Guest Blogger: AE Trinh
The uses for baking soda in personal care are seemingly endless. We love the benefits your skin reap for the common household item. Today, we have a guest blogger, AE Trinh, who a guru of skincare. She is going to tell share some of her beauty secrets using baking soda.
Of all the tools in your beauty arsenal, it is quite literally “the sandblaster” and these are my top three beauty hacks with baking soda.
EXFOILIATOR
Regular exfoliation is the key to brighter and smoother skin because you are physically removing dead skin cells which can accumulate inside wrinkles and exaggerate fine lines. Sloughing away dead skin cells also allows for better absorption of moisturizers and treatments to keep your skin supple and clear.
Baking soda makes a great base for any facial exfoliator. It can be used by itself right out of the box or added to your current facial cleanser. If you’re feeling creative you can even try making your own by adding other ingredients such as lemon juice, coconut oil, brown sugar, raw honey, etc… There are a variety of DIY recipes available online which can be adapted to your personal skin care needs.
It took me some time and experimentation to find the right ingredients for my own exfoliation formula. For example, I found coconut oil too greasy and raw honey too gooey. Also, a dry formula is ideal for me because water or cleanser can be added to create the consistency I prefer.
It took me some time and experimentation to find the right ingredients for my own exfoliation formula. For example, I found coconut oil too greasy and raw honey too gooey. Also, a dry formula is ideal for me because water or cleanser can be added to create the consistency I prefer.
About once a week, after washing my face in the shower, I will shake out a small amount of my exfoliating polish into the palm of my wet hand and use the resulting fine paste to scrub my face – massaging the surface of my skin in gentle circular motions. For best results, I suggest using a soft bristled facial brush instead of your hands (make sure to keep it clean and dry between use to prevent any fungal or bacteria growth. After exfoliation, I sweep my face with toner on a cotton ball and apply a good moisturizer.
TEETH WHITENER
Baking soda makes an excellent teeth whitening treatment. I love tea, red wine, berries, and exotic curries, but even a healthy diet and lifestyle can leave us with stained teeth. To help keep surface stains at bay, I brush my teeth once a month with the following whitening treatment:
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1 teaspoons (5 mL) of 3% hydrogen peroxide (this is safe for oral use)
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2 teaspoons (8 mL) of baking soda
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Toothpaste as needed to thicken and add flavor
Mix ingredients together in a small cup or dish and brush the paste onto your teeth in small, gentle circular motions for two minutes. Rinse the solution off your teeth with water and brush again with toothpaste alone to remove any remaining whitening treatment residue. Effective and reasonably priced!
CLARIFYING SHAMPOO
Even though we wash our hair on a regular basis, sometimes it’s not enough to strip away all the styling products. Over time silicones, waxes, and moisturizes can still build up leaving hair dull, limp and hard to style. Think of clarifying shampoo as exfoliation for your hair.
There are many clarifying shampoos on the market, but baking soda is an affordable and effective alternative. About once a month, I will add a tablespoon of baking soda to the amount of shampoo I normally use to wash my hair – making sure to massage my scalp to slough away impurities and product residue. Then I finish with conditioner and towel dry. Giving your hair a good scrub down with baking soda will also prep your hair to better absorb any deep conditioning mask or color treatment to follow. As a shampoo additive, use baking soda sparingly if your hair is dry or already color treated.
Baking soda is an extremely inexpensive and versatile product. Keep a stash of it in a waterproof container in your shower caddy for easy access and regular use. The more a diamond is polished, the brighter is shines!
About the author:
After personally searching — with limited success — for products to protect, nourish, and rejuvenate her adult skin, A.E. Trinh did what any budding entrepreneur would do, she decided to create them herself. Ms. Trinh’s affordable all-natural anti-aging and skin care products are based on ancient practice combined with modern knowledge using many of the same ingredients found in top selling luxury brands.
After personally searching — with limited success — for products to protect, nourish, and rejuvenate her adult skin, A.E. Trinh did what any budding entrepreneur would do, she decided to create them herself. Ms. Trinh’s affordable all-natural anti-aging and skin care products are based on ancient practice combined with modern knowledge using many of the same ingredients found in top selling luxury brands.
