If you are considering a baking soda bath, ask a healthcare professional whether it is appropriate for your skin condition, especially if your skin is cracked, inflamed, infected, or unusually sensitive.

Why a concentrated baking soda paste may cause problems

A paste made from baking soda and water can have an alkaline pH and may disrupt the skin barrier. Leaving it on for prolonged periods or repeatedly applying it to irritated areas can lead to dryness, redness, or burning.

A patch test may help identify an immediate irritation reaction, but it cannot guarantee that repeated use will be safe.

Safer ways to manage itching

For mild itching associated with dryness:

• Take short, lukewarm showers or baths.

• Use a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser.

• Apply a fragrance-free moisturizer while the skin is slightly damp.

• Use a cool compress when needed.

• Avoid scratching as much as possible.

• Stop using products that worsen irritation.

If itching is persistent, widespread, severe, or accompanied by swelling, fever, blisters, or other concerning symptoms, seek medical advice. Itching without an obvious skin rash can sometimes be associated with an underlying medical condition.

Baking soda may be discussed as a traditional comfort measure, but it should not be presented as an established treatment for chronic skin disease.

15. Baking Soda for Sunburn

Sunburn occurs when ultraviolet radiation damages the skin. Symptoms may include redness, tenderness, warmth, swelling, and, in more severe cases, blistering.

Although baking soda is sometimes recommended for sunburn, strong clinical evidence supporting it as a treatment is limited. Its alkaline nature and abrasive texture may irritate damaged skin, particularly when the skin barrier is already compromised.

What is the safest way to soothe sunburn?

For mild sunburn, established self-care measures are generally more appropriate than applying baking soda.

Try these measures instead:

• Move out of direct sunlight.

• Apply a cool, damp cloth to the affected area.

• Take a cool shower or bath.

• Apply a gentle, fragrance-free moisturizer if the skin is intact.

• Drink water to maintain hydration.

• Avoid further sun exposure until the skin has healed.

• Do not intentionally pop blisters or scrub peeling skin.

Avoid ice directly on the skin and avoid applying abrasive pastes to painful or blistered areas.

When should you seek medical care?

Seek medical advice for extensive blistering, severe pain, signs of dehydration, fever, or other significant symptoms. Severe sunburn may require professional treatment.

Preventing sunburn is more effective than attempting to treat it afterward. Use broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher, reapply it as directed, wear protective clothing, and seek shade when ultraviolet radiation is strong.

Baking soda is not a sunscreen, does not reverse UV damage, and should not be relied upon to speed the healing of a significant burn.

16. Baking Soda for Acne and Pimples

Acne is a common skin condition involving hair follicles and oil-producing glands. It develops through several interacting processes, including excess sebum production, clogged follicles, inflammation, and changes in the skin's microbial environment.

Because baking soda has a cleansing texture and can affect pH, some home remedies recommend using it as a facial mask or spot treatment.

However, there is insufficient clinical evidence that baking soda is an effective acne treatment. Its alkaline properties may actually irritate skin and interfere with the skin barrier.

Why baking soda may worsen acne-prone skin

Healthy skin has a naturally acidic surface environment that helps support its protective barrier. Applying alkaline substances repeatedly may disrupt that environment.

Possible consequences include dryness, redness, stinging, and increased sensitivity to other skin care products.

Scrubbing the face with coarse powders may also aggravate inflamed acne lesions. In addition, homemade mixtures containing essential oils can cause irritation or allergic contact dermatitis.

Tea tree oil, sometimes added to baking soda masks, has been investigated for acne, but concentrated essential oils should not be applied casually to the face. Evidence for one ingredient does not establish the effectiveness or safety of a combined homemade recipe.

What treatments are better supported?

Evidence-based acne care may include:

• A gentle cleanser used without aggressive scrubbing.

• Benzoyl peroxide, which helps reduce acne-causing bacteria.

• Topical retinoids such as adapalene, where appropriate.

• Salicylic acid products for selected forms of acne.

• Prescription treatment for persistent or severe acne.

The right approach depends on the person's age, skin sensitivity, acne severity, and other medical considerations. Some treatments are unsuitable during pregnancy, and persistent acne may benefit from evaluation by a dermatologist.

Avoid squeezing or picking pimples, as this can increase inflammation and the risk of scarring.

Should you try a baking soda face mask?

A homemade mask containing baking soda, water, and tea tree oil is not a well-established acne treatment. Applying it for ten minutes, as some online recipes recommend, may produce irritation without providing a proven benefit.

A gentle, noncomedogenic skin care routine and evidence-based acne treatments are more reliable choices.

17. Baking Soda for Cold and Flu: Separating History From Evidence

Baking soda has appeared in historical accounts of home treatment for respiratory illnesses. One frequently repeated claim refers to physician Volney S. Cheney and a 1920s publication describing the use of sodium bicarbonate during influenza outbreaks.

Historical accounts can provide insight into how people approached illness before modern diagnostic testing, antiviral medicines, and contemporary public health systems. However, historical observations do not establish that a treatment works.

Can baking soda prevent or cure influenza?

There is no reliable clinical evidence that drinking baking soda prevents influenza, eliminates respiratory viruses, or cures the common cold.

Colds and influenza are caused by viruses. Sodium bicarbonate can neutralize acids under certain conditions, but that chemical property does not mean it can safely eliminate a viral infection in the human body.

Anecdotal reports that some people remained healthy or experienced milder illness after taking baking soda cannot establish causation. The outcomes could have been influenced by exposure differences, natural variation in illness severity, or other factors.

What should you do when you have a cold or flu?

For an uncomplicated respiratory illness, rest, fluids, and symptom-appropriate care can help you feel more comfortable.

People at higher risk of severe influenza may benefit from prompt medical assessment because antiviral treatment is most effective when started early in the course of illness.

Seek medical attention for difficulty breathing, chest pain, confusion, severe dehydration, or symptoms that improve and then become significantly worse.

Baking soda should not replace vaccination, evidence-based treatment, or medical assessment when needed.

18. Baking Soda as a Skin Exfoliator

Exfoliation removes dead cells and other material from the outer surface of the skin. Some exfoliating products use physical particles to loosen surface debris, while others rely on ingredients that influence the way dead skin cells separate.

Baking soda's fine, powdery texture has led to its use in homemade facial scrubs. Yet its suitability for skin exfoliation is questionable because its alkalinity may disrupt the skin barrier.

Is baking soda a good natural exfoliant?

Not necessarily. Although the powder can mechanically loosen surface debris, there is little high-quality clinical evidence that baking soda exfoliates skin more safely or effectively than products formulated specifically for that purpose.

The skin barrier helps retain moisture and protect against irritants. Repeated exposure to alkaline mixtures, particularly when combined with vigorous scrubbing, may increase dryness and sensitivity.

This is especially relevant for people with eczema, rosacea, acne, or easily irritated skin.

What about baking soda, brown sugar, and lemon juice?

Some homemade recipes combine baking soda with brown sugar and lemon juice. The mixture is promoted as a way to remove dead skin cells and improve skin texture.

However, this combination has several disadvantages: