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Can you use baking soda for skin whitening? How does baking soda lighten dark skin? There are many natural home remedies for skin lightening. Baking soda is one of them. This common household cleaner and tooth whitener has been used as a skin bleaching agent for a long time. Is it effective? Find out this and more on how to use baking soda to whiten dark skin with the most common recipes used for natural skin lightening.
Is Baking Soda Good for Skin Whitening?
Baking soda is amphoteric- meaning that it has the ability to act as either acidic or basic. This property is what makes it useful in neutralizing the acidic PH of the skin that contributes to acne formation. It also has small gritty granules that make it possible to gently scrub the soft skin on the face without causing injury. With its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, is kills bacteria and calms irritation.
Skin darkening is some areas can be embarrassing. Skin lightening pills, creams, injections and soaps are the most common and effective ways to go about bleaching dark skin and fading dark spots or blemishes. However, for natural, simple and affordable methods, baking soda is an option for you. This works gradually than synthetic, chemical, commercial and medical treatments. Using natural methods such as baking soda for whitening skin can be very mild and beneficial for those with sensitive skin. Many people have some type of unwanted dark skin. This might be due to the following;
- Sun exposure or damage
- Hair removal
- Injury and scaring
- Skin allergies
- Friction
- Contact spots such as the knees and elbows
Baking soda also known as bicarbonate soda is natural and very effective in skin care and whitening. It is important to note that if your skin tone is naturally darker, the process of skin lightening with baking soda might be slow or ineffective. For African American skin tone, this option can only be used to improve areas of darkness like dark spots on the face and discolored dark armpits. This is not the best method to use if considering larger areas of your skin.
Baking soda works best for hyperpigmentation in small areas and color change due to hair removal in armpits. Baking soda is very mild and effective for those with sensitive skin. It is important to always consult your dermatologists when you consider beginning a skin lightening routine with natural ingredients.
How Effective Is Baking Powder for Skin Whitening?
Baking soda is an effective skin whitening ingredient for smaller patch areas. It is not the best option for larger or full body skin lightening because of its mild nature. There are other methods that are used to brighten dark skin, such as that of African American women, which include using injections and also laser surgery or cryosurgery to reduce dark skin melanin.
Baking Soda for Face Whitening
With an alkaline PH, antibacterial and skin whitening properties, baking soda makes a perfect treatment for most of the skin issues on the face. From sun tan, hyperpigmentation and acne scars, this kitchen ingredient works best to neutralize the acidic PH that favors bacteria and lighten areas of dark skin and spots to give you a uniform skin tone on the face.
For exfoliation
Baking soda is an excellent natural product for exfoliation. It has fine particles that make it ideal for gentle scrubbing on the soft skin of the face. Mix a tablespoon with some water to make a paste with medium consistency. Apply this to your face and gently scrub in circular motion to remove dead cells and bumps. It also serves to even out skin tone, unclog skin pores preventing acne breakouts.
An acidic environment favors the growth of acne causing bacteria on the skin. Baking soda has an alkaline PH that helps disrupt the growth of bacteria without messing up with the skin’s PH. By doing this, it helps prevent formation of acne.
To get rid of acne and blackheads, as used in exfoliation, mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with water or apple cider vinegar. Apply this paste to your face avoiding the eye area and let it stay on for 10 minutes. Wash off with cold water. This penetrates deep into the skin to unclog pores which cause blackheads.
For a skin brightening mask, make a paste with olive oil and lemon juice. Apply this to your face and let it sit for 10 minutes then wash off with cold water. Face masks are ideal for oily skin types. As they dry on the face, they tighten pulling oil and dirt from the pores.
Here’s how to use baking soda mask for lightening dark skin, whiteheads, blackheads and excessive oiliness
- Cleanse your face with mild facial cleanser
- Prepare the baking soda by mixing ¼ cup low fat plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and one egg to 2 tablespoons of baking soda
- Apply the paste to your face covering every area
- Wait for 15-20 minutes until the paste dries. As the paste dries, your face will tighten
- Rinse off with warm water then splash on some cold water to seal the pores
- Pat dry your face and moisturize to balance your PH and leave your skin feeling smooth
- Do this twice a week until you achieve the desired results
Note: DO NOT LEAVE THE MASK ON FOR MORE THAN 30 MINUTES as it can have a drying effect. This is the reason why you need to moisturize as soon as possible. In case you experience burning, stinging or extreme dryness, rinse off the paste and consider other methods to other methods to whiten the face.
Baking soda and lemon are both mildly acidic and do well for bleaching dark skin. Combining the two makes a powerful home remedy for acne, rough and uneven skin tone. To make the best of baking soda for face whitening, start with smaller amounts and increase gradually as per the results you get. This also helps you check for any reactions or side effects of using baking soda for face whitening, blackheads and whiteheads.
To relieve sunburn, mix 100mls of water with 4 tablespoons of baking soda. This paste can help slow down pigment formation in your skin and relieve irritation and itching that comes with sunburn. Baking soda can also be used as a mild cleanser. When dissolved in water, baking soda, a mild alkali, acts like soap and can help remove grease and dirt.
While there are many people who can stand by the fact that baking soda worked for them, it is always good to gauge how much it can do for you before you blend it into your beauty regimen. There is some evidence supporting the claim that baking soda is good for treating acne, dark spots and whitening skin by gently exfoliating leading to an increased cell turn over which reveals new brighter cells. This visibly reduces the appearance of dark spots and pimples.
How to Use Baking Soda to Whiten Dark Skin, Dark Spots
As people get older, age spots and skin discolorations become very common. This might be due to sun damage, hyperpigmentation and injury among other things. Having many of these spots can be unsightly and embarrassing. Skin whitening is one of the most effective ways to get rid of dark spots and blemishes by lightening them up making them less visible.
There are many skin whitening products in the market that promise results in no time. This products contain ingredients with chemicals that do not always work to clear dark spots. Some might even react with your skin giving you even worse outcomes.
In this society, where those with fair skin are regarded as beautiful, skin whitening by any means has become a norm. It is however important to always go for a method that is safe and equally effective. Using baking soda to whiten dark skin may be necessary if you have uneven skin tanning or if you just want to be a shade lighter. DIY home remedies to whiten dark skin are easy to make and use.
Baking soda in a non-expensive, non-toxic mild abrasive that has no bleaching properties. It whitens skin by exfoliating to remove dead cells and revealing new, brighter ones. This process can be used to whiten dark spots areas and large areas in the body. Mix baking soda and water to make a paste, apply this to the areas that you wish to lighten and scrub lightly for 5 minutes. If you want to lighten large areas of your body, you can exfoliate using the same process in a bathtub.
Is baking soda safe to use on skin? Are there any side effects of using baking soda on skin? Baking soda is generally mild, non-toxic and not known to cause any grave effects when used on skin. Dermatologists do not recommend using this amphoteric salt on your face because it is said to cause a drying effect on skin. Use baking soda in moderation. Remember to drink lots of water, cleanse, exfoliate and moisturize to get healthy skin.
Lemon and Baking Soda for Skin Whitening
Lemon and baking soda for skin whitening is by far the most common and most effective recipe for skin brightening. Both lemon and baking soda area mildly acidic in nature and work to gently kill bacteria that may cause dark spots, bumps and rough patches that make the skin appear dull and unattractive. Unlike baking soda, lemon juice has effective skin bleaching properties which when combined with cleaning and exfoliating properties of baking soda make a great blend for skin whitening.
It is important to note that
- Baking soda dissolves very quickly in water. When making a paste, make it thick enough by using baking soda generously. It is also recommended that you pass the powder through a sieve to selectively remove lumps that might hurt your skin while exfoliating.
- Lemon can be very harsh on skin causing burning and stinging which can be very uncomfortable. 1 spoonful of lemon is enough for a skin whitening recipe.
- Baking soda is a salt that can cause stinging or burning sensation when applied to raw skin. Do not use if you any open wounds. To avoid over-drying, do not wear baking soda for too long and moisturize as soon as possible.
