Monday 9 March 2015

Natural Body Wonders: Baking Soda

Baking soda is an item that can be found in most households today. Baking soda does wonders for improving the appearance and health of your teeth, hair and skin, and is more economical to use rather than the expensive products on the store shelves.

Teeth Whitening

Baking Soda and Lemon Juice - Mix approximately 1 good teaspoon of baking soda with just enough fresh lemon juice (or water) to make a paste. Wipe your teeth and any extra saliva off of them with a paper towel. Put a good amount of paste onto your toothbrush and apply. Leave the paste on for 1 minute, then rinse to avoid the acid effecting enamel. If you are using just water you can leave it on for up to 3 minutes. Do this once a week.

Strawberry, Salt and Baking Soda Scrub - Strawberries are high in Vitamin C, which can help break-down plaque that is causing your teeth to look yellow. It also has an enzyme called malic acid, which may help to remove surface stains. The salt acts as an abrasive portion of the paste, physically scrubbing away stain-causing gunk.

Mix
1-3 large strawberries
A pinch of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
Mash the berries into a pulp, and add a pinch of sea salt and ½ teaspoon of baking soda, if you’re using it. Wipe any extra saliva off your teeth with a paper towel, and then apply a generous portion of the mixture to a toothbrush and apply. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, then rinse. Do this nightly.




Coconut Oil Rinse - This may sound absolutely mad, but rinsing your mouth with coconut oil (called ‘oil pulling’ - see below) is a unique, old remedy that people swear by to help whiten teeth. The lauric acid in coconut oil can rid your teeth of bacteria found in plaque that can make them yellow. It is also supposed to promote gum health, and help keep your breath fresh.
Use about 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
In the morning, before you brush your teeth, scoop out a tablespoon or a little less (depending on the size of your mouth) of coconut oil. You can either soften it, or just put it in your mouth (I usually do the latter, and just let it soften.) Push, swish, and “pull” the oil through and around your teeth for 10-15 minutes, then spit it out, rinse with water, and brush your teeth.
Hair and Skin

Pull out skin deposits - When you are taking a shower, or washing your hair, make sure to add some baking soda in the shampoo. In this way, you will remove all the layers that build up on your hair over time. This comes because of using different hair products that are hard to wash.

Peeling - If you create a mixture of baking soda and water, you will come up with a good face-peeling product. This mixture will remove all the dead skin cells (exfoliation) from your face and your skin will appear younger and smoother.

Cuticles - If you use baking soda on your cuticles, you will make them softer. Use the mixture of water and baking soda on the cuticles and nails by using a nail polish brush. Gently rub these areas and you will fix all the problems with your cuticles.




Brush cleaning - As mentioned before, baking soda can help you with your hair by removing the layers of unwanted particles on your skin, but also by removing these particles from your brushes and combs. Use a mixture of boiling hot water and baking soda and soak the brush in the mixture.

Foot care - A mixture of baking soda with warm water will help your feet too. This mixture will de-stress your skin and you will feel relaxed and calm. Many people use it for home pedicure treatments.

Warts - Experts that work with natural remedies suggest creating a mixture of baking soda and lemon juice in order to remove unwanted warts. Make this combination and use it on the affected area. Leave the mixture until it dries off and use lukewarm water to clean the area.

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