I’ve been rather busy and haven’t been experimenting with new DIY beauty recipes. However, I’m still use some of my DIY concoctions. In fact, some of them are used daily. Today, I’ll share the five ways I use my favorite ingredient – baking soda – in my beauty routine. Baking soda is a sodium bicarbonate, and can actually regulate pH balance, hence making it a great ingredient for our skin. The ingredient is easily found in supermarkets and a box that cost less than S$2 can last quite a long time!
1. Natural deodorant
I have been using baking soda more consistently as my deodorant since I ran out of my commercial deodorant. All I need is to mix a quarter teaspoon of baking soda with a quarter teaspoon of water. After mixing it into a watery paste, I pour the mixture into a cotton pad, apply on my underarms and voila, I am ready to go. Occasionally, I add some droplets of rose geranium and tea tree essential oil.
2. Natural facial exfoliant
Baking soda is quite a wonderful ingredient to use for exfoliating when moistened. All that is needed is some water to wet the baking soda into a paste and then to rub on the area you want to exfoliate. I used to use this for my nose area with lots of blackheads but occasionally, I’ll add to my cleanser and use this as a scrub. It feels pretty gentle but it is very effective. However, I wouldn’t recommend using this too often as baking soda is pretty abrasive. I only use this once a while on my entire face.
3. Natural body scrub
You can use baking soda as a body scrub or mix it with Epsom salt to give some relief to muscle aches. Definitely great to scrub those elbows and kneecaps. Keeps them smooth and clean.
4. Natural dry shampoo
Many have said they use baking soda to clarify their hair from residue build up by adding the ingredient into their shampoo. I’ve tried that but don’t really like to use it in that manner but found that this ingredient can make quite an effective dry shampoo to clean out the oily residue. I had initially thought it might leave my hair stiff and sticky but on the contrary, my hair felt very smooth after applying this. I am considering using this to replace the Klorane dry shampoo I use.
5. Natural teeth whitener
If your teeth are yellow from drinking too much coffee and tea, you can use baking soda to whiten them naturally. In fact, this was how I got acquainted with baking soda. I usually add a small amount of baking soda on my usual toothpaste as the taste of baking soda alone can be quite unbearable.
Isn’t baking soda great? Have you tried using it in any other ways for beauty sake? Do share!
wow…thanks for sharing..definitely going to try no5 and no2~..thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome. I hope you’ll find it great. You can also read this post to find my explanation on using it as a toothpaste.
http://www.vivawoman.net/2008/08/27/diy-beauty-baking-soda-to-whiten-your-teeth/
I use baking soda for a quick exfoliating session too….it’s one of those quick, easy things…
The deodorant use was something I learned from your blog and thanks for that – it’s pretty effective too…
I’ve never tried using it as a scalp scrub though – always been a bit nervous about that.
As for the dry shampoo substitute, I like to add a bit of cornstarch (from the same clabber girl brand) for better absorption of the greasies, since most dry shampoos have some kind of starch component – that’s the only variation I make 🙂
It’s okay to add in the shampoo – it makes your hair a bit dryer as it really cleans them. But I don’t like it used that way.
Cornstarch? I didn’t know…must try it out! Thanks for sharing the tip! 🙂
I read about it being a natural exfoliant too, but for teeth whitening its new! Is the taste really that unbearable, and does it really work? I am daily coffee drinker, I think I need to spruce up my teeth lol
It’s great…you’ll see the difference after one or two brushes. But if the teeth are yellow inherently or due to aging, a bit more difficult.
The taste is a bit salty and yes, awful. You might like to try it just for the experience. Maybe you’ll find it more bearable.
It can be used as dry shampoo?
I just decided on daily exercise by walking 1 mrt station home everyday instead of taking the feeder bus. So, I have a problem now. I really don’t like to wash my hair everyday as daily washings makes my hair really dry, especially the ends. But I don’t like the sweat in my hair either!
Wondering if I should just use the dry shampoo. But seems like its gonna be a big investment because the Tony & Guy can of dry shampoo is close to finished but I have only used less than 10 times!
If baking soda works, then it would really be cost effective. Does it leave your hair white? Since it doesn’t come in a spray can, how to work it into the hair???
Yes, for me it works. But my hair is little compared to yours…
I pour the baking soda into my palm and rub in. This is what I do with Klorane’s dry shampoo too. More control for me. Maybe you can try the baking soda and see if it works for you. It’s cheap and if it doesn’t work, can always leave it in the kitchen to clean stains…
Thanks for the info!!
Let me think about it. Because now it isn’t the greasiness. Its sweat!!! I can’t smell my hair but I don’t know if it will smell bad to others. More because of I’m self consciousness. I suppose it might be better to wash daily.
great tips! thanks!!!
You’re welcome!
i always wondered why my mum would keep baking soda in our bathrooms. then one day i saw her rubbing some on her teeth, the next day i see her scrubbing the bathroom with it. multi-purpose stuff!
Oh yes, it’s really multi purpose. I keep some in the kitchen to clean stains too.
Ive often used a saucer of baking soda in the fridge and bathroom to eliminate odours, good for absorbing odours like onion or fish from the fridge etc
Oh that’s a cool tip!
i used a little bit of bakingsoda with my shampoo…i was hoping to cleanse any oil buildup & to see if my hair doesn’t look so thin afterward.. i’m not sure it really work..the hair look still flat…in term of oil buildup i can’t tell the different..
I don’t think it has any effect to increase volume…that’s also why I don’t really like it.
I stay away from baking soda for my face. I only use oatmeal and water as an exfoliant. I also stay away from it being in my hair because it can lighten your hair overtime! I love my dark dark hair and that thought of it being lightened even in the slightest freaks me out! haha. I do like it in toothpaste and for cleaning surfaces like sinks though. I think it is also a good deoderant alternative.
It can lightened hair??? I didn’t know. Hmm…I should be careful with my hair then cos mine is already light. Thanks for telling me this!
there is this korean brand shampoo that is effectively remove oily build up on hair in the first wash. i was amazed with the result when the hairdresser used that shampoo. my mum also got really great result from it.
it called VOi Blue Marine cool shampoo, can’t find any review on the internet, but you can try some of the korean hairdresser around your area.
i bought mine at AUD$20, it comes in a 1 litre bottle, so its huge.
i tried baking soda as a face mask b4, got really great result, love the afterward feel haha
i would love to try it as a teeth whitener. but will it damage the enamel? i wonder.
It should damage if you don’t use it everyday. I used it weekly and then now, maybe twice a month.
Karen, do u know where you can find the shampoo on the internet? or do you know the korean name for it or have a picture of it?
help!! is there a different between baking soda and baking powder?
Yes, they’re not the same. You can find baking soda at the baking section though.
LOL…i bought baking powder instead! aiyayaya!
Hohoho…never mind…can use it for baking!
Could baking soda turn hair white? I had been adding baking soda to my shampoo for a couple months.. recently found out i got white hairs =/ i’m sure there’s already white hairs before i just never notice it but could baking soda have contribute more?
It might as it seems to cause the hair color to fade. So best not to use it on the hair too frequently.
Hi,
Thanks for this posts. I find the whitening of teeth with baking soda slow, but effective. Atleast, its safer. Also, do you have any home remedies or actual products (that you know of) that works on stretchmarks?
Stretch marks are really tricky. I know some one who exfoliates a lot on the area and then use dermaroller. Apparently that helps.
I just realized that I love your beauty blog!! I am too, like you, in the quest for natural/organic skincare products! I’ve been replacing my pricey, chemicals chockfull of products and trying to use more natural products or at least resort to a much milder one.
Ones I especially love the most is my DIY toner (raw ACV-jap greentea-aspirin) and my herbal oil. The herbal oil I purchased from local Javanese products manufacturer. The packaging isn’t actually a beauty but the price and ingredients are amazing. The oil was actually a herbal massage oil but I use it on my oily face and does it make my skin glow! The oil is considerably quick to absorb. And the toner does wonder in drying my tiny back acnes in a night!!
I am also putting away my TBS Body Butters. Although they smell gorgeous but the ingredients list isn’t. I’m getting body butters and creams from the same manufacturers and am very happy. I also got myself some body scrubs, lulur, jamu, masks and loads of stuff that actually show results. And at the same time I am helping the local industries as well! I can’t be happier. =]
Wow, would love to get my hands on your herbal oil. Never tried the ACV-green tea toner and first time hearing that it can be added with aspirin. I’ve read raves about ACV with green tea and was wondering if I should try.
TBS…haha…good to give a miss. Products smell good but ingredients not great for skin in the long term. Maybe their organic range is better.
Wow. They do have an organic range?? I would never know because the only TBS product I use now is their Lip&Cheek Stain hahaha. I can miss brow pencil, eye liner, and mascara (girls in my family are cursed with thin-sparse-transparent brows and lashes, while the boys-my cousins-have the most luscious lash and brows) but this is essential. And I usually, ask my mom to get it because she usually knows the SAs and get discounts or bonuses. Kekekeke.
I am now dropping off aspirin to a much less frequent use as I posted in one of your blog post (darn I forget which one kekeke) and opt for this instead to use on mask and scrub.
Yes, it’s under Nutriganics. Got a review here:
http://www.vivawoman.net/2010/04/15/nutriganics-skincare-range-from-the-body-shop/
Can you use malt vinegar on hair?
If this thing can whiten teeth..can we use it to whiten skin also? Sorry if i sound weird, but i guess it helps exfoliate..so it should do the job, right?
It can exfoliate skin but it is too rough to use it often. I use it only on my nose and chin area.
I know this is a really old post but I’d like to say that I do love baking soda as an exfoliant and a clarifier for the hair. I use it as a scrub, twice a week but then I think my skin isn’t sensitive to it. It really dries out the zits that I have too and clears the blackheads. I used to use it as hair cleanser once a week but I found it too drying. I didn’t know that you can use baking soda as teeth whitener. I think I shall try this soon.
Yes it works well for temporary stains on our teeth.