remover

Simply replacing the water in the original recipe (above) with olive oil (which is one of the best oils for your skin) produces an effective and non-irritating makeup remover. Just dab a cotton wool pad in the mixture, swipe across your face and watch even the most stubborn makeup disappear.

#14 Baking Soda – Common side effects

If you notice any unusual side effects, you should stop using baking soda to cleanse your face. Commonly reported side effects for those with sensitive skin include tingling, itchiness, smarting or generally painful skin. Some people report that their skin feels dryer when using baking soda or more prone to irritation.

#15 What to do

If you are sensitive to ordinary, off the shelf products, you should consider trying a small ‘patch’ test before using it all over your face.

If you notice any of the side effects listed above (or, indeed, any other unusual problems) you should stop using baking soda. Some people with sensitive skin find that they can tolerate a baking soda face wash and sometimes even an exfoliant but cannot use it as a face mask as it dries the skin too much. The key is to find what works for you.

#16

Some people report that applying an acidic ‘toner’ such as apple cider vinegar to the face after cleansing or exfoliating with baking soda helps to keep the side effects at bay. Others report that this does no more than alleviate the impact of the damage of the baking soda but does not prevent it.

#17

Others suggest using distilled water to mix with the baking powder. In areas where the tap water is untreated, it is probably not an issue. If, however, you live somewhere where the water is treated with chemicals such as chlorine or fluoride, you might prefer to use an alternative water source to prevent chemical reactions occurring in the mixture that might cause problems for your skin.

If you have a sensitive skin of feel that baking soda over-dries your skin, you can also follow up the baking soda applications with a good moisturiser soon afterwards.