The Many Amazing Uses For Baking Soda
While best known for lurking in the back of your refrigerator helping to eliminate odors, baking soda- or sodium bicarbonate – actually works wonders in ways you might not even suspect. In fact, baking soda does so much more than simply eliminating odors or helping a loaf of bread rise you might be stunned to realize just how much this simple product can actually do for your body. You don’t need to be a skin specialist in Keizer to appreciate all of the many uses of baking soda. Just take a look for yourself at the different ways you can use baking soda.
A Whiter Smile
Baking soda works wonders at physically removing plaque from the surface of your teeth. When allowed to remain in the mouth, plaque hardens into a yellowish substance known as tartar that stains your teeth yellow and increases your risk for tooth decay and gum disease. Brushing helps to remove plaque from your teeth, and few substances work better than baking soda at busting plaque from the surface of tooth enamel.
Unfortunately, baking soda doesn’t contain fluoride, which works to strengthen tooth enamel against the effects of decay. So while we wouldn’t recommend giving up your toothpaste and only brushing with baking soda, you can combine the two for an extra added level of clean.
Better Smelling Breath
Baking soda works to banish bad breath in a way far different than most mouthwashes. Instead of simply masking the aroma of whatever foul smelling food you’ve eaten, baking soda actually works to break down the chemical components in the mouth that cause your breath to stink. Even better, unlike most brands of mouthwash, baking soda doesn’t contain any alcohol. Alcohol causes the mouth to dry out. A dry mouth is more susceptible to the effects of plaque and decay. By using baking soda as a mouthwash, you can enjoy fresher breath without any of the potential side effects of using a brand with alcohol. A win-win.
Body Deodorant
Most of the things that cause troublesome B.O. have acidic or basic odor molecules. Baking soda moves these molecules to a more neutral, odor-free state. In fact, baking soda is so effective that many sewage plants and feedlot use it to cover the stink they produce.
Fortunately, this type of industrial odor eliminator also works on your body as well. Simply dust a little baking soda under your arms in the morning and feel confident about how well you smell throughout the rest of the day. If you don’t mind a powdery residue on your clothing, use a stick deodorant that contains baking soda. Make sure to find a brand that lists sodium bicarbonate as a primary ingredient.
Skin Soother
Brush up against some poison ivy? Get bitten by a bug? Baking soda may be able to provide you with some as much needed relief as visiting a skin specialist in Keizer. Baking soda can relieve minor itching, pain, irritation and redness. Simply mix up a paste using 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water. Apply the mixture to your skin and leave it to rest for about 20 minutes. You can also soak in a bath with a ½ cup of baking soda added to the water as well.
Facial Scrub
Not only can baking soda help to clean your teeth, it can also help to exfoliate your skin. Baking soda is a mild abrasive, which means it works to help scrub unwanted substances – whether plaque or dead skin cells – away.
To use baking soda as a gentle facial exfoliator, simply wash your skin with soap and water first. Then, make a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water. Rub the mixture carefully into your skin using short concentric circles for a deep clean. Leave the mixture in place briefly before washing it away with water and you’ll feel like your own skin specialist in Keizer.
Hair Clarifier
Mix a teaspoon of baking soda with your preferred brand of shampoo to remove any buildup of gels, conditioners, sprays and other products you frequently use. Not only will your hair come out cleaner, it may even be easier to style as well.
Skin Softener
Adding a ½ cup of baking soda to your bathwater not only helps to soothe your skin, it can also work to soften it as well. Baking soda will help to neutralize acids, sweep away oil and sweat and leave your skin feeling silky smooth.