Baking Soda For Acne

Baking soda can help limit acne breakouts while managing inflammation and pain on the skin. This is due to its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. However, some healthcare experts don't recommend it, as it can eliminate vital protective oils and irritate the skin further.

Baking soda and acne—does it work?

Your skin has a natural pH balance between 4.5 and 5.5. Baking soda has a pH level of 9. Due to this, baking soda can help sooth mild pain and inflammation on your skin. Some people use it as an exfoliant in tandem with other acne treatments to help boost their impact.

3 ways to use baking soda to improve your acne

There are several ways you can go about using baking soda to help your acne. While it's not recommended for daily use, it can help in the following methods.

Mask

A face mask helps expose the skin to baking soda's anti-inflammatory properties. And you can make one fairly easily.

• Mix 1 to 2 teaspoons of baking soda with your facial cleanser and a small quantity of warm water to create a paste.

• Massage the paste onto the affected area.

• Leave on the skin for 10 to 15 minutes before washing with warm water.

Spot Treatment

Baking soda can help even if you have a single pimple. In that instance, you're better off applying a mixture directly to the problem area.

• Mix 2 teaspoons of baking soda with warm water to make a paste.

• Apply paste to the pimples.

• Leave there for 20 minutes before washing off with warm water.

Face Wash

When using baking soda as a face wash, make sure you wash it off immediately because it can dry out the skin too much.

• Add 2 teaspoons of baking soda to your regular face wash.

• Apply to your face.

• Wash with warm water.

Are there any side effects to using baking soda?

Baking soda shouldn't be a daily acne treatment. It can help once in a while. But if you use it too often, then you may notice the following side effects:

• Overly dry skin - Since baking soda has a much higher pH balance, it can dry out your skin too much. When this happens, your pores create too much sebum to balance it out. This begins the cycle of acne formation all over again.

• Premature wrinkles - Excessively dry skin also increases your risk of getting wrinkles earlier in life. You want your skin to be regularly hydrated to combat this.

• Increased sensitivity to the sun - Too much baking soda strips your skin of beneficial bacterial. This increases your sensitivity to natural elements like the sun. You have a greater risk of getting sunburnt.

Tips to prevent your acne from worsening

Baking soda is fine once in a while when you need quick relief right away. But using it everyday is ill-advised. The following actions can also make your acne worse and prolong treatment.

• Washing your face all the time - Generally, you only need to wash your face once or twice a day. Doing it too often can dry out the skin too much, resulting in an overproduction of sebum that traps dirt and bacteria.

• Squeezing pimples - As good as it may feel, you don't want to pop pimples. This can increase inflammation and worsen any scarring.

• Failing to wash after a workout - The act of sweating is good for your skin. But if you leave it in place, then it traps bacteria and debris. Shower after any time you exercise.

Here's the best ways to treat your acne

While acne breakouts and pimples are inevitable at some point in your life, it's not something you have to live with forever. There's a wide range of treatment options that have shown to combat those pesky red bumps for good.

• Benzoyl Peroxide: Typically a main ingredient in many acne facial cleansers and lotions, benzoyl peroxide goes into your pores to lift and remove excess oil, dirt and debris (acne-causing agents).

• Glycolic Acid: An alpha-hydroxy acid, this ingredient exfoliates dead skin cells and removes surface impurities. This stops your pores from clogging; preventing future breakouts.

• Retinoids: Arguably the most effective acne treatment, retinoids expertly diminish sebum (excess oil), dirt, bacteria, and any other acne-causing agents on your skin's surface to prevent future breakouts. This powerful drug has also been proven to stop acne scars from forming, leaving behind only smooth, radiant skin.

Treat your acne fast! Get a prescription retinoid, today!

We understand how annoying and bothersome acne breakouts can be. Whether it's picture day at school, or you've got a job interview, acne is not a welcome friend. Fortunately, it's a treatable condition. Our licensed physicians make it easy and more comfortable to have a discussion about your skin and the best treatment options available for you.

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