I am not a fan of spending tons of money of facial scrubs. I also recently began seeing stories that the plastic beads used in many commercial scrubs are potentially dangerous to aquatic animal life and thus anything that eats the affected aquatic animal life. I'm not an expert but it just doesn't trip my trigger to pay that much money no matter the level of potential contamination or pollution. There are LOTS of articles out there if you'd like to learn more about the fight to ban these plastic beads. The scrubs that use crushed shells, nuts, and nut shells always leave my face feeling a little stingy. Again, I'm no expert but if it feels stingy, I don't think it's good for me. At the very least, I don't want to subject myself to a sore face on purpose!
About 4 months ago, I read an article that I thought might offer me a solution.
The article, from a natural living blog referenced baking soda as an exfoliator. I decided to give it a try. It made my face feel fantastic! I mix about a Tablespoon in my hand with just enough water to form a paste then GENTLY rub it on my face in an upward circular motion. I let it sit for about 2 minutes. Longer than that and it starts to dry which just plain feels weird to me. I wash clean and my face feels amazing. You can also mix it with a little of your regular cleanser and use it that way.
The best part?!? The boxes are less than $1 at my local Aldi store and last for a couple months.
I keep mine in a glass jar next to the tub because if I leave it in the paper box, it gets soaked and mangled by a very active, splashy 2 1/2 year old with whom I share the tub. I only use it once a week otherwise, it just feels like it dries me out. I'm curious to see if I'll still like it in the winter when my skin is so much more likely to be dry. I did make sure to read several articles about using baking soda if you have rosacea (since I do, dammit!). Most of what I read said it may actually help as a highly alkaline diet has been suggested as a treatment for rosacea and baking soda is an alkaline compound.
I've been super happy with my results but I do want to note that there are a couple of websites that discourage using baking soda as a facial exfoliator. You know your skin. Do your research. Give it a try. If it doesn't work, or you don't like your results, you've got a box of baking soda to use in the kitchen and you're out 0 dollars!
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