The Financial Conundrum
According to survey results reported by Advanced Dermatology earlier this year, Americans spend an average of $897 a year on their appearance and 1 in 6 spend more than they can afford on beauty and wellness, including skin care. In a time of economic uncertainty fueled by increasing unemployment and a wavering financial market, more and more Americans are looking towards DIY approaches to supplement their regimens and avoid expenses they may not be able to sustain.
The Disputable Hack
A multitude of baking soda-based recipes for baking soda masks, facials, facial washes, and facial scrubs are widely available on social media sites — YouTube and elsewhere — with ingredients that include sugar, limes, lemons, coconut oil, honey, ground coffee, oat flour, and coconut oil. T hese hacks are promoted as DIY skin care that is more affordable than commercial products, some of which actually contain baking soda.
Over the past several years, skinfluencers have gathered on TikTok to tout the benefits of baking soda-based mixtures, scrubs, and overnight masks as remedies for acne, psoriasis, dryness, rejuvenation, and eczema. Others claim that they can improve skin irritation, remove dead skin cells, and unclog pores. In my practice, patients have sought counsel for the combination of baking soda and lemon juice for hyperpigmentation. In contrast, physicians and other mindful citizens have shared important reminders of the challenges of DIY skincare with baking soda and risks to compromising healthy and sensitive skin. Click here to read the full article.
