Ready to pamper your skin? This baking soda face wash will make you feel like you just spent the day at a spa!
We all know that exfoliation is good for the skin, but sugar – and especially salt – scrub is just so abrasive. Okay, so I know it wouldn’t be exfoliation if it wasn’t abrasive, but sensitive areas like facial skin deserve something more gentle.
Baking soda is perfect. It’s a gentle exfoliant, and good for your skin. The first time I used this baking soda face wash, I was delighted by how smooth and soft my skin felt afterward. Some sources allege that baking soda is actually bad for skin thanks to the high ph level, but I think that’s an ill-thought out opinion. Did you know that soap has a very high ph? Cold process soap is even dangerous to use until it’s cured for at least three weeks.
Not that I’m trying to scare you off of soap 😉 i’m just saying that baking soda isn’t the only skin product with a high ph.
The other ingredients in this face scrub are pretty amazing too. Maybe even more amazing.
It may seem counter intuitive to put oil on your face, but the as with oil cleansing, the basic idea is that oil cleanses oil. coconut oil is actually antibacterial, and may even help decrease acne, and it’s the primary reason this face wash leaves skin so soft and smooth. But if you’re concerned about it being comedogenic, according to this article shea butter, argan oil, and rosehip seed oil are all excellent choices.
Though it’s technically optional, Frankincense oil probably my favorite ingredient. It’s known for it’s astringent properties, and is said to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Frankincense Oil promotes regeneration of healthy cells and also keeps the existing cells and tissues healthy.
They say that after you turn 30, you can’t get away with not taking care of your skin anymore. I hope that’s not true, but I use frankincense oil on my face daily just in case, and exfoliate with baking soda face wash each week just in case. 😉
I like to pretend that I’m not a high maintenance person, but I have to admit that I like the feeling of soft, happy skin just as much as the next girl. Which would explain my many lotion making experience, and the big jar of homemade body lotion on my dresser.
Baking Soda Face Wash
- 1/3 cup baking soda
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
- 5-10 drops of Frankincense oil (optional)
- 5 drops of tea tree oil (optional)
Directions:
- Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container.
- To use: Using small circular motions, gently rub a teaspoon or two into you skin. Rinse with warm water, and dry.
- Continue with your beauty routine as normal.
- That’s all there is to it!
Recipes everyone can make!
Nourish your body with ingredients you already have in your kitchen!
jan says
I use baking soda too but mix it with a standard, gentle facewash. My reason for using it? To tone down the age/brown spots on my face from the sun and ::gasp:: age … it works but I found I can only do it once a week, otherwise it’s too harsh. Somewhere I read to use apple cider vinegar as an astrigent after using the baking soda but I can’t stomach the smell of that stuff, no matter how diluted it is 😉
Elise says
Thanks for sharing! I’m using my baking soda wash about once a week too. And I agree! I use to use Apple cider vinegar on my hair, and I pretty much had to hold my nose every time!
Kristina says
Hello,
I would love to try your baking soda/coconut oil face wash, but I have oily skin. Do you think that it would make my oily skin worse, or is coconut oil non comedogenic?
Thank you,
Kristina
Elise says
Sadly, it’s not, however, you could replace is with shea butter, organ oil, or rosehip seed oil.
Kristina says
Thank you, Elise. ????
Erika says
If you have oily skin, it will actually help your skin become less oily. Like she stated above, oil feeds oil. It sounds off but it’s true. The more you dry out your skin the more oil it will produce. Our skin is made up of sebum so it actually craves oil. Try it 🙂
Darlene says
I agree Erika. I’m 37 and have had oily skin forever, when I tried Argan oil, a few drops gently pressed into face before your moisturizer I became less oily throughout the day. This sounds like a great weekly treatment. I love Frankincense & Melaleuca. Trying this on the weekend! Thanks
Donna says
Oil cleaned oil..Coconut oil and baking soda is good for oily skin.
Mary says
hi, i used new product on my face and now my face is soo dry, so i decide it to do my own face wash daily. can i do ur face wash, like coconut oïl wih baking soda?
and after that i will moisturizer my face with argan oïl, its good?
thank you!
Laura says
How long does this recipe last? Also, how do you store it?
Elise says
I store mine in a 4 oz. jar, and it should keep for several weeks.
Diana says
How long are you supposed to leave the face mask on? 10 or 5 minutes?
Elise says
I typically leave it on for however long it takes me to brush my teeth. 🙂
Sheryal says
I am using a similiar recipie using coconut oil and you have to melt it first, it’s more of a half and half recipie. What I want to know is this, does yours harden when it cools? Mine does and its a little tricky getting the lumps to melt in your hands to rub on face.
Elise says
This one is more of a paste, and I haven’t had any problem with it getting too stiff, or having lumps because of the high proportion of baking soda. 🙂
Melissa says
Hi! I tried this and love it! I combined with another recipe I found as far as adding EOs and went with 5 drops of frankincense, 3 lavender, and 2 lemon. My skin feels and looks great everywhere but my chin, which seemed to get clogged up. Can I replace coconut oil with jojoba oil? Thanks!
Elise says
That sounds like a great EO combo!
Yes, you can definitely change the oil, however, since it will alter the thickness of the recipe, you may need to use slightly less of it.
Erika says
If you have acne prone skin I would try using grapeseed oil. It’s a natural astringent so it won’t clog your pores. Jojoba is just like coconut. They are both vey moisturizing and very good for anti-aging and still excellent for acne but grapeseed can dig deeper into the pores ??
Penny says
I’m in love with your baking soda face scrub! It cleans so well and feels so refreshing. I did use frankincense but skipped the tea tree oil and added Vit C and geranium just because I love the scent. I can’t wait to give this as part of my homemade gift baskets for the holidays. Thank you!
Elise says
I love your modifications! Thanks for sharing!
Aleithia says
Can I use the baking soda face wash on a daily basis? If not, do you have a face wash recipe that I can use for dry, sensitive skin on a daily basis?
Erika says
Her particular face wash shouldn’t be used daily as it will strip your natural oils and cause your face to over produce oils due to the natural stripping process that the baking soda will be doing. However, a really good alternative recipe that is still natural and also an exfoliator is honey. Honey can be used in various ways. For acne, you can take honey and cinnamon. Make a paste and let it sit for 10 minutes and wash it off. Tone and moisturize as normal. Or, you can take honey and lemon (from a real lemon or EO of lemon) and cinnamon; again make a paste and do the same thing. Another way, is adding lavender EO and Tea Tree with honey. You need a liquid Tom make the honey more pliable so either the lemon or water. Honey is a natural glicolic acid so it really changes the surface of the face and in turn your face willl be soft and have a glow. ?
Sara says
I tried it…and it burn around the nose
Erika says
Try substituting the oils for ones that are less abrasive to your skin. You may be having a reaction.
Rebecca says
So if one was to substitute the non-comedogenic oils would you use the same amount of oil?
Elise says
Yes. 🙂
Helen Heinz says
Hi, love your stuff. I was told that argan oil is better than coconut oil for people with bad skin, so I substituted it and it is not creamy at all. Any recommendations
Elise says
I’m sorry I’ve never used argan oil, so I can’t be much help. Does it get solid when it’s cold? If so, try warming it up. If not, maybe try adding more oil. hth
Erika says
Argan oil is a very good substitute but yes, it won’t be creamy as it is a thin oil. It is also much more pricey. If you want an even better oil fornpriblamatic skin, try grapeseed. It is a natural astringent. Argan is for moisturizing and not for problamatic unless you have super dry skin. And if you have dry skin, only use the baking soda 1x a week and pay attention as to how your skin is reacting to the face wash. You do not want too much oil to be produced because then you will be causing more problems.
Rosemary Daubney says
I ordered a kit from young living.I wanted certain oils,I decided to start with a package deal first.I was amazed by what they claim to do and wanted to give it a try see for myself if they work.I was surprised the size of the bottles.I want to order more to do what I had wanted to do in the first place,feeling abbrehensive about ordering more from the company.I wanted oils for calming,less stressful days.I read a lot about oils never yet using oils.Only smelling from the health food store local in town.What to do?
Erika says
You don’t need a lot of drops to make blends. That’s why the bottles are not big. Essential oils are not large bottles. 1-3 drops per bottle are what most blends “call for”. Good luck in your essential oil journey!! There are so many amazing ways to de-stress and use oils to do so ??
Lindsay says
I’d stick with Young Living, they are a great company! They have a guaranteed “seed to seal” promise of quality, and you’re not likely to find that at a local health food store. Like Elise said, you only need a few drops at most for most applications, so one 5ml bottle will last you quite a while! I love using my EO’s!
Tiffany Thornton says
I am looking for a recipe to make for my husband. Being a man, he can’t be held responsible enough to take too many steps in his skin care. So I want to make him an exfoliating cleanser. I have all of the ingredients in the recipe. Do you think if I add some Castile soap it would still work and do the cleansing job as well?
Elise says
I think it’s worth a try. Keep in mind that it does have coconut oil in it though, which is a great cleanser on its own.
Nancy Ann says
I actually use this same combo of baking soda and coconut oil for my deodorant alternative. I haven’t used traditional deodorant/antiperspirant in years. This actually works for me and now reading your article I think I will make a bigger tub to use on my face ~ double duty, double savings! Thank you 🙂
Elise says
Yes! Baking soda and coconut oil make GREAT deodorant! Especially when you add some tea tree oil to it. 🙂
B says
It just burnt my skin as soon as i applied it! ?
Deborah says
What does the tea tree oil do or benefit with this recipe?
Elise says
It’s antiseptic and helps prevent acne.
Vicky Wright says
I’m curious, are you using Fractionated coconut oil for this recipe so it doesn’t harden and you can mix it well? I’ve tried using the hard coconut oil in the past for a different recipe and I had blobs of coconut oil in my face wash when it separated.
Lizzie || Wholehearted Life Coach says
I think this is the first recipe for a face wash scrub that I love! Plus it has frankincense in it! This is my DIY project for over the easter break. THANK YOU!
Elise says
So glad you like it!
Dana says
How long can you store your baking soda face scrub?
Jackie says
My grandson has very bad acne. His skin is more oily than dry. How often should he use the treatment? I’ve seen 3 times a week and also once a week. What do you recommend?
Tammy says
What should be used on days you don’t wash with this and can it be used on eye area
Elise says
You’ll definitely want to be careful around the eye area, and gauge it by how YOU feel about it. But whatever you do, don’t risk getting it in your eyes!
As for what I use on other days, I really love gentle cleansing facewash.
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! I’ve never used essential oils on my face before. I’m excited to try!
Tania says
I love baking soda scrubs for body and face, it’s such a wonderful exfoliater. I used your same ingredients here and added lavender oil and a little vitamin E oil. Thank you!
Tina says
If I was to double or even triple your recipe for the baking soda wash would I need to double or triple the oils? Can’t wait to try it, thank u!
Elise says
Hi Tina! Yes, you would want to increase the oils used.
Tina says
Thanks for replying, I just did the standard recipe last night wanted to see how well my skin did first before I tried to double it. First I gave to say my skin does physically feel better when I rub my fingers on it. But haven’t noticed any difference of appearce in the way my skin looks just yet, I will continue using this as it’s nice and hope my skins appearance starts looking better in time. Thank you again!
Kera says
Do you melt the coconut oil or did you whip it? Curious as to how you mix it to get that consistency. Very excited to try this out!
Elise says
Yes, it’s melted. 🙂
Zola Sherman says
Dear Elise,
I tried the facial scrub and really liked it. However, it was a bit dry. Should I add a little more coconut oil? My face really felt cleaner than it usually feels! I will continue to use this once a week. A while back, I made a nighttime facial oil, with frankinsence, argan and a few other things. I will use this after the scrub.
Elise says
Hi Zola, yes, I would add a bit more oil if it seems dry. Glad you like it!
Dallien says
I am “new” to homemade remedies and I am (happily) shocked with the good results!!!
Elise says
Yay! They’re not as hard as they look for sure!
Leslee says
I just tried this one, it mixed up really well but I found that once it was in my face it started to burn…not sure what I did wrong? Maybe too much essential oil? My skin is really smooth though I just can’t handle the burn.
Elise says
It may be too much essential oil, or the type of oil you used, or perhaps too much scrubbing?
marina says
Hi. any tips for a 24h natural and non greasy cream?
Chelsie Clark says
I would love to know how you use the frankincense daily on your face – been searching for this information.
Thank you!!!!
Jackie K says
Recently I learned that the plastic microbeads in purchased exfoliants are becoming a real problem in our oceans. Should I have realized this on my own? Absolutely. Did I? Never occurred to me that once rinsed off my face they had to go somewhere. So when I saw your recipe I was eager to give it a try. A-MAZ-ING!!! It works better on my skin, is easier on my wallet, and is kinder to the environment than anything I’ve ever used. Thank you!
Joyce says
What is the shelf life of the finished product? I travel a lot and would like to simply refill a travel size container.
Shelley says
Is this a daily use scrub?
Emily Roche says
Exfoliating everyday strips the skin of it’s natural oils which can cause breakouts. You are stripping the top layer of skin before it has time to heal. I personally wouldn’t exfoliate everyday. I’ve made this scrub and it’s ok, but not my favorite. I like to follow it with a honey and oatmeal mask(to soothe), sometimes I use a vinegar and witch hazel toner(high ph) and then I use a vitamin e, vit.c, serum with hylarounic acid I made.
I really like honey mixed with milk(lactic acid) for exfoliating.
Swarnla says
Till when we can preserve it? What else can we add to increase its life?
Moksha Essentials says
Excellent post and wonderful blog, this sort of interesting posts I really like, keep it up…
Amber says
Mine came out as a dry crumbly play dough while yours looks more like a cream?
Renee Tiow says
Mine ended up drying, but I always just wet my face and hands when I use it, so I have no problems.
Karen says
For those who have said that the mixture is too dry, I start with 2 tablespoons of coconut oil added to the baking soda, add my essential oils and mix. I then add additional coconut oil – as much as 2 tablespoons to create a smooth paste. I use fractionated coconut oil as it’s easier to mix.
Myra says
Do you use fractionated coconut oil in the facial scrub recipe? Or do you use the solid, organic coconut oil?
Kari H. says
I was wondering the same thing…seems like regular coconut oil would get firm.
Carley says
Can you use this everyday?