Overview
Baking soda is likely one of the most versatile items found in your pantry. Added to water, you can make a powerful cleaning paste. You can use it in place of your regular shampoo for cleaner hair. You might even mix it with vinegar for a child’s science project. But your baking soda can also prove to be an effective facial scrub that costs only pennies to make. Skip the pricey department store exfoliating creams and try something that’s more natural and just as effective at removing dirt, oil and dead skin cells from your face.
Step 1
Dampen your skin by splashing warm water onto your face with your hands. Pump a quarter-sized dollop of your favorite facial cleanser into the palm of your hand. If you don’t currently use a regular facial cleanser, try working up a good lather from a bar of soap into your hand. It’s important to have a creamy cleanser base as the carrier for your baking soda facial scrub.
Step 2
Pour a teaspoon of baking soda into your hand and mix well to combine with your facial cleanser, suggests Planet Green, a Discovery Channel website that advocates making more environmentally conscious choices.
Step 3
Massage the cleanser and baking soda onto your skin in circular motions, concentrating especially on areas where you may suffer from dry or dead skin, like around the nose, chin and forehead. Take care not to rub too hard, as some may find that baking soda can be irritating. If the baking soda scrub stings, rinse off immediately. Otherwise, rub for 30 seconds.
Step 4
Rinse the baking soda scrub away after 30 seconds. Avoid leaving the scrub on your skin for longer, as L.A. Mission College’s material safety data sheet notes that prolonged exposure to sodium bicarbonate, also known as baking soda, can cause irritation, especially for those with sensitive skin.
Step 5
Add a baking soda facial scrub to your weekly skin care routine. Use it twice a week as part of your skin cleansing regimen. A baking soda scrub is also effective in keeping your body smooth, so try using it on your body in the shower or bath.
