Q: Lately, using baking soda to cleanse the face has been making headlines on the internet. Is it fact or fad?
A: You may have already learnt from Series #55, normal skin has a slightly acidic micro-environment. Baking soda is an alkaline with a pH of 8, so it will only do more harm than good to our skin.
You can probably still recall from the previous article that alkaline pH will cause skin dryness, sensitivity, inflammation, redness and flakiness.
In summary, baking soda can strip off the normal oil and moisture balance of our skin. And it will definitely destroy the protective barrier of normal skin and cause unwanted side effects to our skin.
As a rule of thumb, do not simply DIY any of your skincare product based on unproven internet fad.
Dr. Tan
