12 Beauty Uses For Baking Soda and 1 You Should Never Try

Sometimes antibacterial soap just can't cut through a greasy mess (think: that time you used way too much coconut oil). Baking soda can actually cut through the oil slick to thoroughly clean skin. Pour a little bit of the powder into your hand and mix with water to remedy oily palms.

When you've used your dry shampoo to the last pump, turn to baking soda for a quick DIY fix. Sprinkle the powder close to the roots and massage into the scalp to dry up excess oil. For dark hair, you can even add a spoonful of cocoa powder to avoid the pure white cast.

If you're looking for a natural deodorant without the threat of aluminum, you can turn to your kitchen cupboard. You can use baking soda mixed with water to create an odor-repelling paste. There are also more complex recipes that add essential oils, cornstarch, and arrowroot to the mix to create a DIY stick.

Stir together a paste of baking soda and water. The natural exfoliant will help lift surface stains from coffee, red wine, and smoking. To really boost the efficiency of this treatment, you can mix the powder with hydrogen peroxide. While this DIY mix will immediately brighten tarnished teeth, baking soda can't whiten permanently like an in-office bleaching treatment.

The abrasive particles of sodium bicarbonate make it an easy and natural skin exfoliant. You can sprinkle the mix into your favorite gentle face wash for an added scrubbing effect. You can also make a paste of three parts baking soda and one part water.

An addiction to colorful nail polish shades can lead to yellowing tips and discolored cuticles. To whiten your nails, use a concoction of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Apply the salve with an old toothbrush and let sit for three to five minutes before rinsing.

Got streaks? One wrong move and self-tanner can turn into a streaky, orange mess. You can easily fix visible tanning lines with baking soda. Apply a mix of baking soda and lemon juice to the area that's uneven to scrub away the mistake.

Adding baking soda to your DIY pedicure bowl can help dissolve callus skin on heels and relieve itchy soles. If the dead skin still won't budge, you can apply a paste of baking soda and water directly to the area.

We know you've probably been using hand soap and oil to clean your makeup brushes, but you can also use baking soda. Just dip your brush in a bath of warm water and a few teaspoons of sodium bicarbonate to dissolve product buildup. This is also a good trick for old toothbrushes, hairbrushes, and combs.

Eating acidic foods and sugar can interfere with the pH balance of your mouth, causing bad breath. Baking soda (an alkaline mineral) helps to balance things out and eliminate halitosis. Stir one teaspoon of the powder into warm water, and gargle. Sodium bicarbonate also helps keep plaque from forming on teeth for overall mouth health.

That old wives' tale about using baking soda to relieve skin irritation is actually true! The powder can help cool down a burn, take the redness out of a sunburn, and relieve itchy skin from a bug bite or poison ivy. You can get all-over relief by adding the baking soda to a bath. Spot treating with a sodium bicarbonate and water paste is also an option.

To unclog your drain without damaging the pipes, whip up a natural solution of equal parts baking soda and vinegar. Pour the mix down the sink or shower, and cover with a damp cloth. Wait five minutes. Flush out the drain with scalding-hot water.

Baking soda has gotten a reputation as a clarifying hair treatment to be used in place of shampoo (called the no-poo method). The treatment helps dissolve product buildup, but at the same time it ruins the pH balance of hair. The alkaline baking soda has a pH of 9, when your strands should be between 4.5 and 5.5. Continued use of baking soda as a cleanser can cause extreme breakage and dryness.