Facial cleansing with baking soda

The desire to remain beautiful is inherent in women of any age. That is why experiments and the search for new recipes never cease. No one remembers how ordinary baking soda got into homemade cosmetics recipes, but enthusiastic reviews will not let it leave this area of application. Soda is used for face cleaning, has whitening properties and cares for the skin. The variety of recipes from an ordinary product is fascinating. As it turned out, to make the skin clean and white, it is enough to make a few masks or use a scrub from soda. How to properly cleanse the face with soda?

Indications and contraindications for cleaning the face with soda

The use of cleansing masks is recommended to combat the following skin imperfections:

• excess fat production;
• enlarged pores;
• comedones;
• acne;
• significant pollution.

Soda masks should not be used if:

• the skin of the face is very thin, delicate, and highly sensitive;
• there are wounds, scratches, inflammation, dermatitis;
• dry skin. You can add fatty components (cream, olive oil) to the mask. But it is still not recommended to use this method of cleansing often.

Preparing the skin

Facial cleaning with soda is performed exclusively on cleansed skin. Makeup is first washed off the face.

The procedure will be more effective if the skin is well steamed beforehand. You can take a shower before cleaning, or even better, take a steam bath with medicinal herbs. Then the removal of accumulated dirt and fat particles from the pores will be easy, and the active components of the cream used after the procedure will be instantly absorbed.

A steam bath is prepared as follows: add a handful of dried chamomile flowers to a saucepan with water, bring to a boil, and leave on the fire for two more minutes. To ensure maximum effect from steaming, cover your head with a cloth, remove the container from the fire, and lean over it for a few minutes.

Advantages and disadvantages of using soda in cosmetic procedures

Soda is a natural antiseptic, it is often used to disinfect and cleanse oily and acne-prone skin. It creates an alkaline environment on the surface of the epidermis, due to which the oily shine disappears, and enlarged pores become smaller.

Soda also relieves inflammation and has a softening effect. It is also known for its anti-allergic effect: soda effectively eliminates irritation and redness.

However, cleaning your face with soda should be done with extreme caution, as it has a high level of abrasiveness, and if used incorrectly, this will inevitably lead to damage to delicate skin and an increase in the problems that have already occurred.

Simple rules

Everyone knows how soda works on dishes or tiles – it practically eats away dirt particles, making the surface flawless. A soda-based mask works on the skin in the same way, and its too strong effect can be softened with other ingredients. When deciding to use soda recipes at home, you should definitely follow simple rules:

• Do not use a scrub or mask based on soda on thin and sensitive skin prone to dryness.
• Before using a new recipe, you should do a test by applying the mask to your wrist. If there are no changes in the skin in this area in the form of spots or itching, then you can safely begin applying the composition to your face.
• Be careful not to leave the mask on for too long. Sodium acts instantly, so 10 minutes is enough to get results.
• Facial cleaning with soda is carried out no more than once every five to seven days. However, cosmetologists do not limit the duration of use: you can use soda until the final solution to skin problems.
• You should not resort to soda for preventive purposes when there are no obvious skin problems; cleaning your face with soda can be replaced with other products with a milder effect.
• The result will be more impressive if you steam your skin with soda before cleansing your face.
  In no case should you apply the soda mixture to the skin around your eyes. This will damage the thin and delicate skin, leaving swelling and redness for a long time.
• After washing off the soda mask, you need to apply a good nourishing cream to your skin.

Cleaning technique

There is nothing complicated here. To clean your face with soda, you need to prepare a scrub by diluting the soda powder with warm water until it reaches the consistency of sour cream, and apply it with massage movements.
This scrub will remove dead skin particles, open the pores well, which will help the cells breathe and improve the metabolism in the epidermis. The use of soda in home beauty recipes is not limited to this recipe: adding other components, such as oatmeal, grated soap, honey, activates the action of soda and at the same time provides more gentle care.

When going through recipes, first of all, evaluate the health of your skin and its sensitivity to the scrub ingredients. Soda will show a good result if you cleanse oily and combination skin. If your skin is thin, be careful not to overdo it during the procedure.

• Recipe #1. Facial cleansing with soda and soap

Take 1 teaspoon of soda powder. Mix it with an equal volume of baby soap shavings diluted in a small amount of water. Soap can be replaced with a cleanser. Apply the mixture to your face with massage movements and gently massage for 1-2 minutes. Wash with water at room temperature. For oily skin, the procedure can be done weekly, for combination and normal skin - 2 times a month, for atopic skin, it is not recommended to cleanse more than once a month.

• Recipe #2. Facial cleansing with soda and salt

Wash with water, but dry the skin with a towel. Gently rub your face with salt and then soda with your fingertips. Wash with room temperature water and finish the procedure by applying an active nourishing cream. This procedure is considered very effective, but for sensitive skin it may be too aggressive. Do not use this recipe if the skin is damaged and inflamed.

• Recipe #3. Cleaning your face with shaving foam and soda

Before steaming the face, mix the soda with shaving foam and let the mixture sit for a while. After steaming the skin, start cleansing. To do this, take a toothbrush with soft bristles. Hold the brush under running hot water for a while. After that, apply the prepared mixture and carefully but at the same time treat the skin in the T-zone and chin, where clogged pores can often be seen. The entire procedure will take no more than 5 minutes. After that, wash your face with water at room temperature.

• Recipe #4. Facial cleansing with soda and peroxide

Before the procedure, wipe the skin with a tonic with alcohol. Dip a cotton pad soaked in a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide into Extra salt, and then into soda powder. Then carefully treat the skin, concentrating on the areas where blackheads are concentrated. This procedure will help whiten the skin and relieve inflammation.

• Recipe #5. For gentle cleansing

This recipe is recommended for those with sensitive skin prone to atopy. For the procedure, mix equal amounts of salt, soda and oatmeal softened with milk. After application, gently massage the skin with your fingertips. To enhance the effect, leave the mask on for a few minutes and then rinse with warm water.

• Recipe #6. Cleaning with soda, salt and olive oil

Add a little olive oil to equal parts of baking soda and salt. Apply the mixture to your face and massage gently. Olive oil will make the cleaning less aggressive and safer.

• Recipe 7. Cleansing for problem skin

This procedure is suitable for cleaning skin that often breaks out. Mix soda with flour in a ratio of 1:5 and add a little water. Apply the resulting mixture to the face and gently massage with your fingertips. To get the best result, leave the mixture on for a few more minutes after the massage.

Possible complications

Negative consequences are most often the result of neglecting recommendations or contraindications. They manifest themselves in the form of:

• Prolonged skin irritation;
• Worsening of inflammatory processes;
• New acne breakouts, worsening acne-related problems.

Skin care after the procedure

To get the maximum effect, you can make a clay mask after cleaning. Add chlorhexidine or another antiseptic before applying it to your face. After the clay dries, wash off the mask with water and finish the procedure by applying a nourishing cream.

If the cleaning procedure was quite aggressive, it is recommended to make a soothing mask afterwards. You can use a recipe of oatmeal, honey and olive oil. An excellent result will be given by sour milk mixed with chopped apple. You can also use a ready-made mask.

After cleaning, it is advisable to avoid using alcohol-containing lotions. After waking up, cosmetologists advise washing with mineral water. You can add a little clay to it. This composition will resemble milk. Such washing perfectly cleanses and prevents pore contamination and inflammation.

There are no vitamins in soda, but the effect of periodic facial cleansing with soda will not take long to appear: the skin will become soft, the pores will become less noticeable, and you can forget about inflammation.