Baking Soda to Exfoliate – Benefits and Proper Usage Methods

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Exfoliation is the removal of dirt, dark and dry skin cells from the skin’s surface. This helps with blood circulation to the skin to stimulate collagen production and the development of skin cells. Using baking soda to exfoliate is one of the DIY ways to exfoliate the skin. 

No skincare routine is complete without the exfoliation process. If you are looking to cut down costs, you can use a home remedy like baking soda to exfoliate your skin. Baking soda contains high alkaline content which serves as a physical exfoliant.

Using baking soda to exfoliate your skin will help to remove all forms of dirt and grime by dissolving the dead skin cells from the surface of the skin. This will help to deep-cleanse the skin, keep it fresh, and prepare it for the application of a skincare routine. 

Read ahead to find more information about using baking soda to exfoliate, the benefits of doing so, and how to make DIY baking soda exfoliants.

Using Baking Soda to Exfoliate

According to research, an acid mantle covers the skin and the use of exfoliants helps to dissolve and remove the barrier from the skin. Baking soda is abrasive, and this makes it capable of sloughing off dead skin cells and oil from the surface of the skin. 

Baking soda also contains high alkaline content that helps in dissolving the acid mantle on the skin’s surface. In addition, it contains fine grains that can easily exfoliate the skin without causing irritation that comes from using harsh scrubs and brushes. 

Since baking soda helps to dissolve the acid mantle on the surface of the skin, oil and grimes clogging the pores will be easily removed. This helps to reduce the chance of acne development in the skin. 

According to another research, baking soda also contains antifungal properties that can help to protect against infections. Therefore, using baking soda as an exfoliant can also serve as an acne treatment. 

Even though baking soda works effectively to exfoliate the skin and has other benefits, it is not recommendable for the face as it can irritate the skin. When considering baking soda as an option to use for exfoliation, ensure that you do a patch test before carrying on. 

Even if it does not irritate your skin, you shouldn’t use it more than twice weekly to exfoliate your skin. Likewise, ensure that you moisturize your skin after to help keep your skin hydrated.  

What Are the Benefits of Exfoliating With Baking Soda?

Using baking soda as an exfoliant will not only help to remove dead skin cells and grime from your skin. When you use baking soda on your skin correctly, it also has several other benefits for the skin. Using baking soda may help to reduce and clear acne breakouts. 

It contains anti-inflammatory exfoliating and antibacterial properties that can work to treat acne. The exfoliating properties will help to unclog the pores, while the antibacterial properties will help to tackle bacteria.

The anti-inflammatory properties can also help to soothe inflammation, painful acne spot, and irritation on the skin. Baking soda also helps to tighten the pores and this will help to prevent dirt, oil, and bacteria from clogging them. 

When you combine soda with natural vitamin C sources like orange, it will help to brighten and glow up your skin. This is because vitamin C is a well know collagen booster that can help to keep the skin smooth and firm. 

Baking soda can also help to mop away excess oil from the skin by regulating oil production in the gland. Using it on the skin will help to tackle skin infections, as it contains antibacterial properties. It also helps to prevent the skin from getting infections, rashes, and so on. 

In addition, using baking soda to exfoliate helps to fight and get rid of body odor, as it contains antibacterial properties that can help to tackle odor-causing bacteria.

Can You Exfoliate Your Face With Baking Soda?

While it is true that baking soda is an effective exfoliant, it is not a good exfoliant for your face. You shouldn’t exfoliate your face with baking soda, as its alkaline content can irritate the skin on your face. 

Baking soda contains alkaline content that can help to break down the acid mantle on the skin. This is basically how it exfoliates the body. However, dead skin cells also work as a protective layer on the skin. This means that not all of it should be sloughed off in the exfoliation process.

Using baking soda for your face can remove your skin’s protective barrier and mess with the skin’s pH level balanced. This can strip oil and natural moisture from the skin on your face and cause it to be prone to infection and breakouts. 

Even though the ingredient is generally not harmful, your skin might be sensitive to it. Using baking soda on your sensitive skin can cause side effects such as redness, rashes, and even burning. Avoid using baking soda on your face or even your skin if your skin reacts badly to it.

The skin covering the face is sensitive and can get irritated easily. The face does not need a complicated skincare routine. All you need to keep it healthy is a gentle cleanser that works for your skin type.

Can You Exfoliate the Scalp With Baking Soda?

The scalp is also part of the skin and an unhealthy hair care routine and hair care products can cause damage to the scalp. The good news is that you can use baking soda to exfoliate your scalp with baking soda to cleanse and remove dirt from it.

Using baking for your scalp will not only help to remove dirt and grime from your scalp, but it will also help to maintain the pH level balance of your hair. Usually, you use hair care products to boost your hair growth, but you tend to not pay the same amount of attention to your scalp.

The scalp gets filled with remnants of hair care products, dirt from pollution, and dust. This buildup can cause infections such as dandruff and it can also cause the scalp to become dry and flaky. This buildup can also clog up your hair follicles, thereby restricting hair growth. 

Even if you do not have dandruff, you still need to care for your scalp, as proper scalp health can help to boost hair growth. It will help to keep your strands shiny by removing the dull look on them.

Mixing baking soda with your shampoo can work effectively to remove dirt, flakes, and dead skin cells from your scalp. This will help to keep your scalp healthy and free from dirt, oil, the buildup of dead skin cells, and so on. 

Apply the mixture to your hair and massage it to your scalp as well. Rinse it off your hair and scalp completely and condition your hair to restore lost moisture. Below is a DIY baking soda exfoliant to try on your scalp to restore your hair and scalp’s health.

Baking soda and coconut oil scrub

What you need:

  • 4 tablespoons of baking soda
  • 1½ tablespoon of coconut oil
  • Water

How to use it:

  • Create a paste with baking soda, water, and coconut oil
  • Apply the paste to your scalp
  • Scrub your scalp with it for a few minutes
  • Allow it to sit for about 15 minutes
  • Wash it off with shampoo
  • Rinse the shampoo off and condition your hair

Can You Use Baking Soda to Exfoliate Your Legs?

You can use baking soda to exfoliate your legs, as it contains exfoliating properties that can help to exfoliate the skin effectively. It also contains anti-inflammatory properties that can help to soothe and smoothen the skin.

However, be careful while you do this so as to avoid over-exfoliation. Exfoliating too much with baking soda can irritate and damage the skin barrier.  

How to use it: 

  • Mix baking soda and water together to create a paste
  • Apply and massage it on your legs 
  • Wait for 15 minutes before rinsing it off with lukewarm water
  • Then rinse again with cold water
  • Apply a gentle moisturizer after 

Can You Exfoliate Your Lips With Baking Soda?

You can use baking soda to exfoliate your lips if your lips feel chapped and dry. Baking soda works as an exfoliant for the lips too and using it will help to keep your lips soft and pink. 

Here’s a DIY baking soda scrub to use for your lips:

  • Mix baking soda with water to create a paste
  • Apply the paste to your lips
  • Massage it in a circular motion
  • Do this for about three minutes
  • Rinse it off with warm water
  • Apply a gentle lip balm after to nourish your lips

Can You Use Baking Soda to Exfoliate Armpit?

You can exfoliate your armpit using baking soda as this will help to unclog your armpit pores and get rid of the odor. The armpit is prone to an unpleasant odor due to sweat and this sweat can mix with dead skin cells to clog the armpit pores. 

Baking soda contains exfoliating and antibacterial properties that can help to unclog the pores and fight odor-causing bacteria. However, before using baking soda to exfoliate the armpit, you have to be sure that your skin is not sensitive to it.

This is because sensitivity to baking soda can cause the skin on the armpit to develop rashes and other side effects. 

Here’s how to use baking soda to exfoliate your armpit: 

  • Mix baking soda and lemon juice and water
  • Apply and massage it on your armpits
  • Keep your arms up till it is completely dry
  • Wash it off thoroughly with lukewarm water

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to exfoliate with baking soda?

Yes, it is. Baking soda is generally safe to use on the skin. However, your skin may react differently to it. 

Before you begin to use baking soda to exfoliate your skin, ensure that you do a patch test to gauge your skin’s reaction to it. If your skin reacts badly to it, do not use it to exfoliate your skin. 

Can you use baking soda to exfoliate your skin every day?

No, you can’t. You shouldn’t exfoliate your skin with baking soda every day, as this can irritate and damage your skin barrier. 

Generally, one should only exfoliate two to three times weekly and the same goes for baking soda exfoliants.

Can baking soda exfoliant reduce blackheads?

Yes, it can. Using baking soda to exfoliate your skin can help to reduce the formation of blackheads.

Baking soda contains exfoliating properties that can help to unclog pores to prevent blackheads. 

Conclusion

Baking soda works as an excellent exfoliator to help dissolve dead skin cells on the skin. This makes it easy to remove dirt and grimes from the surface of the skin. While baking soda works to cleanse the skin, it also has other benefits to the skin. 

Baking soda can help to fight skin infections, prevent breakouts, brighten the skin and reduce excess oil. However, the benefits of baking soda are just as much as the side effects when misused. 

Avoid using baking soda on the face, and ensure that you do a patch test before using it on your skin.

Thanks for reading. 

Visit Serum101 for more exfoliating guides.