Article by BR Tabatha
For the bakers among us baking soda is a pantry staple - but did you know it also has amazing uses within your beauty routine?
If you're a beauty DIY-er then you will never want to be without baking soda again after reading this list!
- Dry Shampoo. Sprinkle a little (very little) baking soda along your part and rub in to refresh your hair between washes.
- Deodorant. Mix 3 tablespoons of baking soda with 4-5 drops of your favourite essential oil or scented oil. Apply to your underarms with a powder puff.
- Toothpaste. Mix a little baking soda with your toothpaste for a whitening boost.
- Mouthwash. Add a teaspoon to half a glass of water and rinse your mouth out. Odours will be neutralised.
- Teeth Whitener. Mix baking soda, strawberries and lemon juice into a paste and apply to your teeth for 5 - 10 minutes. Rinse.
- Shampoo. Baking soda acts as both a clarifying shampoo (to remove build up of product) and a volumising shampoo. Simple add half a teaspoon to your usual shampoo amount.
- Brush cleaner. Mix 3 tablespoons of baking soda in a bowl of hot water and soak your hair brushes to clean them. Use 1 teaspoon with a cup of water to soak and clean your makeup brushes.
- Nail Whitener. Mix baking soda and water in to a paste and apply to your nails. Leave for 10 minutes to remove nail polish stains.
- Skin Exfoliant.* Make a paste using 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water and rub in a circular motion on your skin. Rinse for super soft skin on your face and body.
- Pedicure. Add 3 tablespoons of baking soda to warm water and soak your feet. Gently scrub with a coarse face cloth to remove hard skin.
*There are many baking soda recipes for use on the skin, but there's some evidence to suggest that for some skin types, when mixed with water, baking soda can be too much for your skin. This is because when mixed with water it's an alkaline and has a much higher pH than your skin. Best to do a test patch!
Are you an avid user of baking soda? What tips do you have to share? Get chatting below!
PLEASE DO NOT USE BAKING SODA ON YOUR FACE! Dear mods, please read up and remove that point if possible.
Baking soda has a pH of 9, healthy skin has a pH of 4-5.5. Yes, skin is slightly acidic!
If you raise the pH of your skin to 6 or above, you're destroying the acid mantle. The acid mantle kills bacteria and protects your skin from infection.
There are so many other (better) ways to exfoliate your skin. Please, please stay away from baking soda! I tried it when I was an uneducated child and it made my skin red, dry and irritated.