Baking soda is just a common, everyday kitchen ingredient, or so you may think. Also known as sodium bicarbonate, this wonder agent can also do multiple things around the house more effectively than their more expensive counterparts. Although many know that it can be used as a cleaning agent and in baking, only a few know about the many other benefits of using baking soda in their regular regimen.

Here are 22 awesome ways you can use baking soda to improve the look and feel of your skin and hair.

1. Skin Exfoliant

Baking soda can be used as an exfoliating agent as it is alkaline and this helps to strip off the dead skin cells. When exfoliating your skin, add some water to make a smooth paste and use this to gently scrub your face to get rid of dead cells. To make it more effective, consider adding some oil such as coconut oil or vitamin E oil. Oatmeal is another great ingredient to add, as it helps to soothe the skin, leaving you with a glowing skin in no time.

2. Evening out Your Skin Tone

Do you have freckles, dark spots, or acne scars that cause you to have an uneven skin tone? No worries. You can use baking soda to even out your skin. The ingredient is a perfect neutralizer as it has a pH balancing capacity.

3. Soothe Dry and Combination Skin

People with combination and dry skin have a hard time finding products that don’t strip them of their oil. Combination skin can also be problematic to handle as you don’t know what will react and what will not. You can use a baking soda face mask to brighten dull skin or moisturize dry skin. All you need is honey, lemon juice, and baking soda. Combine these ingredients and apply the paste to your face. Leave this mixture for 10-15 minutes, wash off, and apply a moisturizer. The honey helps to moisturize while Vitamin C is effective in brightening the skin. This face mask can also be used for people with acne prone skin.

4. Unclog Pores

When the skin is exposed to different products, this leads to dead skin cells, deposited oil, and sebum cells which clog the pores. You can use baking soda to unclog pores and reveal a smooth, brightened skin. To create this face mask, you need a few drops of rose water, cucumber juice, lemon juice, and baking soda. Remember to moisturize after washing off the mask.

5. Anti-Aging Ingredient

Aging is every woman’s nightmare. No one wants to deal with fine lines and wrinkles in their early thirties or forties. Although baking soda doesn’t get rid of wrinkles, it’s able to remove dead skin cells to reveal a younger looking skin. Baking soda combined with an egg helps to tighten the skin, due to its protein content.

6. Get Rid of Blackheads

Pimples and rashes brought about by acne could leave you with ugly blackheads. To get rid of this, use a tablespoon of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to make a paste. Leave this paste on for five minutes and wash off with water. This remedy should not be used more than a week as frequent use of hydrogen peroxide could be harmful to the skin.

7. Acne Remedy

Teenage acne or hormonal acne can be problematic to handle due to the redness and itching. Fortunately, baking soda can help with this as it regulates the skin’s pH levels and heals the redness and itching. To combat acne, you can use a few drops of rose water, sandalwood, and baking soda. Sandalwood has antibacterial properties which fights off the fungi and bacteria. Rose water helps in providing soothing coolness to an inflamed skin.

8. Skin Brightening

Dehydration, acne, and poor diet can leave you with a dull skin. Baking soda can help brighten the skin by exfoliating the dull skin. Adding orange juice also helps to liven up your dull skin.

9. Skin Yeast Infection

Yeast or candida bacteria exists on skin, particularly on areas such as throat, mouth, intestinal tract and genitals. When these bacteria multiply abnormally, it causes a yeast infection. Baking soda has an alkaline nature and anti-fungal properties which aid in the treatment of this type of infection. A glass of water with half a teaspoon of baking soda can be consumed. Alternatively, you can make a paste with water and baking soda and apply it directly to the skin up to a maximum of four minutes.

10. Skin Rashes

Baking soda has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects. Its alkaline nature makes it effective in relieving your skin from swelling and itching experienced when one has rashes. To make this mask, you’ll need half a teaspoon of baking soda and half a teaspoon of coconut oil.

11. Relieve The Effects of Psoriasis

Psoriasis is characterized by itchy and red skin. Baking soda can help with skin psoriasis if used sparingly. Using baking soda without a thought could flare up your psoriasis as baking soda makes the slightly acidic skin, alkaline. Being too acidic could promote the growth of bacteria and if it’s too alkaline, dryness may occur lead to worse psoriasis.

The best time to use baking soda for psoriasis is when you have scaly heels, heavy lesions on your skin, or thick heels. Use it in small quantities at least twice a month. An ideal combination would be castor oil and baking soda. Remember not to apply this paste if you have a cracked skin surface.

12. Get Rid of Acne Scars

If you’ve previously suffered from acne, you know the spots and scars it leaves on your face. Baking soda not only helps with acne, it also gets rid of these ugly scars by exfoliating and removing the dead skin cells. All you need is water and baking soda to make this paste.

13. Sun Burn

Failing to apply enough sunscreen can leave you with sun burns. As a result, you may experiencing a burning or an itching sensation that doesn’t go away. You can make a cool compress for this type of problem using water and baking soda.

14. Skin Tightener

The skin is exposed to different toxins and pollutants which clog the pores, Baking soda, being an alkaline substance, helps in sloughing off the dead skin cells, which in turn leads to tightened skin pores. Adding honey also makes this more effective. Use a few drops of water, a tablespoon of honey, and two table spoons of baking soda to make a paste. Leave this for 10 minutes and wash off with lukewarm water.

15. Makeup remover and face wash

Some types of makeup can be difficult to remove with plain water and soap. You can use baking soda as a face wash and makeup remover by adding some to water to make a paste. Remember to thoroughly rinse your face when done.

16. For Skin Tanning Purposes

Over-exposure to sun can give you a tan that is difficult to remove. To get rid of this tan, use vinegar, baking soda, and water to make a paste. Apply this in a circular motion and leave it for a maximum of ten minutes. Rinse off with water and apply a moisturizer.

17. Get rid of dark circles

Dark circles are a common beauty problem most women experience. You can use baking soda, oats, and water to make a paste. Apply this mixture under the eyes to exfoliate and remove the dead skin cells. Avoid contact with the eyes as this can be harmful.

Baking soda can also be used on the hair to bring back luster and treat certain problems. Here are some ways baking soda helps with your hair.

19. As a shampoo

You can use baking soda as a shampoo. All you need to do is to add it to your favorite shampoo to cleanse your hair and all the residue present. Also, this makes hair manageable and clean. Alternatively, you can wash your hair with water and baking soda to achieve these results.

18. Relief Dandruff

It is estimated that 40% of people in North America and Europe suffer from dandruff, a chronic scalp condition aggravated by pollution, sensitivity to certain products, hormonal changes, and stress. While dandruff is not contagious or harmful, it can be difficult to deal with. The good news is that you can control symptoms like irritation or flaking with baking soda. The pH balancing and natural cleansing properties in baking soda are effective in dealing with dandruff.

To make this mixture, combine apple cider vinegar and baking soda. Apply this on your scalp and leave it for 15-30 minutes. Rinse your hair with cool water, Repeat this at least twice a week to see the difference.

20. Hair brush cleaner

If you’re always experiencing problems like itchiness and dandruff, the problem could be that you’re not washing your combs properly. Simply use a tablespoon of baking soda and a cup of lukewarm water to wash your combs. Rinse them with plain water and allow them to dry.

21. As a conditioner

Baking soda can also be used as a hair conditioner, simply mix your favorite conditioner with half a cup of baking soda to make a paste. Let this sit for 20 minutes and rinse off with cool water to reveal easy, manageable hair.

22. Hair rinse

Another way you can incorporate baking soda into your hair care is by using it as a rinse. Mix a cup of warm water with half a cup baking soda. Use this in place of shampooing or after using your normal shampooing.

Caution of Baking Soda Use on Skin

Although baking soda has numerous benefits for skin, hair and more, it also has a drying effect which could irritate the skin, particularly for those with sensitive skin. Before using any of these recipes, use a patch test on a small area to see if you experience any unwanted side effects.

In addition, avoid regular use of baking soda as it may interfere with the pH balance of your skin. If you have dry skin, only use it once and for other skin times, twice per week would be effective.

Common side effects of using baking soda include tingling, painful skin, and itching. Some may experience dryer skin when using this substance.

Apart from the patch test, one can use a toner such as apple cider vinegar after using the baking soda to cleanse or exfoliate their skin.

You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on beauty products or expose yourself to harmful chemicals to get the best beauty treatments. You can easily use ingredients at home and one of the miracle workers in this case is baking soda.