Apart from being an essential ingredient in some of our favourite baked goods, baking soda has been hailed in the beauty community for years as a cheap, convenient tool for DIY beauty treatments. Its exfoliation and de-tanning properties are widely known but it has a myriad of other uses that not everyone is familiar with. From hair to body odour, there’s little that baking soda can’t fix; read on to find out how!
AS DRY SHAMPOO
One miracle product which isn’t yet widely available in India is dry shampoo. Luckily, baking soda provides an easy alternative for the same. So, when you’re running late and don’t have time to shampoo your greasy hair, sprinkle a pinch of baking soda onto your roots. Shake out the excess powder from your hair, and brush it so it’s spread evenly across the scalp. It absorbs the excess moisture and grease from the hair and leaves them looking clean, if not freshly shampooed.
FOR SILKIER HAIR
Baking soda and hair, clearly, seem to go great together. To battle dull, lacklustre hair, mix in half a teaspoon of baking soda with your regular shampoo. Then, proceed to wash and rinse your hair as usual. Finally, let them air dry for cleaner, silkier hair! However, this should be done only once every few weeks as using this method too often can have a drying effect on hair, making them brittle.
AS DEODORANT
While baking soda won’t make you smell like a field of flowers, it can be used to fight body odour and is much better for the environment as deodorants contain hydrocarbons. When in a pinch, just apply the soda as you would with a talcum powder in your armpits and other hidden, sweat-prone areas. The baking soda regulates pH levels of the body and prevents odour.
AS PIMPLE REMEDY
To get rid of pimples faster, mix half a teaspoon of baking soda with a tablespoon of water to make a paste. Apply this paste onto the pimples and let it dry for about 15 minutes. Wash it off with warm water and repeat every day till you get rid of the pimples. Essentially, baking soda has drying properties. It dries out the pimples and reduces any redness incurred.
AS FACEMASK
Mix freshly squeezed orange juice with baking soda to make a paste. Apply to your face and leave it for 15 minutes until it dries. Wash it off gently with warm water and wash your face one final time with cold water. When used as a facemask, vitamin C from the orange juice causes the skin to produce collagen, which brightens it while the baking soda exfoliates and removes dead cells.
TO SOOTHE RASHES
Rashes can be unsightly and can mar the surface of any beautiful skin. To calm redness and to reduce the intensity of rashes, mix a pinch of baking soda with a tablespoon of coconut oil. This mixture contains anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties which, when applied to the rash, will soothe the skin.
TO CLEAN MAKE-UP BRUSHES
Makeup brushes collect dust, bacteria and germs, which when applied to your skin can cause horrid breakouts and skin diseases. Hence, it is absolutely essential that they are washed as often as possible. For an easy way to properly do so, soak your brushes overnight in water mixed with a pinch of baking soda. You will see the product and dirt separate from the bristles and disseminate into the water. In the morning, rinse them with warm water and leave them out to air dry.
These home remedies and DIY hacks DO NOT mean that you should experiment and do your facial at home. Click Here to know more about this.