Have you also gone down the internet rabbit hole and found a bunch of DIY recipes that recommend using baking soda to deal with clogged pores and blackheads? Well, same. And I made the grave mistake of actually trying some of these out. That is until I realised just how harmful it is for my skin. Don’t believe me? Hear it from the expert, Dr Sushant Shetty MD (Skin)Head- Medical Operations, Services and Engineering, Kaya Limited.
What are the side effects of using baking soda on the skin?
“Contrary to popular belief, baking Soda can do more harm than good to your skin. This is because of its high alkaline properties. It strips your skin of its natural oils, results in dry, itchy and irritated skin. Dry skin in turn can lead to early skin wrinkling,” says Dr Shetty.
He further adds that the most serious impact of baking soda on the skin is that it interferes with the pH balance of the skin. Our skin has a natural pH of 4.5 to 5.5. Anything above 7 in the pH scale is alkaline and baking Soda has a pH level of 9. This makes it a strong alkaline application on the skin, stripping it of all the natural resistance it has against natural damage and infections.
Is baking soda actually helpful for some skin types or concerns or should we stop using it altogether?
Baking Soda naturally contains some antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Commercially it is used in a lot of personal care, oral care products or even in certain over the counter medication. This leads to a belief that baking soda can be used as an everyday remedy for various skin issues at home.
However, this is absolutely not advisable. If a person faces any kind of skin or any other kind of problems, consulting a doctor is the only recommended. Continuous usage of sourced DIY ideas will never be an actual solution, but in turn may aggravate the situation even more.
If it is so harmful for the skin, why is baking soda such a popular ingredient in DIY skincare recipes?
Wondering why so many DIY recepies have baking soda in their ingredient list? Dr Shetty says, “Baking soda has some natural antiseptic properties. Hence, it can help relief momentary irritation, inflammation and pain in some situations. Also, because it is alkaline, it has a drying effect on the skin, which leads to a lot of people using it as a remedy to their acne problems.”
However, one thing to remember is that it is not a long-term solution. If you do have acne-related or pore clogging issues, visit a doctor for consultation to avail an expert treatment with a long term benefits, instead of experimenting with hearsay ideas. They are the ones with expertise in the matter.
So guys, today’s skincare lesson has been, let baking soda stay in the kitchen and help your cakes in rising and being their best selves and maybe pick up a retinol for your skin!
Featured Image: Pexels
