question for spastica

[sweetpea333]

your always raving about baking soda, so i picked up a couple of boxes, and if you have the time could you tell me what i could use it for. especially ideas for beauty tips... can u use it for acne?? and how much to put in a bath?? ...if you dont mind.. or if anyone else has info..

[Spastica]

Hi

I just like baking soda because it's just so pure feeling, cheap (don't you wish the words 'pure and cheap' could be used at the same time to describe people?), and it works. Everytime somebody comes in here with a question, it always seems that you can fix it with baking soda.

It surely can be used for acne. I posted some links on this thread that can help you:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=486859

You can mix the baking soda with your favorite facial cleanser or you can use it as a paste (baking soda and a little water) after you've thoroughly cleaned your face. You can tone your face afterward with apple cider vinegar (1/2 ACV, 1/2 water or dilute it more if you are sensitive). Moisturize afterward.

You can also use baking soda as a mask. Make a paste and let it sit on your face until it turns into a plaster and starts to crumble. Then wash it off. For big, painful zits that need to dry out, you can pack on some baking soda paste on the zit. You can add some tea tree oil too or just put tea tree oil straight.

As for baths, baking soda is the same stuff that is used in fizzy bath bombs, so yes, you can use baking soda. You can put some in your bath (1/2 cup in warm water). I even use it on my dog with his shampoo. He gets really nice and clean. His fur is soft too.

You can find more tips at these sites, which is where I get my info:

http://frugalliving.about.com/cs/tip...akingsoda2.htm
If you scroll down the page offers even more links.

Found a compact list just now:
http://www.kitchencraftsnmore.net/bakingsoda.html

[sweetpea333]

thank u so much!! im really excited now, to try these tips out!!!

[Sumaiyah]

I have been washing my face with the baking soda and water paste. It is fabulous! I use about a teaspoon of BS and just a drip of water. Apply to face, let set until dry, and rinse. LOVE IT!

I do have a question for you Spastica, have you used Green Tea as a toner with great results? I am currently using 50/50 water and ACV but I am just curious about the Green Tea..... I have heard some good things about it.

By the way, the sites about ACV are great. I love to use ACV for my salad dressings.

My face says thank you :
Sumaiyah

[HappiLeigh]

Originally Posted by Spastica

(don't you wish the words 'pure and cheap' could be used at the same time to describe people?)

[Spastica]

I've read that green tea works very well on acne. On lab tests it compares to the 3% benzoyl peroxide solution, the typical remedy for acne.

The problem with benzoyl peroxide is that it has a free radical molecule, making the solution unstable. What the hell does that mean? That means that the unstable free radical causes a bit of damage to your skin and causes wrinkling.

You can definitely use green tea as a toner. You won't have any of the side effects of benzoyl peroxide with green tea.

Green tea works because it's an astringent and it kills P. Acne bacteria. So it works on the oil and bacteria problem. It even evens out your complexion to a degree.

Of course drinking green tea is great too. Once you drink it, you can use the tea bag (slightly warm to completely cool - don't use hot, that would hurt!) to tone your face or squeeze the excess from the teabag onto a cottonball.

There are green tea gels on the market that you can buy (I've read about them online, but haven't seen them on the market), but making a nice strong brew of tea at home works too. I've seen green tea powdered capsules in the vitamin section, you can probably concoct your own gel - perhaps aloe vera and green tea?

Anyway, I hope that helps!

[sweetpea333]

[QUOTE=Spastica]I've read that green tea works very well on acne. On lab tests it compares to the 3% benzoyl peroxide solution, the typical remedy for acne.

The problem with benzoyl peroxide is that it has a free radical molecule, making the solution unstable. What the hell does that mean? That means that the unstable free radical causes a bit of damage to your skin and causes wrinkling.
QUOTE]

good thing i read this because i was using 5 % benzoyl peroxide!!

[Sumaiyah]

I was going to make an infusion of Green Tea and use it as a toner. I don't have much of an acne problem these days. I was hoping to use it for my skin complexion. I had acne as a teenager and I have a few spots here and there. I guess the ACV toner is better in this regard.

Thanks
Sumaiyah

[Spastica]

Apple cider vinegar or green tea would even out your complexion. You can mix it up and use one one day and the other the next day.

I've used apple cider vinegar to even out my skin and it works very, very well.

The acne serum recipe also does a great job of of smoothing your skin and evens it out. I have darker skin (I'm Indian) and it works - it's hard to find stuff that takes away the overpigmentation that dark skin is prone to get with any kind of blemish or sun spots and use something that doesn't peel or irritate your skin in the process - and this actually works!

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=443755

[Sumaiyah]

I write this at the risk of being labeled a nerd........I actually have your acne serum post printed out :

I have not tried it out yet because I am having a hard time locating reasonable priced essential oils where I reside at the current moment. And I seem to forget to order them when I do my online shopping. I am not fair skinned (bi-racial) so its nice to hear that it might work for me, too.

Sumaiyah

[Spastica]

*Spastica claps*

I LOVE nerds! And it makes me feel good that you printed out that info, that satisfies MY inner nerd.

If you wanted to stick to 1 or 2 essential oils and not buy anything else, lavender and tea tree oil are the most versatile - of those, tea tree oil is the most useful.

There's always the lemon trick to bleach out dark spots on your face, but I dunno about you, but it gets itchy and burn-y on me. I guess I can eat citrus so long it doesn't touch my skin much (essential oils are different for me, my skin loves them - isn't that weird?) or God-forbid, touch my lips in any way (they usually itch and swell).

If you wanted an essential oil free alternative, you can just use the apple cider vinegar swabbed on your face with a cotton ball.

Exfoliation also helps in conjunction to the apple cider vinegar - try baking soda, cornmeal, oatmeal or oat flour, or brown sugar to exfoliate. I think that the baking soda and brown sugar are the least messy (the flours goo up and I don't think they work as nicely - I haven't tried cornmeal yet).

[Sumaiyah]

I have not tried pure lemon juice my on face. I have used 50/50 lemon juice and water but I think it was too weak. I have been thinking of trying the lemon juice thing. I have read about it on a lot on boards.

Thanks for the tip about the two EOs that best work for you. I have tried various facial products that had various essential oils in them. I must say I am little beside myself to dabble with some essential oils.

I have used oatmeal, sugar, and cornmeal on my face. The sugar is very nice but a little much for me to be used as an everyday cleaner. But oh my face was so soft after the wash! Cornmeal is my least favorite of the bunch, its a little bit better when mixed with honey. I have not tried brown sugar.

I love nerds, too. I was nicknamed nerd/bookworm in high school and college. I was the student that was in the classroom before the bell rung, and I was the student to read chapters ahead in the class book just for the knowledge.

Sumaiyah