Beauty Magic right from your Kitchen

I am always looking for great natural products from my kitchen to replace the gobs of money I spend on skin care products. So far, hands-down, the best ingredient I have learned of is baking soda. Not only is it extremely cheap, but it also is a magic cleanser for your house. You can use it in your fridge or in a garbage can to eliminate odor, it can be used on a sponge to remove stove stains, and best of all, it can be used for your skin, hair and large pores where black heads love to hide.

Today, I am going to talk about its advantages for your skin and teeth. I will cover its magic for your hair in an upcoming post on clarifying shampoo.

Teeth Whitening
One of the most important things you can have is white teeth. A great smile can go a long way in a job interview, when meeting a guy, or just for boosting confidence (the most important benefit). However, I have found that teeth whitening trays can ruin your enamel and make your gums and teeth more sensitive. So, if you want to a good way to whiten your teeth on a budget, keep reading for easy steps. I do this once a week.

1. Wet your tooth brush and poor a thin layer of baking soda on your toothbrush. You want to be able to see it, but you also don't want a huge mountain of powder. 
2. Brush your teeth as you would normally using the baking soda and then rinse your mouth out thoroughly. I tend to brush my teeth for at least a minute or more total. Just be careful not to brush too hard. Oh, and try not to swallow it. I find that if I do accidentally it tends to upset my stomach a bit. You are better off spitting in the middle of brushing.
3. Follow by brushing your teeth with your normal toothpaste. I use the Crest gingivitis formula to make sure my gums stay healthy, it really works well. However, you can use a regular teeth whitening toothpaste or regular formula. I wouldn't use it with a powerful teeth whitening toothpaste like Super Smile because it may be too corrosive for your teeth; however. I also highly recommend Crest because  I have been using it my whole life with no cavities. I know some part of this has to do with your genes, but I do love sugar and all things bad for your teeth, so I can say it works pretty well. 

Reducing Large Pores and Exfoliating

I tend to have larger pores around the apples of my cheeks and nose. They are a devil of a time to get rid of, I know. However, using baking soda regularly has really made a difference in my skin. Follow these easy steps to reduce the size of your pores. You will be amazed as it seems to start working almost immediately. For this procedure you may find it difficult to pour right from your baking soda box, but you can pour some in a clean spice jar for more control on how much product comes out. 

1. Wet your face and make sure your off-hand is also damp in order to absorb the baking soda. I am right handed, so my off-hand is my left.
2. rub your hands together to get a semi-paste mixed and massage it into your face. You will want to go in circular motions focusing more time on your larger pore areas. Remember, it isn't how hard you press, it is how long your massage it in that makes it effective.
3. You will want to focus maybe 30-60 seconds on each spot. 
4. Rinse your face thoroughly. You should feel that your skin is already smoother because the baking soda exfoliates as well as kills bacteria in your pores.
5. Wash your face with a gentle cleanser. I like to use my Freeman wash after this treatment.
6. Put on your nighttime lotion and other skin care treatments for bed!

Note: I would suggest doing this at night because sometimes my skin gets a little red after using the baking soda and you don't want to put make-up into your opened pores. However, if you are desperate, make sure you do a cold water splash on your face afterwards because that will close the pores.