10 Benefits of Baking Soda
Nearly every kitchen cupboard has the product baking soda. But did you know that baking soda can in fact perform wonders for your skin, hair and body? The surprising fact is that a lot of people do not yet understand the wide range of benefits that are associated with the ingredient. This is the inexpensive, multitasking ingredient by the name baking soda. Did you know that it has the ability to make you look your best from head to toe?
Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, which happens to be a natural occurring substance that is crystalline in nature but many at times it comes in the form of a fine powder. The one unique attribute about the substance lies in the fact that it is constituted by antibacterial, antiseptic, antifungal as well as the anti-inflammatory properties.
As a medical tool, it shows up as a very powerful component when it comes to effectively combating everything from oral problems, colds and the various kin issues that a lot of people struggle with everyday.
According to research, the substance is termed more effective when used over short time-frames. But still on the same note it is crucial to point to the fact that using it excessively could end up damaging your hair and skin. But of course a lot of things turn out dangerous when used excessively and the important thing everyone needs to understand is to use everything in moderation.
Most of top experts try their level best to help patients globally. They usually advocate that you should carry out a patch test to your skin and that will be important in determine whether or not your skin is sensitive to the substance.
Fights acne and pimples
A lot of people worldwide usually make the mistake of facing out pimples and acne using some very harsh chemicals. That is inappropriate and uncalled for1By simply choosing to use baking soda, the work will be done much more safely and easily as well.
The anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties of this particular kitchen staple goes a long way to actually treat the main cause and still at the same time tone down the symptoms of acne and some other associated outbreaks.
On top of that, it does quite a remarkable task balancing the skin’s pH and as a result minimizing the occurrence of skin breakouts.
- Take 1 teaspoon of baking soda and make some paste using just a little water
- Apply it on the different affected areas for between 1-2 minutes.
- Using cold water rinse it off
- Repeat the same procedure daily for 2 or three days and as you move on take the frequency to 1 or 2 times a week
Brighten yellow teeth
It is the wish of each and every person to have his or her pearly whites shine. This substance works as a mild abrasive and that way it is able to face out the yellow stains stuck on the surface of your teeth. On top of that, it also does a great job removing plaque and that is through the neutralization of the different acids that are produced by bacteria.
Start off by putting a little baking soda on the toothbrush you are using along with your regular toothpaste. Move ahead and brush your teeth for two means as you normally do it. Do it once every day for a number of days.
On the other hand, you may choose to prepare your own homemade teeth whitener with some four tablespoons of turmeric root powder, 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin coconut oil, and some two teaspoons of baking soda. Thoroughly mix all the ingredients and that will provide you with a paste. Take a little of this paste o your toothbrush and properly brush your teeth. Repeat the same exercise once daily for a few days.
Note: It is critical that you use a small amount of baking soda in doing it. The reason behind this arises from the fact that when used in excess may end up stripping the protective enamel on the surface of your teeth.
Helps relieve sunburn and the sunburn blisters
In the summer season, it is crucial that you keep with you a box of baking soda. You will get to reap a wide range of benefits from it considering its alkaline nature. That particular nature makes it ideal to sooth the sunburn on the surface of your skin. As a result, the itching and burning sensations will be toned down giving you a major relief.
It is also important to point to the mild antiseptic as well as the drying properties that go a long way to actually dry out the sunburn blisters effectively and pretty fast as well. Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of the substance with about a glass or cup of cold water. Move ahead to soak a clean washcloth in the prepared solution and then after that wring out the excess water after which you will have to apply it as a cool compress on the affected part of your body for between 5-10 minutes. As a matter of fact you are looking forward to get the highest level of relief and thus you will remain dedicated to repeating the same exercise 2 or three times everyday till you attain your desired condition.
Alternatively, you may wish to add ½ cup of baking soda to a bathtub that is full of water after which you may move ahead and stir thoroughly. Soak yourself in the water for between 10-15 minutes. After moving out of the bath, let your body air dry or you may also choose to pat it dry. You have to repeat a similar exercise once daily and this should be in a few days.
Helps improve the complexion of your skin
As a matter of fact, uneven skin tone happens to be an issue of major concern to a lot of people. If you are looking forward to obtaining a brighter and even skin tone, then you need to be willing to use baking soda which is of course an easy as well as an inexpensive solution.
As one of the exfoliating agents that you can trust, it does quite a remarkable job facing out dead cells. Asides from that, it also helps balance pH level of that skin and that as a matter of fact is crucial towards upholding even and clear skin.
With enough filtered water, mix about 1 to 2 teaspoons of baking soda and you should also feel free to use rose water and come up with a paste. Gently apply this paste on the surface of your face. Let it settle for about one minute, then use your fingertips to rub it off. Finally, use lukewarm water to clean it and pat dry to end up with a brighter skin tone. Remember to put up with this exercise 1 to 2 times over duration of one week. Also do not forget to moisturize you skin after that skin cleansing session.
The other way to go about the matter would be by mixing 1 tablespoon each of baking soda with about 4 to 5 drops of extra virgin olive oil and some fresh lemon juice. Move ahead and apply the paste of the surface of your face. Let it settle there for about 5 minutes after which you will have to rinse it off using cold water and that has to be repeated 2 to 3 times in a week.
Treats yellow or stained nails
Have you been struggling with unsightly nails and wondering what to do about them? What if someone you trust told you that you would no longer need to hide them in your gloves or pockets anymore? The truth of the matter is that the solution is much closer than you would imagine. The inexpensive baking soda bears some remarkable capabilities when it comes to whitening your nails. Are you asking yourself how? Well, its exfoliating and bleaching properties help a lot in the elimination of stains.
Put ½ cup of water, 1 tablespoon of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide in a small bowl. Stir the mixture thoroughly till the baking soda completely dissolves. Go ahead and deep your nails for between 2-3 minutes the solution you just prepared. Carry out a similar exercise once in every two weeks.
The other option would be to come up with a paste by mixing 2½ tablespoons of baking soda with 3% of hydrogen peroxide. Apply paste on your nails using a cotton swab. Let it settle for about 2 minutes after which you will need to rinse it your nails using warm water. In case you need the best results, repeat a similar exercise one in every two months.
Faces out body odor
Baking soda is one of the top natural deodorizers that do much in helping face out mild to severe body odor conditions. It does that on the principle of absorbing sweat and moisture from the skin and as a result facing off body odor. As an antibacterial agent, it destroys bacteria that normally results in body odor.
Mix ⅛ teaspoon of baking soda, few drops of any essential oil and one tablespoon of water. Find a cotton ball and let it absorb the mixture and then move ahead to gently rub it on your underarms or some other areas where you sweat profusely. You need to continue with the practice on a regular basis to be able to face out the odor for good.
Well, the other way that would most probably work for you would be to thoroughly mix equal amounts of cornstarch and baking soda. Move ahead and dust the powder onto your dry underarms. That way, you will be in a position to prevent bad body odor and excessive sweating as well thus eliminating body odor in a great way.
It can treat oily and smelly hair
It is quite understandable that smelly hair could as a matter of fact be the most embarrassing issue that you could have o struggle with. Let’s face it, persons with oily hair happen to be more prone to this particular condition. The best explanation behind this is definitely the fact that oily hair has a greater tendency to pick up strong smells as well as the environmental pollutants more readily.
Basically, Baking soda has what it takes to actually fix the issue. This is because it bears a property that showcase major abilities to in neutralizing foul odors and reducing oiliness. On top of this, the alkaline nature associated with it does much to balance the pH level of the scalp to uphold its cleanliness and health as well.
Start off by mixing three parts water with 1 part baking powder. Move ahead and apply the mixture on your hair when it is still damp after which you will need to wait for about 5 minutes in order to move forward and rinse you hair. In every month, ensure that your repeat this particular exercise once or twice.
The other way to move about the matter would be to mix I tablespoon of baking soda to the shampoo you use regularly and then move ahead to gently wash your hair. The exercise should be repeated once or twice every week.
You may also choose to use baking soda as a dry form of shampoo. What you need to do is to thoroughly mix equal amounts of cornstarch and baking soda. The next thing would be to proceed and sprinkle small amounts directly at the roots of your hair. Don’t forget to tousle your hair around since that is the only sure way to receive the most desirable results. Proceed to thoroughly brush your hair and the exercise should be carried out using a high quality brush and one thing that you can count on is the fact that you will be impressed with the final results.
Eliminates dandruff
Eliminating dandruff is not an easy thing to do. It even gets more difficult in the winter period. However, that is in no way saying that it can’t be done. What you need to do is ensure you carry out regular hair care practices in order to face out dandruff.
The good thing about baking soda lies in its ability to actually banish those annoying white flakes on hair or the scalp. It does a remarkable job clarifying the scalp as well as clearing off flakes. On top of that, baking soda is alkaline in nature and that property plays a pivotal role towards bringing the pH balance of the scalp to a point of healthy equilibrium and thus resulting in minimized irritation.
You just have to rub 1 tablespoon of baking soda onto your wet scalp or hair in a gentle way. Give it room to settle for about a minute then after move ahead to rinse it out thoroughly using clean water. You will only need to do that once in a week.
The alternative way out would be to mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda with some freshly squeezed juice .After that, you can then move ahead to gently apply it on the surface of your scalp and ensure it settles for about 2 to 3 minutes after which you will need to rinse your hair with water. Ensure you repeat this once a week in order to succeed in your quest to develop a scalp free from dandruff.
Heals itchiness and the skin rashes
Skin itchiness and discomfort usually pulls along with quite a high level of discomfort. However, baking soda shows up as quite an inexpensive way to treat this sort of complication. It comes with a soothing effect on your skin and that is of course as a result of its anti-inflammatory properties that go quite a long way to minimize itchiness, swelling and inflammation as well.
When it is about the localized sort of itching, what you need to do is mix 3 parts of baking soda with 1 part of water. Moved ahead and apply the substance properly on the affected section. Do not move ahead to rinse it with cool water before letting the substance settle for a couple of minutes. You need to undertake the exercise once daily until you observe a major improvement.
Are you struggling with itchiness all over your body? Just take a bathtub of cool water and mix it with 1 cup of baking soda. Then proceed to soak in for about 10 minutes every day. You will be able to observe significant changes.
It is also crucial to remind you that by all means you should avoid using baking soda if you are that kind of person whose skin too much irritated or broken by constant scratching.
Faces out nail fungus
As a matter of fact, nail fungus can have a very negative impact on your nails. They may become unsightly and at the same time cause you much discomfort. As a matter of fact that results from the fungi growing under your nails.
What follows thereafter is that your nails develop a crusty, thick discolored look that is quite disgusting. By taking advantage of the alkaline nature of baking soda, you will be able to interfere with the growth of fungi and eventually eliminate them in the course of time.
What you need to do is mix 1 cup of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar with 2 tablespoons of baking soda after which you will have to move ahead and soak the affected finger or toe nails in the solution for a period of about 5 minutes. Proceed to pat dry your toe or finger nails and the paper towels could be of much assistance. You need to carry out the exercise two times a day.
The alternative way to go about it would of course be to come up with a paste of between 1-2 teaspoons of baking soda properly mixed with warm water. Go ahead and apply the paste evenly on the affected section and let it settle for a few minutes. After that, you can rinse it off but ensure you were using warm water. This exercise needs to be repeated once every day.
Baking soda and lemon juice
If there is something that you need to do each and every day to dramatically fight off a wide range of diseases and at the same time be able to boost your energy levels, then that must be to consume lemon juice combined with baking soda.
Lemon, asides from being quite an effective internal cleanser, and more so when combined with baking soda, has also been discovered to contain some anti-carcinogenic properties considering that it is constituted by limonoids, which as a matter of fact happen to be phytochemicals commonly found in numerous citrus fruits. Apparently, the limonoids play quite some significant role especially when it comes to stripping off the protective layer coating the cancer cells.
Research indicates that indeed lemon bears some strong anti-microbial effects and considering that cancer is so much alike top some fungus within the body system, the lemon can do much towards facing out the condition.
By choosing to treat cancer as some sort of fungus in the body, there are a number of methods that can be used but among the most trusted ones is that one of employing a mixture of bicarbonate and lemon. It can as a matter of fact do quite a lot to fight off cancer.
Using baking soda in laundry
Did you know that the baking soda in your fridge is one of the most inexpensive ways for you to boost detergent and bleach performance? It is indeed true and thus you can go ahead and give it a try.
Let’s face it. The body odor on your clothes and linens as a matter of fact are caused by some stubborn bacteria. The great news is that it is easy to deal with that odor by simply using detergents. In using a detergent in your washing, the detergent molecules do much to break the bacteria cells on your clothes.
But it is also important to point out to the fact that indeed the less expensive detergents in a major may require a boost for them to work the best way and provide the most desirable results. Baking soda does much to regulate the water pH and thus it doesn’t get too alkaline or too acidic. What you need to do is add 1/2 cup of baking soda to the laundry load and in doing so, the detergents much more effectively and as a result face out bacteria.
Baking soda serving the role of a natural fabric softener
As a matter of fact, baking soda does much to regulate pH level in the washer’s rinse water and that is of course by regulating it in such a way that it doesn’t get to be either too acidic or too alkaline. You just need to add 1/2 cup of baking soda to every rinse cycle and that will definitely serve as some sort of balance that will end up suspending the mineral deposits or detergent in the water.
Unlike most of the synthetic fabric softeners with perfumes that do much in masking odors, baking soda is somehow environmental-friendly. This as a matter of fact makes it the perfect choice those persons that happen to be victims of sensitive skin and allergies as well. The retrogressive aspect about the synthetic fabric softeners lies in the fact they can in a great way interfere with the fire-retardant finishes on children’s pajamas, a scenario where it would have been a lot safer if baking soda was used instead.
Baking soda as an iron cleaner
Baking soda happens to be one of the best natural gentle abrasives. It has great abilities to get rid of the built-up starch as well as the scorch deposits that stubbornly stick on the faceplate of a cool iron.
Well, what you need to do is move ahead and mix water with a paste of baking soda after which you will need to obtain a white cloth which you will of course use to rub the paste over the face of your iron.
In case of a tough build-up, it is advisable that you use the cloth to do the scrubbing but in a gentle manner. You should continue till that moment when the build-up is gone. You may eventually wind up by wiping off the faceplate and that is best done using a dampened piece of clothing with distilled white vinegar.
The role of baking soda in controlling washer suds
You will attest to the fact that the overflowing suds from the washing machines usually look funny on TV but it is not the same fun when all that is happening in your laundry. Currently, the HE which is also commonly referred to as high-efficiency front-loading washers has grown in terms of popularity. Suds control has become a matter of great priority to many. If by mistake you happen to use the regular laundry detergent rather than HE detergent, you will as a matter of fact witness the suds flow with immediate effect.
If it happens to be the case, it is important that you right away turn off the washer and then proceed to grab the box of baking soda. Gently sprinkle it directly on the suds and that will help break them down quickly. Baking soda is known to move ahead and absorb quite a great deal of moisture and thus making the clean-up quite an exciting experience.
Ways baking soda can help you out with your dog
Dry bath: It is not uncommon for your dog to come back home after rolling outside in stinky garbage or mud. At times giving your dog a proper bath is a hassle or makes a mess. Anyway, that shouldn’t be a matter of great concern for someone with a great know-how. What you will need to do is actually go ahead and make good use of the baking soda bath which is of course one of the most trusted back-up plans.
You have to ensure that your dog’s fur is dried completely before moving ahead to sprinkle the substance lightly. Gently rub it through. You will be amazed by just how much that will help care for your dog until you get enough time to give him a proper bath. At the same time it rids off the itching effect.
Sweetening dog carpets and rugs
As a matter of fact, places where dogs hang out or lie, a certain fragrance usually crops up and it goes without saying that it warrants immediate action. What you need to do basically is get to sprinkle baking soda over the surface and do not be in a rush. You will have to let it settle for about 15 minutes or 3o0 if you like before proceeding with the vacuuming action.
The same approach would still be appropriate on the bed of your dog. You will most probably need to keep your dog out of the room when carrying out these activities. The reason behind this is the fact that most of the dogs see baking soda like some fun substance to actually roll around in.
Relieving the bee sting pain
A bee can sting your puppy’s nose, paws or any other part. The same way it is a painful experience for you, it also is for your puppy or dog. However, the good news is that baking soda is made up of important constituents and properties that will definitely take the sting away .All you will need to do is prepare a paste with a little water.
Move ahead and locate the stinger and quickly remove it using tweezers. Then apply the paste where the stinger was removed. You will have to re-apply the baking soda paste as many times as possible in the next few hours in order to face out the pain completely.