Is this right, the only time your baking soda sees the light of day is during the holidays when baking cookies or cupcakes, or perhaps to remove foul odours from your refrigerator. But inside that packet or box is a component to an endless amount of household, medical, and yes, beauty solutions. What makes beauty and sodium bicarbonate a perfect pair? It's an antifungal, an antiseptic and gently exfoliates away even the toughest calluses.
As an all-over scrub
Just add oatmeal for a nourishing, refreshing body exfoliator gentle enough for daily use. Make a paste of three parts baking soda, one part water, and one part ground oatmeal. Rub in a gentle circular motion to exfoliate skin and remove dead skin cells. Rinse clean with warm water. You can do it even without the oatmeal.
To remove product buildup
Get rid of extra product buildup in your hair by sprinkling about a quarter-size of baking soda into your palm along with your favorite shampoo. Shampoo as usual and rinse thoroughly. The baking soda helps remove the residue that styling products leave behind so your hair is cleaner and more manageable.
As a prelude to a manicure
Dip a small nail brush into some baking soda and gently scrub under nails and around cuticles until clean. Then, make a paste of three parts baking soda and one part water, and rub in a gentle, circular motion over hands and fingers to exfoliate and smooth. Rinse clean with warm water and apply polish as usual.
To soften tough calluses
First, soften the calluses: blend two tablespoons of baking soda in a basin of warm water and add a few drops of lavender oil. After a nice long soak, scrub them away using three parts baking soda, one part water, and one part brown sugar. Follow with an application of a rich moisturizer and a warm towel foot wrap. Let it sit for five to ten minutes.
As a bath soak
For a relaxing end to a long day, add half cup of baking soda to your bath to neutralise acids on the skin and help wash away oil and perspiration while you soak. When combined with water, baking soda goes to work softening and soothing skin while calming irritants that the body brings to its surface as a result of a bite, skin irritation or mild sunburn.
Razor burn soother
A razor burned bikini line can be painful, not to mention unsightly. Soothe your sensitive skin with a solution of 1 cup of water with 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Allow the solution to dry on your skin (it will take about 5 minutes), and then rinse with cool water. Men can also use this same formula for a pre-shave or after-shave treatment on their face as long as they avoid the eye area.
As a deodorant
Mix four tablespoons of baking soda with about 10 drops of your favorite essential oil and apply to underarms with a brush. To reapply throughout the day, just fill an empty mineral makeup container with it and use a stubby Kabuki brush for a no-mess application on the go.
As an acne spot-treatment
If you ran out of your favorite acne or drawing mask, try making a little paste from baking soda and water and applying it to the pimple like a spot treatment. We don’t recommend this for deep cysts, but it dries surface offenders out like a charm.
To whiten your teeth
For a quick way to whiten your teeth in the morning, sprinkle baking soda into your palm, dip a damp toothbrush into it, and brush. Then rinse and follow with your toothpaste. For an antifungal mouthwash, mix one teaspoon baking soda in a quarter glass of water and swish the solution through your teeth.
As a face wash
Exfoliating your face removes rough dead skin and reveals brighter, younger-looking skin. But if your scrub is too harsh, you could end up looking like you got a bad facial. Try this recipe for a gentle, antifungal (read: anti-acne) face wash: Combine one tablespoon raw organic honey and one teaspoon baking soda in your palm and rub together. Then, massage gently in circular motions. Let sit for a minute and rinse thoroughly with warm water.
To calm uneasy stomach
This isn't exactly a beauty solution, but it works so well. Acid stomach, heartburn, gas, and other tummy issues are quickly relieved by baking soda because its slight alkalinity can neutralise the acid causing the problem. Just mix a teaspoon into a glass of warm water and drink it down.
