6 DIY Ways To Use Baking Soda To Exfoliate Your Skin

Baking soda is likely a kitchen staple for most families—perhaps it's nestled away in a cupboard right in your own home. Baking soda is one of those ingredients that has plenty of uses, from cleaning to odor control to, yes, even beauty benefits. Read: It’s a do-it-all, multi-use wonder, that might even already be in your store-bought products.  

Most of us need a little exfoliation from time-to-time. Excess dead skin cells can accumulate on the top layer of the dermis, causing dullness, buildup, and even hinders product absorption. So for those of us with oily, acne, combination, or otherwise “normal” skin types, we likely need to reach for an exfoliator 2-3 times a week. (For those with dry or sensitive skin can stick to once, if at all.) 

One way to do this is through a DIY face scrub: in general, you need two basic ingredients for a scrub, a physical exfoliant and an emollient. Baking soda makes for a particularly potent granular exfoliator if you feel your skin needs some extra help. From there, just blend it with a base, vitamin E oil being a popular one, but you can also try a few drops of water for a one-ingredient mask. Your face is delicate, so do be mindful to make sure you scrub is more emollient than exfoliator.

Your body is likely in need of a little exfoliation TLC, too. The skin on your body tends to be a touch thicker and more durable than your face, so you can feel free to increase the ratio of baking soda to emollient. 

A clarifying shampoo is a special type of hair and scalp wash that gets you extra clean by lifting up buildup at the root and loosening excess product attached to the strand. You can buy pre-formulated clarifying shampoos, or make one with some baking soda with this DIY recipe.

However, a major word of caution. The high alkalinity1 of baking soda can disrupt the hair cuticle, leaving the hair dry, frizzy, and prone to breakage," says Kate Denniston, N.D., a licensed naturopathic doctor and founder of Los Angeles Integrative Health.

Natural deodorants can help keep odor at bay in your pits. Each formulation works a bit differently: Some use acids to neutralize odor-causing bacteria. Others mask scent with natural oils and fragrances. Some use baking soda to adjust your microbiome to make the area inhospitable to the bacteria that causes B.O. This is why baking soda is a common ingredient in your natural deodorant.  

Need a second-day wash refresh? Or a little grit to help you hold a style? Or just some help creating fullness at the root? Dry shampoo can help you achieve all of this. “Baking soda helps freshen the hair and fight against buildup as well as having antibacterial2 and antimicrobial properties," says Jana Blankenship, product formulator, founder of the natural beauty brand Captain Blankenship, and author of Wild Beauty. Check out the step-by-step guide to making your own dry shampoo here.