Skin Care With Baking Soda May Replace Many Products On Your Shelves

Baking soda has been used for just about everything - it can put
out fires, remove oil and grease from clothing, clean
vegetables, polish your silverware, get rid of nasty smells, and
settle your upset stomach. But did you know it is also an
excellent natural skin
care product? Find out how to use baking soda for a clean,
clear complexion.

One of the best skin care combinations is baking soda and apple
cider vinegar. The baking soda cleanses and exfoliates and the
apple cider vinegar acts as a toner and astringent. Both are
natural products, free of harsh and irritating chemicals, and
both have antibacterial properties. Apple cider vinegar is also
loaded with excellent skin care nutrients, whether you drink it
as a tonic or use it directly on the skin.

Here are a few recipes to get you started:

* As a cleanser and exfoliant, mix a couple of teaspoons of
baking soda with a few drops of cold water and massage lightly
into the skin. To tone afterwards, mix apple cider vinegar half
and half with water and apply with a cotton ball. Follow that
with an application of coconut oil or vitamin E to soothe and
soften. The baking soda really cleans the skin while removing
excess oils and dead skin cells. The apple cider vinegar is
nourishing and closes the pores, and the coconut oil or vitamin
E softens and nourishes at the same time.

* If you have problems with acne, try a honey masque after
cleansing and exfoliating with baking soda. Smooth the honey
directly on the skin, leave on for about 10 minutes and rinse
with warm water. Follow with apple cider vinegar to tone. In
this case, you don't need the coconut oil or vitamin E as the
honey has already done the job. Using this routine, you may be
able to eliminate acne medication and special acne skin care
products altogether.

* As an all-over body scrub, try sprinkling baking soda directly
onto a washcloth and rubbing down. It exfoliates the skin while
cleansing, and gives a soft, even texture. Use a paste of baking
soda and water to smooth away especially rough areas - elbows or
heels - before your shower.

Why do people use baking soda instead of the hundreds of skin
care products available? Primarily because it's natural - no
harsh and irritating chemicals. Baking soda does a better job
than most of the chemical-laden products and doesn't damage the
skin.

However, using natural cleansers and exfoliants is not enough to
protect your skin from environmental chemicals and pollutants -
for that you need a shielding lotion. A good shielding lotion
bonds with the outer layer of the skin to form a new protective
layer than locks in natural moisture and keeps out chemicals. If
you follow your natural cleansing routine with an application of
shielding lotion, your skin will stay clean, soft and supple
even when exposed to pollutants.

Many people have sworn off the chemicals used in most skin care
products and replaced their cleansers, masques, exfoliants and
even anti-aging serums with baking soda, honey, apple cider
vinegar and other natural skin care
treatment products. As a result, they've improved their skin
and their overall health. Give baking soda a try and you should
see the difference almost immediately. But don't forget the
shielding lotion to protect your skin from the chemicals you
can't avoid.

About the author:
Author, Gloria MacTaggart, is an expert author on skin care
solutions and contributes articles on skin care
for 21st Century Formulations. For more information, please
visit http://www.SkinMDNatural.com.

posted by man