I loved that the father in My Big Fat Greek Wedding used Windex to cure everything that ailed him (and everyone in his big fat family). Most of us have a version of this, even though we laugh at the characterization.
In the health field, I have heard people extol the never-ending virtues of coconut oil, kombucha and kimchi.
Bear with me while I do the same and expand your awareness of what baking soda can do for you.
It can definitely deodorize your fridge and help your cakes to rise. It can help to unclog your drains when combined with vinegar. I don’t believe that it is the cure for all that ails you, but you might want to add a box to your beauty regimen.
Here are surprising uses for baking soda in your beauty routine, allowing one of the kitchen’s cheapest ingredients to make you purdy:
We know we need to wear sunscreen and hats, but we can occasionally over-bake because we are human. (I also used the "human" excuse for why I chased my salad with a cookie.)
Baking soda can help when you resemble Elmo from Sesame Street. Mix cool water with the baking soda until it makes a paste. Apply it over the burn until the heat has lessened. Rinse with cool water afterwards ... or cancel all of your plans and sit in a tub of ice.(1)
Dry shampoos are all the rage. I have a friend who gets a blowout once a week and then makes it last with powdery “no poos.” It is a genius lazy-girl hack.
Even more genius? The fact that the expensive brands can be replaced with your simple box of bicarbonate.
Make sure not to place it directly on your scalp, but rather apply the powder carefully by placing it in your hands first. You don’t want your friends wondering if it is snowing outside.(3)
If baking soda can work as a dry shampoo, why can’t it do the same for your makeup brushes? It works even better as a soak.
Put warm water and a couple of teaspoons of baking soda in a tall glass. The measurements aren’t incredibly important as long as you don’t drink it. Soak for 20 minutes and leave the brushes to dry. Feel obnoxiously efficient.
Confession: when I first became a yoga teacher I became really granola. So granola that I made my own deodorant, which included coconut oil and baking soda. Did it work? Sure, if I wasn’t do anything too vigorous. Yes, if it wasn’t a sweltering day.
If you plan on sweating, bring baking soda in the box for touch-ups or use your normal natural deodorant. This will assure that you don’t walk around offending people.(4)
If baking soda can keep the smell of cat food from leaking into your vegetables in the fridge, why can’t it help to improve the situation of one of our stinkiest body parts? I'm referring, of course, to the feet.
You can even science-project the situation with apple cider vinegar and baking soda, which some believe can help to fight fungal infections. At the very least, you will be more likely to get a foot massage from your partner when you are watching TV.(5)
Reviewed October 18, 2016
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith