I find I am really enjoying doing this series on natural beauty tricks and I do hope you’ve found one or two useful hacks to get your skin clean and glowing! We’ve talked, in our past posts, about natural face masks, moisturizer, exfoliation methods and even what teas to use on your skin to treat various problems, such as dark spots and acne. And again, I hope some of these have helped you. But if you still haven’t found what you’re looking for, fear not, for we’ve got a lot more tips for you.
I mentioned in the post about natural exfoliation the amazing ingredient that is baking soda. And today, I would like to expand on that because really, it has so many great uses, it would seem a shame not to mention at least some of them.
1. Sore Throat
I know, not technically beauty, but still...not much use in looking fabulous when you sound like an old crone, is there? For the past few days, I’ve been struggling with a terribly sore throat and the only thing that seems to help is this. I heat up about a glass of water, not until it’s boiling, but until it is pretty hot (careful though, not too hot! You don’t want to burn your throat with it!). I pour it into a glass and add about 2 teaspoons of baking soda and mix well.
Afterwards, I take small mouthfuls of the mixture and gargle it above the sink, until the whole glass is gone. I know, it sounds gross, but the baking soda has an incredibly relieving effect on pain and my throat feels as good as new (for a couple hours). Do this a few times a day to relieve pain and speed up the recovery process.
Be warned though, it’s pretty salty! Oh, and try not to drink water at least 5 minutes after you’re done, so that the baking soda has some more time to work on your throat!
2. White Teeth
An absolute must for any lady and any gentleman who wants to make a good impression, white teeth are increasingly hard to come by. There are so many staining agents in our food that make that pearly glow nearly impossibly to attain.
Wine and coffee are particularly mean to our teeth and make us look as if we’ve been smoking a pack a day for the past twenty years, you know what I mean?
And while there are various at-home remedies for stained teeth out there, my personal favorite (and the one I’ve found to be most efficient) is baking soda.
It’s pretty simply, you just scoop some baking soda on your tooth brush and then brush your teeth normally. You can follow this up with a “normal” toothpaste, or leave it like that, since baking soda is pretty good at cleaning your teeth also, and you should be fine.
Be careful with baking soda, don’t use this remedy more than twice (three times, tops) a week, since it can be somewhat abrasive and it removes the plaque off your teeth, which may, in time, lead to problems. I have actually heard that slightly yellowy teeth are healthier than perfect white (Since the constant bleaching process is apparently what weakens the teeth in the first place), but I doubt we'll be giving up on that perfect smile any time soon...
3. Problematic Skin
Actress (and my personal beauty idol) Liv Tyler swears by baking soda baths - source
Whether you’ve been battling acne for several years or just get the occasional outbreak during those lovely days of the month, baking soda might just be the remedy for you!
Again, you can exfoliate with it, but that gets pretty rough, too, and may end up causing more harm than good. But a good way to treat problematic skin is to just add some baking soda to your bath, just until the bath water is kinda cloudy.
And then just bathe for some twenty minutes, of however long you like to be in the bath, and all that while, the baking soda is working on your skin, flushing out the toxins from your body.
If baths aren’t really your thing (I used to do this quite a bit, 2-3 baking soda baths a week, and used to get really dizzy and sick), you can always keep a baking soda pack close to hand and rub it into your freshly cleaned skin. It exfoliates the dirt out and leaves your skin feeling extra soft!
4. Tired Feet
I know, I know, you’ve been on your feet all day – maybe in heels – and all you want to do is sit down and relax. But still, that tired feeling lingers. Even when you’re in bed and have your feet up, they still feel rough and un-loved.
Yes, you’ve guessed it, baking soda is great for your feet as well! So go ahead and soak your feet into warm water – add about 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda into the mix and relax. Really, it’s great because it softens the feet and kills some of that dead skin that makes walking so tiring.
Oh, and if you’re anything like me and love giving yourself a pedicure at home, baking soda is simply a must. As I said, it really softens the skin, which makes removing said dead skin that much easier! Give it a try.
5. Hair, Hair
Photo by Tamara Bellis on Unsplash
You may have heard of the ‘no shampoo’ method, which basically washing your hair with baking soda and vinegar, instead of normal shampoo (read more about that here).
It’s an increasingly popular method, apparently, and I’ve seen many beauty bloggers swear by it. I haven't tried going full 'no shampoo', however, so can't recommend it.If that sounds like something you might like to do, make sure you do your research before hand, okay?
But maybe that’s not for you and that’s alright. You can also sprinkle some baking soda into the palm of your hand, before you pour your regular shampoo. The added baking soda helps get rid of the dirt your hair’s accumulated. Again, don't try this too often, because it can prove too harsh for your hair.
Also, I’ve heard it makes for great dry shampoo, which sounds interesting. Just rub a little on your scalp, to absorb excess oil and you’re ready to go. I haven’t tried this yet, so I can’t say how useful it is, but who knows? Might be something to it. I’m not a fan of store-bought dry shampoo, mainly because I don’t know what goes in it, so I’ll definitely give this a try.
These are my five main beauty uses for baking soda. I’ve also read that is makes for a great natural deodorant. Again, haven’t tried this, so I have my reservations about recommending it, but in theory, it should work. Baking soda is known for its odor-neutralizing properties (it can also be used to freshen your breath and even clean stuff like drains, so…) and I imagine there is some truth to this ‘deodorant’ thing.
Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, has been called by many a ‘miracle ingredient’. It can be used to clean silver (effectively, I’m happy to say), clean brushes, treat insect bites and sunburn, cleanse combs and has many, varied uses around the house. Now, some I have tried, some I have not, and I’ve tried to keep this post to beauty-related uses only, but if you’re curious to read more – check this post out!
So, what’s your relationship with baking soda?
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