Here are five top recipes for using baking soda in your beauty routine:
1. Give your feet a nice soak. Mix 3 tbsp of baking soda in a basin of warm water, add 10 drops of an essential oil like lavender and soak your tootsies for 20 minutes. If you have any rough skin, make a paste of baking soda and water and scrub these patches at the end.
2. Get rid of chlorine discolouration from your hair by mixing ½ cup of baking soda with water to make a paste. Rub into damp hair and leave for 10 minutes, then rinse. (You may need more for long hair.)
3. Make a tooth powder by mixing 2 tbsp of baking soda with a pinch of stevia (natural sweetener found at health stores and supermarkets) and 5 drops of lemon essential oil. Shake well and dip your wet toothbrush into it.
4. If you use a lot of polish, your nails may look yellow. Bleach them by mixing 1 tbsp baking soda with 1 tsp oxygen bleach powder (from organic and health stores or online suppliers), then add water to make a paste. Rub on, leave for 10 minutes, wash off. Finish with a rub of olive oil.
5. Add 1 tbsp of baking soda to your usual facial cleanser. Massage into skin to help exfoliate.
Image credit: Paul Suesse/ bauersyndication.com.au