13 Amazing Uses of Baking Soda For Your Face & Skin

Baking Soda For My Face, Really?

It’s astounding that something as simple and inexpensive as baking soda can be used as a face and skin care agent.

You’d think that with a (normally) cleaning product such as baking soda, it would do more harm than good, wouldn’t you, but it doesn’t.

Baking soda can be used in a variety of ways to improve skin appearance, from getting rid of skin rashes to making your skin so healthy and glowing that people will believe you’ve used an expensive, luxury skincare brand!

Oh and yes, baking soda is not just for your face, it can be used on most parts of your body too.

Caution: Remember that everyone’s skin is different.  Please be aware that these tips do not replace the advice of your doctor or beauty professional and although baking soda is mild and natural, particular care should be taken with sensitive skin. When using any new product, it’s advisable to do a patch test before using on large areas.

Allergy-Prone Skin

This is me! I have very sensitive skin and prone to skin allergies.

If you’re allergic to anything at all, from food to medication, more often than not the symptoms will show up on the skin in the form of a rsh.  These skin allergies can often take the shape of unsightly hives, which are very itchy and take ages to disappear.

Although baking soda can’t help to cure the allergy, using it in your bath water can bring enormous relief from the itching.  Using 400g/14oz or 2 cups in a cool bath should be enough to relieve the symptoms, but if you find that particular areas of he body are causing you more intense discomfort, then neat baking soda can be rubbed into these areas for even more relief.

Ease Sunburn and Windburn

In much the same way as baking soda brings relief from allergic skin reactions, 400g/14oz or 2 cups of baking soda can also be added to a col bath if you are suffering from sunburn or have been out in a strong wind for too long.  If will help take the burn out of the skin, but obviously cannot remedy any other symptoms of too much sun that you might be suffering.

If you’ve been on a boat and got windburn on your face, the baking soda will soon soothe your skin.

Relieve Inspect Bites

How annoying is it when those nasty little bugs creep up on you and give you such a bite that you feel as if a lion has mauled you? The worst ones re those mosquitoes, which yo can only hear and not see.  These insect bites and stings are so itchy or painful that sometimes you cannot sleep for the pain or desire to scratch. And you know it’s best not to touch them.

If you mix some baking soda into a past with a little water and then smear it over the bite or sting, you will be amazed at how quickly it gives you relief from the itching.

Acne Help

Baking soda can be used to relieve acne, which can also be very itchy. The baking soda is again mixed with a little cool, but not cold, water into a paste.  The paste should be applied to the affected area and left to dry for 5-10 minutes. The paste will relieve the irritation of the acne spots and will also act as an extremely mild and non-intrusive facial scrub. It will wash away from the face with cool water without damaging the skin in any way.

Ease Razor Burn

When we talk about razor bur, we automatically think of men shaving their face.

Related Reading:
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But you can get razor burn on your legs or under your armpits and that really can be just as uncomfortable for women as facial razor burn is for men. Once again, a baking soda paste can come to the rescue quite quickly. Make the paste quite a thin one and dab it onto the area affected by the razor burn to get almost immediate relief from the burning sensation.

Related Reading:
How To Use an Epilator on Your Face Safely at Home With Amazing Results

However, if that does not work quite as quickly as you would like, then you could sprinkle neat baking soda on to the skin.

Exfoliate

Mixing a paste of three parts of baking soda to one part water is a brilliant way of exfoliating the skin all over the body. It’s also really inexpensive and easy to use.

Facial Scrub

The same quantities used for exfoliation can be mixed to a paste and applied to the face as a facial scrub. Use it after washing for that freshly scrubbed feeling.  Apply the facial scrub in a circular motion on the face and then rinse off with cool water.

Rough Patches

Those little parts of your body that seem to acquire hard skin for no particular reason, for example the elbows and knees will definitely benefit from a baking soda paste. Mix to a paste and rub into the affected area to leave the skin feeling softer. It works on the soles and heels of the feet too.

Pen Stains on Fingertips

You know when an ink, ballpoint pen or felt-tip decides to leak all over your fingers?  Well, an easy way to remove this type of stain is to rub your hands together with a mix of baking soda and water. Rub away at the stain with confidence that it will not affect your skin but it will remove the stain.  It will also remove some paint stains.

Washing-Up Hand Moisturizer

If you hate wearing rubber gloves when washing the dishes, then simply sprinkle some baking soda into your washing-up water.  This will soften your hands and no matter how long you’re hands are submerged in the washing bowl.

Baking Soda Bath Salts

Lying in a hot bath when your body is aching from exertion must be one of the nicest feelings.  But you do not have to pay expensive prices to buy salts to add to the your bath. Mix equal quantities of sea salt and baking soda, about 200g / 7 oz or 1 cup for one bath, and 250 ml / 8 fl oz or 1 cup of your chosen bubble bath.  Do this while the water is running.

Once the bath is half-full, add your mixture and then top the bath up with more water.  You will get some bubbles if you swirl your hand around and then you can soak to your heart’s content.

Baking Soda Bath Oil

Making bath oil our of baking soda is just as easy as making bath salts, but this time you should let the bath fill completely before adding the mixture.  Use the following ingredients and mix them in advance of your bath time.

Bath Oil Mixture:

This will give your skin a lovely soft and silky feel and you’re sure to feel nicely relaxed too.

Note: Don’t keep any ‘left-over’ mixture for another day. Use freshly made oil mixture each time.

Dry Skin Bath Additive

If you suffer from fry skin from the central heating (that’s me!) or because of an allergy, you can relieve this by mixing 100 g / 3 1/2 oz or 1/2 cup of baking soda, 75 g / 3 oz or 1 cup of oatmeal, 250 ml / 8 fl oz or 1 cup of warm water and 1 tablespoon of vanilla essence into a paste.

Let the mixture run under the tap while you are running your bath.  Hopefully you will find that this stops the itching!