What is baking soda in skincare?
Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, a fine alkaline powder used in cooking, cleaning and antacids. Its skincare appeal comes from two properties: it is mildly abrasive, and it neutralises acid.
The second is the problem. Baking soda has a pH around 9, while healthy skin sits at roughly pH 4.7 to 5.75. That acidity is not incidental – it keeps barrier-repair enzymes working, holds the microbiome in balance and keeps pathogens out.
What skin concerns does baking soda treat?
It is used in home remedies as a scrub, a spot treatment and an exfoliant, and it does physically slough off surface cells while temporarily absorbing oil.
The cost outweighs it. Applying an alkaline powder strips the acid mantle, and research on cleansing consistently shows alkaline products impair barrier function and slow its recovery. The usual outcome is tightness, redness, rebound oil and more breakouts – the opposite of what it was used for.
What ingredients are best paired with baking soda?
Nothing, on the face. Its one defensible skincare use is neutralising an overly acidic DIY mixture before it touches skin, and even that is a reason to buy a properly formulated product instead.
For gentle exfoliation use lactic acid or a PHA; for oil and congestion use salicylic acid or clay; for blemishes use benzoyl peroxide or azelaic acid. All work with the skin’s pH rather than against it. Take our Skin Quiz.
What is oily skin?
Oily skin is a skin type in which the sebaceous glands produce more sebum than the skin needs. It shows up as shine through the T-zone within hours of cleansing, visibly enlarged pores, makeup that slides or separates, and a tendency towards blackheads and congestion.
Sebum itself is not the enemy – it carries vitamin E to the surface, keeps the barrier supple and helps oily skin hold its structure, which is why it often shows fine lines later than dry skin does.
What causes oily skin?
Genetics and androgen activity are the primary drivers of how much sebum your glands produce. Heat and humidity increase output measurably, and hormonal fluctuations across the monthly cycle, pregnancy or puberty shift it again.
Stress, a diet heavy in refined carbohydrates, and – counter-intuitively – over-cleansing with stripping foams or alcohol-based toners all push oil production up, because skin compensates for a damaged barrier by making more.
What ingredients are best for oily skin?
Look for salicylic acid (a BHA that is oil-soluble, so it clears inside the pore), niacinamide and zinc to regulate sebum, clay such as bentonite or kaolin for weekly absorption, and retinoids or azelaic acid to normalise how pores shed.
Do not skip hydration: lightweight humectants like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, plus non-comedogenic squalane or jojoba oil, keep the barrier intact so the skin stops over-compensating. Skip heavy occlusive balms and high-alcohol toners. Take our Skin Quiz to get the balance right for your skin.
