Back by popular demand: here’s our newest member, Forebrain, with another reference-laden post. Enjoy!
Julie’s cleansing question: I’ve read a lot about using baking soda to clean and exfoliate your face. Do you have any evidence this works either instead of a cleanser or for an acne treatment? Is there any down side? This is obviously much cheaper than all the fancy treatments out there if it works.
Forebrain’s favorable response:
I’m so glad you asked this question Julie, I’ve been hearing many great things about all the uses for baking soda as well, it’s use in natural skin care and especially with respect to its exfoliant and cleaning properties! The quick answer is that baking does in fact work as a great exfoliant and may be useful in treating acne. Read on for more details and how you should use it.
Chemical and Physical Exfoliants
Although many of you already know quite a bit about exfoliating, let’s quickly go over the process and some differences between the chemical and physical methods.
The point of exfoliation is to slough off the cells from the top layer of skin and reveal the younger, healthier cells underneath. Some exfoliants contain mild acids such as Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA for short), which help renew the skin layer by burning off some of the skin. The effectiveness of these chemical exfoliants depends on the acid concentration, with too low being not effective enough, and too high being damaging to the skin. Physical exfoliants (like brushes or scrubs) on the other hand remove the skin cells from the top layer by physically scraping them off. With physical exfoliants, the level of irritation and potential damage to skin becomes an issue when coarser methods like hard bristled brushes are used.
Baking soda (aka sodium bicarbonate) falls under the category of physical exfoliants, and what makes it especially effective is that it is a fine, yet hard powder, making it highly effective at removing the dead skin cells without causing excessive irritation. Chemically speaking, baking soda is acid neutral, and acts a mild buffer which means that it has the ability to neutralize other substances it comes in contact with that are acidic (like vinegar) or basic (like soap). Many people also believe that baking soda has cleaning properties; however, scientific evidence has shown that this is due to baking soda’s physically abrasive nature, and it is not an effective anti-microbial agent.
Exfoliating with baking soda
To reap the benefits of exfoliating with baking soda, add a teaspoon of the powder to your facial cleanser, mix well, and massage into skin like you would with a commercial exfoliant. Do this 2-3 times a week or as per your regular exfoliation routine. If you notice that your skin is red or irritated afterwards, try putting in less baking soda and use the treatment at night so that your skin has a chance to get back to normal while you sleep. Remember to always moisturize afterwards!
Baking soda as an acne treatment
While there are numerous testimonials in which people claim that baking soda cleared up their acne when nothing else helped, please remember to take these statements with a grain of salt. We don’t know what else that person had changed in their skin regimen; it’s possible that besides using baking soda they also started drinking more water, switched their cleanser or moisturizer, or maybe even changed the number of times they cleanse their skin per day. Seasonal changes and stress levels also have a very strong impact on how much and how noticeable your acne may be. However, there is some evidence that baking soda may be beneficial in treating acne since just the exfoliating properties of baking soda alone lead to an increased skin cell turnover rate making your acne look less noticeable. Plus, baking soda’s neutralizing properties maybe reduce redness of the skin also reducing the appearance of acne. If you want to try using baking soda as an acne treatment, my recommendation is to use one teaspoon of it in your cleanser at night to exfoliate your skin, as well as make a thicker paste of just baking soda and water and apply it to the acne as a mask for 5-10 minutes or overnight (beware, when it dries the mixture will crumble so you might up wake up to a messy pillow).
The Beauty Brains bottom line
In summary, all signs point to baking soda being an excellent and cheap physical exfoliant. It is ph neutral and a fine powder, which means that it will be gentle on your skin. Baking soda may also be useful in treating acne when made into a paste and applied to the affected areas although there is not as much scientific evidence to back that up. Please comment if you try out any baking soda treatments to let us know what they were and if they worked for you. And always remember to moisturize!
Fun fact: Did you know that baking soda was the primary cleaning agent in the restoration of the Statue of Liberty? Leave a comment and share your favorite statue and facial exfoliating tips wih the rest of the Beauty Brains community.
References:
Parnes, C.A. 1997. Efficacy of sodium hypochlorite bleach and “alternative” products in preventing transfer of bacteria to and from inanimate surfaces. Journal of Environmental Health, 59, 14-20.
http://www.alive.com/3744a1a2.php?subject_bread_cramb=76
http://www.acne.org/baking-soda-reviews/209/page1.html
http://www.meredy.com/nursetips/skinhealthtips.html
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hello friends,
I would like to ask you a question,I have black& white heads on my chick and eyes area,and have a lot of pimple scar,and black head scar so please let me know the appropriate remedy for this.i am looking forward for your reply..
thanks in advance…
So glad I foun this blog.I’ve been battling wit acne for as long as I cant remember,my skin layer is soo dead,pimples allover.I’m gonna give dis a shot and I reall yhope it works.I hope I get d baking soda to buy at d market.
I just used a recipe last night – 1 tbs raw honey and 1 tsp baking soda – for a facial cleansing scrub. I’m 46 and my skin just recently started getting much drier than usual. I did not use water first, I just slathered it on and gently rubbed it about. Left it on for 5 minutes and then with warm water it easily came right off. I didn’t put anything else on my face and went to bed. Woke up to facial skin smoother than a babies bottom. OMG! Talk about amazing! Another thing people might want to do afterwards is either put on natural aloe vera (didn’t have any), raw/organic coconut oil OR a mix of 2 tbs of raw honey 2 tsp of milk. Apply to face and leave on for 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water. I’m doing that one today but I do have the raw coconut oil on order.
i like this article,,and i want to try baking soda
I love using baking powder for exfoliation. I used to just use it for my face until a friend told me she uses it all over her body when she showers. I started sprinkling baking soda onto my washcloth while showering and into my hair along with my shampoo. I no longer need to “lather, rinse, repeat” — just one lather with baking soda leaves my hair feeling great. And my skin is softer, too (my hubby noticed). I follow up by moisturizing my face and body with Marekeiso, which is coconut oil with a bit of fragrance that I order from Pohnpei.
I tried using baking soda last night, and the result hasn’t appeared yet. Now i’m writing with baking soda sitting on my face. I can’t wait to see the result:-)
I have a very oily skin with occasional breakouts and whiteheads. I used baking soda to exfoliate last night and it stung a bit when it was on my face. today my face has been itchy since i wake up in the morning and i can feel some little bumps here and there…it seems to work for everyone but idk if my skin is too sensitive
well!!since i read about the baking soda i did try this morning.so i dont know yet if it will works for me,,, i will post some of my facebook picture before and after…il see the result soon..
interesting article. I’m a believer in Baking Soda. I’ve had moderate acne for more than 10 years and still trying to get it under control. Baking soda was working for me..smooting out face, getting rid of blackheads and controlling my oiliness. I think the mixture is important: I use 1 cup of baking soda, 2 tablespoons of salt and 1 tablespoon of baking powder….mix it all up and bag it in a ziplock air tight bag (dry) when am ready for it, cleanse first then, scoop out 1 tablespoon..mix it with 1 or 2 drops of water and apply to face..Leave on for 1 min, then rinse..pat dry and moisturize. People noticed the results..so I think am gonna keep doin this like 2 to 3 times a week@night.
hi! guys remember me, i was here last time ,reading all this comment about the baking soda, well im back, and yes i got the result after two weeks it really work ,, baking soda is the best for acne, and acne scars.. believe or not my face couldnt never be same…im so happy about new face…
i’ve been mixing baking soda with a little water to form a paste to try out zits and it definitely helps! (might sting a little though.)
I have suffered from breakouts, blackheads and pimples on and off for the last few years and i came across this website. As i type this, i currently have the mixture of baking soda and milk on my face. It stung for a bit but it didnt last long. I will keep it on for an hour, wash it off and moisturise my face and will continue this process three times a week for a month. Will let you know how it goes…
HH101
Please don’t leave it on that long! It will damage your skin. It is VERY strong and will change the texture of your skin. You have to get just the right balance. I think you should leave it on for just a few minutes. Gently rub in a circular motion and rinse it off.
Erm, i actually did leave it on for about an hour as i didnt see your response to my post but then i had to moisturise like crazy as it really dried out my skin. However, point taken and i wont give up yet, i will skip today and only use it again tomorrow evening as i have an extremely oily skin and my face is still feeling dry after using it two days ago, my fault though as i kept it on for so long. But on the plus side, it will probably help control my oily face!!!
…. Will keep you posted and thanks for the advice….
Hello to all! I came across this article when researching the potential benefits of using baking soda as a an exfoliant. I can personally say that, as an avid user, I do not recommend mixing baking soda with your facial cleanser or leaving it on your face as a mask for extended periods of time. I think that regime would be a recipe for red and irritated skin (and yes, I have used baking soda as a mask before). But, I’ll cut to the chase. I have been using baking soda as an exfoliant and want to share my experience which will include my: skin type, any/all skin problems, grooming regimen in full, the length of time that I have been using this and all products for, results from using said regimen, and a detailed history of what I’ve products I have tried and what has/hasn’t worked.
1) Skin Type: Combination/ very sensitive. My skin does tend to be drier, however, I suffer from adult acne. My skin is also very sensitive. It responds negatively to certain lotions, skin creams, … (When I say negatively, I am referring to breakouts, redness…).
2) Skin Problems: Adult onset acne, dryness, and sensitivity.
3) Grooming Regimen: Cetaphil antibacterial face soap (the bar), baking soda mixed with water to form a paste as an exfoliant, Cetaphil face lotion, Clearasil acne cream. I wash my face anywhere from once to twice a day and have noticed that my face tends to respond better to a washing when I take a shower (most likely due to the steam/ the amount of time that it is able to “soak” for) rather than washing it in the sink.
4) Length of time the above regimen has been used: I would say a few months.
5) Results from said regimen: Excellent! My acne is pretty much entirely gone and my face is looking amazing. The only downsides to my regimen is that the Clearasil, even when used in conjunction with my Cetaphil lotion, still causes my skin to flake mildly.
6) Products that I have used that have not worked: Proactive, various facial soaps in conjunction with different exfoliants and various facial lotions. Some of these include: St. Ives apricot scrub (which I had used for years, Dove and Ivory soaps, ground coffee with honey, non scented/hypoallergenic lotions (Brands I do not recall), … I used all of these products in different combinations and over extended periods of time and was left with the same results. Typically, my face would appear to be getting better over the first few days to a week, and then it would start going down hill.
Lastly, the reason I give so much credit to baking soda for clearing up/rejuvenating my skin is because without it, the regimen would yield the same results as all of the other failed regimens that I had tried. I do not know if the same can be said of switching out the facial soaps, however, I don’t care to find out since I found something that works for me! I also would like to note that this specific regimen may not work for you. You must take your skin type/ skin problems into consideration, however, I STRONGLY urge you to use baking soda regardless of whichever other products you may choose to use. I would recommend using it as an exfoliant in the form of a paste. And… you don’t need a measuring cup/spoon. Simply pour a little bit of baking soda into a cup, (enough to wash your face with), and gradually mix in just enough water to form a paste (you don’t need much). Experiment with it and have fun!
Had tried baking soda at home and yet very effective in exfoliation.it is also very effective in removing body odor when you use it as a body scrub.very cheap,available and safe,thats why my two thumbs up for baking soda,this is my beauty secret!
This is a great page to visit:
51 Fantastic Uses for Baking Soda
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/51-fantastic-uses-for-baking-soda.html
l love this stuff .i cant be without my baking soda after spending alot of money on all kinds of facial s crubs,that have all these ingedients that i have no idea what they are,and they seem to claim that they exfoliate but they just happen to disapoint cuzz they are to creamy and i dont feel the clean that im looking for that i get from gently exfoliating with baking soda,i mix about a dime size amount with baby body wash ,ike equal parts of each,if it gets a little thick then i add a lil bit of warm water and i mix it all in the palm of my hand.gently in circular motion i scrub all the way down to my neck.rinse with warm water.since im 39 i now started to get some age spots on my forhead,so for this i use some loreal moisterizer and i mix some of that philosohy’s vit c powder ,and put that all over my face.trust me when i say this you feel a kind of happy natural high ,u feel clean fresh,i cant explain maybe im just crazy try it.i have had the best satisfaction with these few simple products than i have had with other more expensive stuff i have bought .hope this helps .
I have severe acne problem from last few years……i tried evry product bt no effect……will u please tell me tht fr hw much time the paste of baking soda+water has to be applied on face??nd how many times a week?cn it be used daily??….plzzzz REPLY
I have severe acne problem from last few years……i tried evry product bt no effect……will u please tell me tht fr hw much time the paste of baking soda+water has to be applied on face??nd how many times a week?cn it be used daily??….plzzzz REPLY FAST
Hi f.y.i i love using baking soda on my face as an exfoliate. It really does work and leaves a healthy natural glow on my face. Try it!!
hi, i just tried the baking soda exfoliation, (water and baking soda, you can maybe say it made sort of like a paste) while i showered, i rubbed the paste on my face for like 2 minutes and left the solution on my face for about 8 minutes, IT kind of stung, is tht normal? after i washed it off my face was sort of red, pinkish, is that ok? after a while it stopped stinging. please reply soon.
greattt use of baking soda it really works….!!!!
As a current Avon Rep, I started using this tip from another rep and it works wonders for me (and I want to thank her so much for this tip as well!). I use a little baking soda (about 1/2 the size of a pea) as a manual/physical exfoliator 1 to 2 times per week with a cleanser (was using the brand mark. ” calming effect ” cleanser but its discontinued so bummer). You can add the baking soda to any of Avon’s cleansers (the ones that are not scrubs) and very, very gently massage. You want to be very gentle with these types of ” manual ” scrubs/exfoliants because they can TEAR the skin. Use only 1-2 times/week.
If you exfoliate with baking soda you are bringing your skin to an alkaline state. You must use a toner like apple cider vinegar mixed with water to bring your skin back to a slightly acidic state. The acid mantle on your skin must stay between 4.5 – 6.4.
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