Baking Soda and Acne

Acne is a bane for many of us. It affects both men and women, young and old, although adolescence is the time when it is at its peak. Blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, pustules and papules are the various forms of acne that a person might get on his skin. The main reason why a person gets acne is the excess production of sebum, which clogs the pores as well as hair follicles with dead skin and oil, and attracts bacteria build up on the skin. This causes swelling in the skin tissues, resulting in acne. Some of the other causes of acne are hormonal imbalances that occur in women during periods or pregnancy, certain hereditary factors, stress and anxiety, usage of wrong kind of cosmetics and food allergies.

For getting rid of acne, people rely on a number of natural acne cures. Application of baking soda acne paste is one of such, quite popular and effective home remedies. Below is the step wise procedure of using baking soda for acne treatment, followed by the advantages as well as disadvantages of the same.

Baking Soda and Acne Treatment

In order to get rid of acne with baking soda, you need to form a paste of baking soda and water. Acne, be it on the face, back, chest or any other body part, can be cured with the regular application of this baking soda acne paste. Here is the step wise procedure to apply baking soda for acne.

• Take a mild face wash, preferably herbal, and wash your face with it to remove the dirt, oil, make up, etc. on the face.
• Do not towel dry your face. To clear acne with baking soda, wet skin is more desirable, as it easily and readily absorb the mixture that you will prepare in the next step.
• Start preparing the baking soda acne paste. To do this, simply remember the ratio 2:1 for water: baking soda, i.e. in two teaspoons of water mix one teaspoon of baking soda. Remember that the baking soda acne paste should neither be too thick, nor it should be too diluted.
• Next, apply the baking soda acne paste on your damp face evenly. Post its application, massage your face with it in small, circular motions for about half a minute.
• Leave the baking soda acne paste on face for about fifteen minutes after massaging and then wash off with cold water.

The above mentioned baking soda acne treatment, should be carried out initially, just once a week. Later its frequency can be increased slowly. This will give your acne prone sensitive skin enough time to get used to the baking soda.

Baking Soda and Acne Treatment: Pros and cons

There are many benefits of using baking soda for acne treatment. Firstly, it helps in removing the dead skin as well as unclogging the pores, making the skin clearer, softer and smoother. The excessive oil on skin, which is one of the main reasons behind a person getting acne, gets dried up through the regular application of the baking soda acne paste, lessening the future eruptions of acne. Another benefit of baking soda is that it exfoliates the skin effectively, thereby fading the acne scars which a person might have developed.

Now coming to the disadvantages of using baking soda acne paste. Firstly, its application can damage the skin as it creates a kind of a pH imbalance on the skin, causing excessive dryness and allowing the bacteria to breed. Secondly, baking soda is a strong chemical so it may cause a skin reaction in some people, especially those who have a very sensitive skin. Thus, baking soda can prove to be detrimental to the skin of certain people who have an extremely sensitive skin.

For getting rid of acne, besides the application of baking soda acne paste, there are a number of other remedies that a person should follow, such as maintaining hygiene, keeping the affected skin area clean, drinking lots of water, exercising everyday, choosing one's cosmetics very carefully and taking a healthy, oil free and caffeine free diet. However, if none of this works, a person can always take prescription medicines such as Accutane or Retin-A and apply topical creams for acne control.