Spotlight On: Baking Soda

Baking soda in a wooden bowl

Baking soda is one of those unglamorous skincare stars that benefits us more than we really acknowledge. It doesn't have a fancy name, a flashy story or the advantage of being a new ingredient on the market. It wasn't recently discovered, deep in the rainforest, and it hasn't ever been labelled a super food. But it's a standby ingredient in many bath products, and for good reason!

Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is a close relative to soda ash (sodium carbonate) -- in fact, it's simply a form of soda ash that has been further processed. Made popular in the early 20th century as "Arm & Hammer Church & Co’s bicarbonate of soda," baking soda has since become a staple in kitchens around the world. It's used for cooking, cleaning, and yes -- skincare. 

Baking Soda's Role in Our Products

We use baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, in several of our products. 

It's a crucial ingredient in our bath bombs. Here, it works together with citric acid to create that fizzing action you know and love. Once dissolved in your bath water, it has a lovely softening effect which makes the bathing experience so much more pleasant. And that is why we also include baking soda in most of our mineral soaks! With baking soda softening the bath water, your soap will lather better and your skin will also feel less dry afterward.

Pet carpet soda

Another great benefit of baking soda is that it helps with itchy skin, which is why it's an old remedy in the bath for conditions like rashes, dry skin or anything else that's causing you to scratch. Note that it's not any sort of cure for any skin conditions, but rather that people have found it to soothe the itch. 

The other area where we utilize baking soda as an ingredient is as a deodorizer, which is why it's a main ingredient in our Chic Puppy Shakin' All Over Carpet Soda and Ticked Off Coat & Bed Shake. If you have stinky feet or any other part, it can also be helpful as a soak to freshen things up.

Other Surprising Uses for Baking Soda:

You likely already know when to use baking soda in your cooking or baking; and that it can be a wonderful ally in your household cleaning. But did you know that baking soda can also...

  • ...soak the pesticides off your fruit and vegetables? A 15 minute soak in a solution of baking soda and water has been shown to effectively remove almost all the pesticides from your produce!
  • ...cleanse your face? We've heard reports that for some people, using baking soda or a baking soda solution in the place of cleanser has cut down on breakouts and apparently brightened their complexion. If you want to try this, do your research first and be sure to do a spot test!
  • ...cut through stubborn grease? A simple paste of baking soda and dish soap or Castile soap is perfect for cleaning really greasy dishes, or removing that built-up kitchen grease from surfaces like hood fans. Works like a charm!
Posted by Lindsay on 3/26/2019

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