7 Months Clear

[AltaPGT 0]

I was wondering about this too, because people say not to use alkaline things because you will destroy your skins acid mantle or whatever which supposedly protects it... w/e as long as it works lol.... any more updates?

[Jai 0]

today is day 2 for me on this. so far, i like what i see. i've noticed a difference oil production, that's for sure. i've also noticed the one pimple i had on my chin (which i recently popped) has begun to heal and flake off with nothing new underneath. not sure if this the BS working or what i was using beforehand. but, i'm going to keep up with this regimen and hopefully i'll have the same result. for a moisturizer i use Olay Complete All Day Oil Free for Sensitive Skin.

i'm keeping my fingers crossed!!!! thanks for sharing BTW.....

Someone else mentioned that they saw an oil decrease, but if I remember right, I seemed to have an oil increase at first (for a couple weeks) and then it stopped and now my skin is normal. I chalked the initial increase up to the fact that I was unclogging pores so the oil was free to come out or maybe it was just my skin getting used to the new regimen. Anyway, like I said, my oil production is normal these days. Before this "regimen", I had always had skin that was too oily - my boyfriend in high school said he'd never seen anyone with skin as oily as mine was. Nice guy, huh? :)

Hope this works for you as it has for me and my sister.

me too. day 4 - so far, so good. no new breakouts and i'm seeing a difference in the scars and texture of my skin.......

[Chimene 0]

Started this the night before last (so day 2 is coming to a close for me) and I haven't really seen anything extremely positive or negative so far. It is day 2, so I wasn't expecting a miracle, but sometimes I'll start breaking out instantly so it's a good thing I haven't.

My skin has been getting rid of all of the old, gross dry skin that was piling up so that's a good sign too I suppose.

I use Aveeno Ultra Calming with SPF during the day and Cetaphil at night (when needed).

I'll update as this progresses and try to stay on the regimen for at least a month.

[Chimene 0]

Alright so this is day 11.

I don't really know what to report. My face cleared up magnificently for about five days. Seriously, it was amazing. The active acne was all gone and the red marks were fading incredibly fast. It then went back to the way it was before and has now steadily been breaking out more and more.

My acne definitely hasn't gotten worse since it was before I started using baking soda, but it definitely hasn't improved.

I know this is supposed to take up to a month to really start working, and the promising results before were great so I'm definitely sticking with it.

There are three lurkers that I'm sure will develop in the next few days, though. I hate being able to see that stuff coming.

I have a question, though. Was there something equivalent to an IB when others started?

[masshi 0]

Has this worked for asnyone else?

I'm really desperate.

[romey 0]

Hmm... this seems counter intuitive since skin is supposed to be acidic?

Have you ever tried stopping the baking soda?

There was only one day where I stopped the baking soda. Our electricity went out due to a severe storm in our area. I did not have water b/c our water pump is electric. The only thing I noticed was a small pimple 2 days later which was unusual since I don't get them anymore. It made me think that if I stopped baking soda for good, I might start breaking out again - but I don't know.

[romey 0]

I was wondering about this too, because people say not to use alkaline things because you will destroy your skins acid mantle or whatever which supposedly protects it... w/e as long as it works lol.... any more updates?

I was worried about this too, but so far (and it's been months), I see no adverse affects. My skin looks better than it has since I was a preteen. I'm 30 and people constantly mistake me for being in my early 20's. This last Saturday, a lady at a shop I went into wasn't sure if I was my daughter's mother b/c I look too young to be. I even help out with a teen group, and I kid you not, 2 guest speakers have mistaken me for one of the teens.

Paula Begoun recommends baking soda scrubs in her book, Don't Go To the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, and she's pretty savvy about chemical stuff and skin.

I might also point out that I do not LEAVE this on my skin. I wash my face for less than a minute and then rinse it off immediately and then follow with the rose-hip seed oil. I would be afraid to just leave it on my skin.

[romey 0]

Alright so this is day 11.

I don't really know what to report. My face cleared up magnificently for about five days. Seriously, it was amazing. The active acne was all gone and the red marks were fading incredibly fast. It then went back to the way it was before and has now steadily been breaking out more and more.

My acne definitely hasn't gotten worse since it was before I started using baking soda, but it definitely hasn't improved.

I know this is supposed to take up to a month to really start working, and the promising results before were great so I'm definitely sticking with it.

There are three lurkers that I'm sure will develop in the next few days, though. I hate being able to see that stuff coming.

I have a question, though. Was there something equivalent to an IB when others started?

It has been so long since I started this that it's hard for me to remember if I had an initial breakout. I mostly just remember an increase in oil at first. I've been doing this now for over 8 months, and I think my skin looks better every month. My sister says the same thing. Each month is better than the last. I haven't been getting zits for months, so what I mean is that the overall texture and look of my skin gets better each month. I think one of my favorite things is washing my face in the shower and not feeling bumps all over my face. I didn't think I'd ever know what that felt like again. I sure hope this works for you in the long run. Try to give it 4 months if you can. I read somewhere that 4 months seems to be the deciding factor with things that help with treating acne. I really empathize with you b/c I struggled with acne for like 15 years and it was so hard to deal with.

I was wondering about this too, because people say not to use alkaline things because you will destroy your skins acid mantle or whatever which supposedly protects it... w/e as long as it works lol.... any more updates?

Oh, I also want to add that I religiously protect my face from the sun. I figure that my skin might need extra protection.

[masshi 0]

Okay, I think I'm going to try this. I have a few questions, though.

What brand baking soda did you use/are you using?

And can you explain in detail how exactly you use it to wash your face?

Like, are you using your fingers mostly, or are you using your palms, too?

Do you just glide your fingers over the problem areas?

How long do you leave it on after your finger has glided over the area?

Do you reglide over areas, or just once and then immediately rinse off?

Are you washing your face in the sink, or in the shower?

If you do it over the sink, is it right after a shower? Before a shower?

Are you using hot, warm, or cold water?

How long do you spend rinsing it off?

Do you rinse it off gently with your hands? Or is it a harsher motion to get the baking soda off?

And is there anything else that I might need to know?

Thanks in advance. Acne has really killed my self-esteem.

[baby pink 2]

could this work as a body wash? i need something for my back..

[ariellestar1234 0]

I think I will use this as an exfoliator..after I use my pure tea tree oil soap..

Hopefully this will work for me as well..

I will too update.

[danielguru 0]

Don't overdo the baking soda... it can go too far!

[violets 0]

okay I feel extremely dumb, but do you add anything to the baking soda? Like what do you do? Put some baking soda and water into a bowl or something and wash your face like your normally would? I'm so confused, lol.

[ahmad89 0]

im a little bit confused too.

So you wet your face put about a tablespoon of baking soda in your hand and make into a paste right then massage it on your face for less than 30seconds or so then wash it off.

My question is, how many times do you do this, should i use any other topical cremes like BP or SA afterwards? Please answer asap im getting to the point where im going to lay down some heavy cash to go see a dermatologist im on the verge of giving up.

[masshi 0]

Well, I've used it twice, and I will say that your skin, after using the baking soda, will feel incredibly smooth. I compare it to something like a baby's skin.

As for the acne, I have noticed some reduction on some areas that seemed to never get better. It has only been two times, though, so I'll keep y'all updated.

[masshi 0]

Alright, I just used it again. I've noticed that some parts of my face will get slightly itchy after washing it off and drying. I don't know if it's normal or not.

It's still too early to tell if I'm clearing up or not. I really hope this works!

[LexieF 1]

I use about 1/2 to a full teaspoon of baking soda in my palm and add enough water to make a paste. I wash my face for about 20 seconds then rinse off. I use tea tree oil on any new pimples and then put Dan's moisturizer (PM) on - I use Neutrogena Healthy Defense SPF 45 in (AM). I used this twice a day - morning and night for 2 weeks and have had great success. I do not use another cleanser before the baking soda, however, I do wet my face before adding the baking soda and use eye makup remover for my eyes. If your acne is really bad I would let the baking soda sit on your face for a few minutes before washing off.

Two things:

Many people have had success with an asprin as a cleanser. I guess for those who have severe acne on their face they could add an asprin or two to the baking soda. If you add a drop of water to the asprin it will melt on it's own.

I've been thinking of using this for body acne, but I've been trying to see the success of another product first. (Nizoral - and a skin device.) So, far it's okay, but body acne does take longer to clear.

My skin is very sensitive - and I have mild acne on my face. Moderate-Severe on my chest and back. I've been on accutane 2x, minocycline once. I was only clear while on meds and flared up afterwards. The baking soda is the best thing I've used in 11 years.

Hope this helps!

[ahmad89 0]

i'll try this if my BP regimen doesnt work but so far my bp regimen is working nicely. Today i noticed my skin got really dry at work on my chin and started to look like peeling or ash whatever but i just kept washing my face until i put some moisturizer and now its fine. My skin does look better after i shaved and put BP overnight.

[masshi 0]

Okay, here's what I do step by step. Try to follow it as strictly as possible.

1. Rinse face with warm water.

2. Work fingers around to wipe as much oil off your face as you can.

3. Pour about a spoon's worth (in the original, it says "teaspoon and a half," but I have no idea what that is; I don't have the right measuring tools) of baking soda into your palm.

4. Lightly add a little water to make the baking soda "pasty."

5. Massage it a little in your hands - get it on your fingers and palms.

6. Gently rub mixture onto your face/problem areas.

7. Work your way around your face/problem areas, and reglide your fingers over the same spots if you feel it necessary.

Do not spend more than thirty (30) seconds max rubbing your face with the stuff.

8. Gently rinse off and pat your face dry.

You've done it correctly if:

- your skin doesn't burn at any time during any of the steps

- your skin feels remarkably smooth

Note that this is what I personally do/plan to do from now on. Everybody's skin is different and the steps may have to be altered accordingly.

[ahmad89 0]

what is a good moisturizer that doesnt make your face greasy looking or feeling and helps redness? cause my skin is drying out when i use BP now.

[KingBeta 0]

So did anyone have any success with this?

And do you have to follow any diet?

[cowspongez 0]

I decided to try this because my prescription topicals didn't seem to helping at all and were only irritating my skin. I stopped applying them, stopped washing with my other face washes, and only use baking soda and water (morning and night). I only started 3 days ago and already my pimples are drying up (including deep under the skin nodules/cysts). I don't have any new break outs yet, but it's still early in the new routine so who knows. I might throw in an aspirin mask a few times a week just to see how that works out. I am continuing my antibiotic because I'm scared of a flare up if I stop it...

[ahmad89 0]

So you use this only once or twice a day?

[masshi 0]

Alright, so I've used this for about a week now. I must say that it's improving my skin well.

If it continues at this pace, I am expecting to be totally clear in two to three weeks.

I use it twice a day (once when I wake up, and once after my afternoon/evening shower).

[Philey-O-Fish 0]

I just started trying out Baking Soda last night. It's pretty cool. I'll post later after more time.