Seven Surprising Uses for Baking Soda
Regular readers will know we’re kind of nuts about baking soda, so Alexandra thought it would be cool to share with everyone just how much you can do with the magical white powder!
Over at GOOD her post just went up. Here’s a sampling:
Even the ancient Egyptians—and what beauty post would be complete without them?—used a compound similar to baking soda as soap. The stuff is antiseptic, antifungal, and lightly exfoliating. It will take the stains off your coffee mug and your not-so-pearly whites, and can be consumed internally to ease your tummy ache. And fridge odors aren’t the only smells it absorbs so don’t turn your nose up, and bring on the baking soda!
Spot-Treat Acne Our favorite natural acne remedy is clay, like this green tea one we swear by. But in a bind, making a little paste from baking soda and water and applying it to an unwelcomed visitor will help dry it out. We don’t recommend this for deep cysts, but for more surface afflictions, it works like a charm.
Cleanse Your Hair If you’re looking to join the ranks of non-shampooers (we know a few), to reduce how often shampoo, or simply to get rid of some product build-up on your roots, look no further than baking soda. Just fill a glass with warm water and dissolve about a tablespoon of baking soda into it. Take that to the shower, and after wetting your hair pour the mixture through. Comb it well before rinsing—your hair will feel a little coated and slippery until it’s fully rinsed out.
And five more, at GOOD.
Illustrations by Brianna Harden
Greetings everyone,
I have a severe case of hair fall. I am not sure if it is the stress sue to my dissertation writing, or something else. I have been having Nioxin hair and nail health tablets for a year now (bought a year’s supply of them), but no success:-((. I am hoping that going the natural way will help the sorry state of my hair.
On a better note…I tried washing my hair with a dilute solution of baking soda last week,and my hair felt squeaky clean. It is amazing what it can do to your hair. I have already switched to an organic shampoo, use argan oil as a leave in conditioner.
Baking soda hair wash is a must try!
Are we talking beauty uses only? Because I buy the biggest boxes of baking soda I can – I use it for all cleaning tasks. It is the best for cleaning pots and pans, scrubbing sinks and tubs, and generally just for scrubbing. Also a killer drain opener when used with vinegar. But for beauty uses – I use it to boost my shampoo after swimming in pools. :)
In this case I focused on beauty uses, but I’m with you. My good pots get baking soda baths and scrubs too. So does my jewelry!
Bella, I’m not doctor but I have a sister working on her dissertation and so I know the intense stress that comes with. I also had a boyfriend who used to lose hair when he got stressed.
While going clean is a great first step (yay!) do you have any kind of yoga, meditation or other practice to help cope with the stress? Have you read the lifestyle chapter in the book? I feel like it may have some good tips for you. :)
Greetings Alexandra,
I recently moved in with my husband. When on campus, I was doing yoga regularly. Now I work out at the gym maybe thrice a week, which is not that great. I eat really healthy…. though sometimes I do sneak in a cookie here and there.:-P
By the way, its been almost a month since I started using the Egyptian magic cream, and I think I like it. I have combination skin and do tend to get break-outs easily, and it seems to not let that happen:-)
ooooh, it doesnt work with curly hair. though it does thoroughly clean, leaving it almost squeeky clean (seriously, i did this last year), it strips every last morsel of oil and dirt – which curly hair loves, and makes for a very fly away. it took my hair weeks to get back to normal.
I have been a fan of baking soda since I was little. La Petitie Vache as we say in Quebec. The only thing I have not used it for yet (from your list) is shampoo, but I don’t really get oil build-up except when I go for a massage and say to not worry about getting jojoba oil in my hair. As for deodorant, I have this powder puff and I sprinkle a little baking soda on it and pat and puff my pits. Its rather nice.
Elisha, any chance you used too much? I have super curly hair and dilute no more than a teaspoon in a very tall glass of water… Then again, I never wash my hair at all so maybe it needed it. ;)
I have high hopes someone will give me a hand here: please, my hair is in a serious state of squeeky clean! I too have curly hair and I’m afraid, much like elisha’s, using baking soda has cut every bit of oil it used to stay in shape. I make no difference between my usually curly, shiny locks and a pile of hay.
I wish I knew where I went wrong. I washed my hair every 7-8 days using 2-3 spoons of baking soda diluted in water (diluted is a way of putting it – mine didn’t diluted at all so I was left with the wet powder in the glass after I’d pour all the water in my hair) trying to place it all on the roots and not on the hair itself as I feared it may outdry it. Which actually happened after a month and a half of baking soda shampoo. I also used my usual oils before and after washing my hair (a mix of natural oils in fact, they were working just fine before the baking soda incidents and even during the early stages of my natural shampooing).
Now I can think of two “wrongs” : either my baking soda isn’t an authentic one (which is a long shot, but let’s give it a logic chance), or my hair doesn’t really appreciate the benefits of using natural cleaning products (which is a sad shot, but fairly logical given the outcome).
Elisha, if you’re reading this – please tell me what you used to get your hair back in shape!
Use WAY less baking soda. I barely use a teaspoon and I have a giant head of hair. :) If you’re using a paste it will totally dry your hair out. The water should be clear.
Thanks Alexandra, will do so – however, in the mean time – what should I try to boost the oils back into my hair?
What if you just cleanse with a conditioner for now and forget about the baking soda? That’s what I do. :)
I was actually looking for a way to keep on the “good” path – I don’t have an organic conditioner for now so I was trying to find something in my kitchen ;) . After I read your comment, I felt relaxed and somewhat at peace with the idea that I did something wrong but I can still make it right so I went on the mayo route (you know, the classic – olive oil and egg yolks) kept it on for a half an hour or so and then washed it away with plain water only. I count on repeating this in few days (that is if my baby doesn’t decide to pop up any day now since I’m already there) hoping the baking soda squeeky clean effect will fade. It will, won’t it? :P
Hello ladies – I realize I’m commenting on an old post but I’m hoping you’ll still notice. I’m about to try the baking soda/water as shampoo thing and since I’m all for convenience I’d like to make the mixture in advance and be able to grab it ready-made in the shower when I need it.
So if I put a tablespoon of baking soda in an 8 oz bottle, can I just shake it before using and keep it in the shower for weeks? (If the answer to this is in your book, I apologize – it’s still checked-out at the fabulous Berkeley Library so I haven’t been able to read it yet – but I’m the list, so, soon…)
Does baking soda/water ever go bad? If yes, how long does it take?
Same question for apple cider vinegar and water, if you please.
Best canker sore healer ever! Create a paste with water and baking soda and cover your canker sore.
Will baking soda strip color out of my hair?
Parker I think it’s safer if you just prepared the mixture before every shower.
Thanks for this post. Baking soda is said to work wonders for pimple. You have to make a paste (with the consistency of toothpaste) of one cup baking soda with three tablespoons of salt and water. Apply this paste on the pimple and rinse off after a few minutes.
my question is this…i am not fully prepared to forgo my (clean) shampoo completely…will the occasional baking soda rinse partnered with clean shampooing every 3 days or so still help to reduce the sebum my scalp creates?
my question is this…i’m not prepared to completely forgo my (clean) shampoo yet…will occasional baking soda rinses partnered with shampooing every 3 days or so, still help to reduce the amount of sebum my scalp produces?