Baking soda is not only a common ingredient we use to prepare food in our kitchens, but it is also a very useful ingredient for skin care. More and more people are discovering that this white powder, which adds flavor to our meals and is used in our cleaning works, also has impressive potential in the field of skin care. Baking soda has a number of benefits for the skin, including several important benefits such as cleansing the skin, treating acne, balancing skin tone, and even being used as a natural exfoliant. However, it is important to use baking soda carefully and correctly to integrate it into your skincare routine.
What are the benefits of baking soda for the skin?
The benefits of baking soda for the skin are quite diverse. Baking soda can be used as an effective natural cleanser to deeply clean your skin. By penetrating into the pores, it removes excess oil and dirt, thus helping to reduce clogged pores and blackheads on the skin. The most important benefits of baking soda on the skin can be listed as follows:
- Acne Treatment: Baking soda has antiseptic properties and therefore can be an effective aid in the treatment of acne. Baking soda paste can be applied on pimples to reduce inflammation and help lighten acne scars.
- Balancing Skin Tone: Maintaining the pH balance in the skin is important for a healthy skin. Baking soda can help balance skin pH. This can help control excess oil production in the skin and make the skin tone more even.
- Natural Peeling: Baking soda can gently remove dead skin cells and dirt from the skin surface. This contributes to a brighter and smoother appearance of the skin. However, it is important not to do this peeling too often, otherwise it can irritate the skin.
- Adding to Bath Water: Adding baking soda to bath water can benefit your whole body skin. This will soften and soothe your skin and can alleviate various skin problems.
When adding baking soda to your skin care routine, you should be careful and not overdo it. It is also important to consult a specialist if you have any skin sensitivities or reactions.
How is baking soda applied to the skin?
It is important to apply baking soda to the skin correctly because misuse can cause skin irritation or sensitivity. Here are some important tips on how to apply baking soda to the skin:
- Before applying baking soda to the skin, mix about a teaspoon of baking soda with a few drops of water to form a thick paste. This allows the baking soda to work on the skin in a softer and more controllable way.
- If your skin is sensitive or you have open wounds, you should not apply baking soda directly. For sensitive skin, such applications can cause irritation. Be especially careful on sensitive areas like the face.
- When applying the baking soda mixture to the skin, prefer to apply it with gentle circular massage movements. While this gently removes dead skin cells and impurities, it helps not to irritate your skin.
- After applying the baking soda mixture to the skin, it is sufficient to leave it on the skin for 1-2 minutes. Leaving it for longer can irritate the skin.
- Use warm water to clean the baking soda mixture from your skin. Cold or hot water can dry or irritate your skin.
- Do not forget to moisturize your skin after the baking soda application. This prevents your skin from drying out and provides a soothing effect.
If baking soda is used as a skin scrub, avoid using it more than once a week. More frequent use may irritate the skin. Depending on your skin type and sensitivity, it is important to consult a skin specialist or dermatologist before using baking soda.
How to make a baking soda mask?
Baking soda mask is a natural skin care product used to clean the skin, give it smoothness and shine. The ingredients you need are baking soda (1-2 teaspoons), liquid (like water, rose water, yogurt or aloe vera gel), and optionally honey. You can choose the liquid according to your skin type and need. A baking soda mask recipe that you can easily make at home:
- Mix the baking soda and the liquid of your choice in a bowl.
- Mixing baking soda with liquid should form a thick paste. To adjust the consistency of the mixture, you can adjust the amount of liquid according to your desire.
- Gently apply the baking soda mixture to your face or desired area.
- Avoid sensitive areas such as around the eyes.
- After applying the mask, leave it on your skin for about 10-15 minutes.
- After the waiting period is over, gently wash off the mask with warm water.
- Be sure to completely remove the baking soda grains from your skin.
- Dry your skin and apply a light moisturizer.
This baking soda mask can be effective for deep cleansing your skin, removing dead skin cells and smoothing the skin surface. However, every skin type is different, so it’s important to do a small test on your skin before using it for the first time to make sure this mask is right for you. Those with sensitive skin or those experiencing skin problems should consider consulting a dermatologist.
Is baking soda on the face harmful?
Applying baking soda to the face should be done with care because misuse can cause skin irritation or adverse reactions. Potential risks of applying baking soda to the face and important factors to consider:
- Skin Irritation: Since baking soda is a highly alkaline substance, it can irritate the skin when applied directly to the face. This risk is higher, especially for sensitive skin types. The granular structure of baking soda can damage the skin surface.
- Skin Dryness: Baking soda has the property of cleansing the skin, but it can also disrupt the natural oil balance of the skin. This can cause skin dryness and sensitivity.
- Wrong Mixtures: You should be careful when mixing baking soda with water or any other liquid. The intense pH of baking soda may be incompatible with the skin, which can upset the skin’s balance.
- Application to Open Wounds and Sensitive Areas: Applying baking soda to open wounds or skin irritation areas on the face may cause pain or further irritation. You should also stay away from sensitive areas such as around the eyes.
- The Risk of Regular Use: Regular application of baking soda to the face may disrupt the balance of the skin over time and increase skin problems. For this reason, it is recommended to use once a week or less frequently.
Does baking soda whiten the skin?
There are some important points to be careful about the skin whitening feature of baking soda. Baking soda has no ability to change skin color or whiten skin. But it can balance the skin tone and lighten the blemishes on the skin. Baking soda can make the skin surface brighter, especially while gently removing the dead skin cells on the skin. This can help reduce blemishes or dullness in the skin. However, this effect is usually mild and temporary. It does not permanently change the color of the skin.
Using baking soda for skin whitening can damage and irritate sensitive or dry skin. For this reason, instead of using it to change skin color, you can choose to use baking soda carefully in your skin care routine. If you want to improve your skin color or lighten blemishes, it would be a healthier approach to first seek advice from a dermatologist or skin specialist.