Should You Really be Using Baking Soda on Your Face?
The internet is a magical place full of useful information, online shopping and the occasional cat meme, of course. However, there is a lot of misinformation as well – especially when it comes to skincare.
DIY skin care remedies have been making their way around the web lately. These remedies usually recommend using common foods/household products in place of skincare products. Some can be beneficial – for instance, mixing sugar with a little avocado oil to make a lip scrub is a great and inexpensive idea.
However, one not so great home remedy is cleansing/scrubbing your skin with baking soda. Some articles online claim it’s an ” all natural & chemical free remedy for a perfect complexion.” This is far from the truth. Baking soda is a chemical and it has no place on the skin!
We understand that these simple remedies can be tempting since most of the ingredients are easily accessible around the house but please DO NOT cleanse or exfoliate your delicate facial skin with baking soda. We are here to explain why this can actually wreak havoc on your skin in the long run.
We’ve discussed the importance of our skin’s acid mantle several times on our blog. You may check out those posts here:
Benefits of Ceramides in Skin Care
To summarize, our skin’s acid mantle is an oily layer on the surface of the skin that protects us from bacteria, pollution, and free radicals. It also helps our skin retain moisture and prevents evaporation so our skin stays hydrated and healthy. When our barrier is damaged, our skin becomes susceptible to external damage and moisture loss.
Below is a photo of the pH scale. Any substance between 1-6 is acidic, 7 is considered neutral and 8-14 is alkaline. Healthy skin is pretty acidic – it falls between 4.5-5.5 on the pH scale. Baking soda is has a pH between 8-10 which means it is alkaline.
Scrubbing your skin with a highly alkaline product will completely destroy the acid mantle – removing all protective oils and making our skin prone to damage, irritation/inflammation and dehydration. Instead of using baking soda, try using our LEROSETT® Spot Treatment and Clearing Mask a few times a week to exfoliate, unclog pores and remove excess oil from your skin.
In conclusion, it’s best to use baking soda in a cleaning solution around your home, not on your skin.
For more information regarding popular skincare misconceptions, check out our blog post-Popular Pinterest Beauty Hacks that are NOT Safe for your Skin.