Baking soda is a versatile ingredient people use for anything from cleaning to beauty treatments and to improve their overall health as well. Besides this, baking soda can whiten your clothes, absorb odors, freshen up carpets and clean different types of surfaces. However, not many people are aware that it can also do wonders for your skin and hair. Here are the main beauty benefits of baking soda:
- Whitens teeth
Check the label of the whitening toothpaste you have at home – it should contain baking soda. When mixed with hydrogen peroxide, baking soda can effectively whiten your teeth, but don’t use it often as it may damage the enamel on your teeth. Stick to once a week and you should be fine.
- Eliminates acne
Baking soda is a great natural remedy for acne and pimples – just mix it with some water to make a paste, then apply it on the affected areas and leave it to dry before rinsing with lukewarm water.
- Softens the skin
Baking soda can make your skin super-soft. Just mix it with some soap and water and apply the mixture on your hands, then leave it to dry and rinse with warm water in the end. This will hydrate your skin and also remove baking odors.
- Relieves body odor
Fill your bathtub with water and add a cup of baking soda in it, then soak in the solution twice a week to eliminate all bacteria on your skin and relieve body odor.
- Freshens your breath
Mint drops can’t help you in cases of bad breath, but baking soda can. Add a teaspoon of it in a glass of water and mix well, then gargle the solution to clean your oral cavity and throat and eliminate all bacteria responsible for the bad breath.
- Cleans your nails
Mix baking soda and water in a 3:1 ratio, then apply the paste on your nails and rinse well. This will clean your nails perfectly and soften your cuticles as well.
- Cleans your hair
Shampoos and conditioners never work as advertised and might seriously damage your hair and scalp. Luckily, baking soda can clean your scalp and skin even better – use it once a month to regulate your scalp’s pH levels and improve the quality of your hair.
- A natural exfoliator
Run some baking soda on your skin every day to remove dead skin cells and keep it clean.
- Eliminates excess sweat
Baking soda is a great natural deodorant. Mix it with a few drops of your favorite essential oil and apply some on your armpits to eliminate bacteria and remove the odor. This mixture works great and will keep you fresh for several hours.