We all have our usual nightly routine before we go to bed.
Most people enjoy this ritual of self care before catching 40 winks,
which may include brushing your teeth, flossing, brushing your hair and yes, washing your face.
Everyone’s skin is different and there are so many products out
there that claim all sorts of different benefits.
Recently baking soda has been in the limelight for its versatility, in fact we have another
video about baking soda called “8 Benefits of Baking Soda” that you can check out later.
What we want to know today is, can you use this wonder powder to wash your face?
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There are many facial cleansing products out there that might have baking soda in them,
or claim to hold the benefits of baking soda,
so it’s understandable why someone would think baking soda can be used to wash your face.
You can use baking soda for all kinds of things like whitening your teeth and even
helping with heartburn, but when it comes to you face...it’s a bit more complicated.
There’s a lot of information out there about baking soda working
wonders if you have acne prone skin, or oily skin.
If you google it right now you’ll probably find a million and one
recipes for homemade baking soda wash that can clear up your zits.
However, the FDA has not approved the use of baking soda on your skin to treat acne,
so there’s that.
While there hasn't been that many studies we could find on the effects of baking soda as a face wash,
the general consensus from medical professionals is that
baking soda will probably do more harm than good.
If you’re really struggling with your acne and really want to try baking soda,
we advise that you do a spot test.
Try it out on a small part of your skin and see if you have any reaction (like a rash).
You don’t want to put something all over your face
if you don’t know what it’s going to do to your face, right?
There’s also a few other reasons why you should
probably avoid the use of baking soda on your face.
And we’re gonna talk about them right now.
Your skin is kind of complicated.
Without getting too deep into the chemistry of it all, basically baking soda disrupts
the natural oils and acidity of your skin because baking soda is a basic.
Sodium bicarbonate is something that neutralizes acid,
which is why it works on things like heartburn.
But on your skin, baking soda is just too harsh,
and can result in really throwing off the natural oils your skin needs to stay balanced.
Skin is naturally acidic on purpose,
it sort of protects the skin with an oily barrier and throwing something into the mix
that's going to neutralize all this needed acidity will actually make your skin more
likely to become infected and will eventually see more breakouts than when you started.
Some common side effects of using baking soda on the skin are:
-Extremely dry skin after using baking soda a few times.
-Your acne is likely to become worse
-Your skin might become more sensitive in general, even to everyday things like the sun.
-Your skin could become very irritated or inflamed
-This could increase your chances of the skin becoming wrinkled at a younger age.
Baking Soda Is Pretty Harsh.
While it can work wonders around the house, baking soda can be too much for the skin.
While baking soda itself isn’t actually harmful, the side effects might be.
Most people won’t realize they have a sensitivity
to baking soda until it’s too late and a rash already appears.
Sometimes baking soda can cause redness,
or even a burning sensation on the skin if used too often, or on sensitive skin.
If you do use baking soda (like in a deodorant) and you develop a rash or reaction to it,
make sure you see a medical professional like a dermatologist.
Deep Scrubbing.
Exfoliating sounds like it would work wonders for your skin.
You’ll often hear “deep exfoliation” as a
bonus when talking about any kind of face scrub, or mask.
Baking soda can be used as an exfoliator when made into a paste, but again isn’t recommended.
While exfoliation does help out your skin tone and can be very nice once in a while,
you should really space out when your exfoliate in order to give your skin time to replenish some
of those necessary oils and acidity to reform that protective barrier we talked about earlier.
There are many remedies for acne treatment that talk about mixing baking soda with
things like lemon juice or coconut oil, but keep in mind, baking soda is still very basic
even when added to these other mixtures and if you’re going to venture into the unknown,
always do a spot test before applying the mixture to your entire face.
Remember every skin type is different and it may take time to find a cleanser that works for you.
This goes double with those with very sensitive skin or those who are prone to acne.
Here are a few tips when it comes to washing your face:
-If you battle with dry or overly sensitive skin , try to stay away
from anything that will strip you skin of it’s natural oils (like baking soda).
Instead you want to look for cleansers that are detergent free, or are glycerin-based.
-For those with acne prone skin, some folks do say that using baking soda spot treatments
works wonders, however we don’t recommend it.
Your skin is going to be harder to treat because it can be oily and dry at the same time.
Try using a gentle cleanser or something medicated that contains salicylic acid or glycolic acid.
If your skin is really troublesome, it’s always
best to check in with your dermatologist and find out what you best options are.
-If you’re someone with oily skin you want to set your sights on something foamy
that will help lift that extra oil off your skin, but still leave enough that it won’t be damaging.
When it comes to washing your face at the end of the night,
really all you need is some clean water.
That is if you don’t have a bunch of makeup on.
Coconut oil can help remove waxy leftover makeup from the day and won’t irritate
your skin like some makeup removers that contain alcohol.
You’ll want to avoid anything with alcohol in it as it could irritate your face.
Washing your face, really doesn’t have to be that complicated, the main thing is to keep it simple.
What do you use to wash your face?
What kind of skin do you have?
Why not let us know your face washing routine, and what works for you in the comments section below.