– Dry or tight-feeling skin
– Redness
– Burning or stinging
– Flaking or peeling
– Increased sensitivity
– Irritation around pimples
– Acne becoming worse in some people
People with sensitive, dry, eczema-prone, or already irritated skin may be particularly vulnerable.
What about baking soda and lemon?
This is one of the most popular DIY combinations online, but it is not a good choice for facial skincare.
Lemon juice is acidic and baking soda is alkaline, but mixing them at home does not create a carefully balanced skincare product. Lemon can also irritate the skin, especially when followed by sun exposure. Scrubbing the mixture into the skin can make the irritation even worse.
If you still want to try it
Using baking soda as a regular face wash or facial scrub is generally not recommended. If someone nevertheless chooses to experiment with it, they should avoid applying it to broken, irritated, sunburned, or inflamed skin and should stop immediately if burning, itching, redness, or swelling develops.
A small patch test on an inconspicuous area is also a safer first step than applying a homemade mixture directly to the entire face.
Better alternatives for your skin
If your goal is smoother, brighter, or clearer skin, there are gentler ingredients with much better-established uses in skincare.
For example, products containing niacinamide, salicylic acid, or glycolic acid may be more appropriate depending on your skin type and concern. These ingredients are specifically formulated for skincare rather than being adapted from household products.
The bottom line
Baking soda may seem like an inexpensive beauty secret, but your face deserves more caution than a kitchen experiment.
It may temporarily make the skin feel cleaner or smoother, but there is limited evidence that it provides major facial skincare benefits, while frequent use can disrupt the skin barrier and cause irritation.
If your skin is sensitive, acne-prone, very dry, or already irritated, skipping baking soda on the face is the safer choice. A gentle cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen are usually a much better foundation for healthy-looking skin.
