Thinking about baking soda has got me reminiscing about my elementary school day science experiments. Does any one else remember the super cool volcano baking soda experiment? Now, baking soda is making a comeback by way of skincare. New at the drugstore are the Biore Baking Soda Pore Cleanser ($6.99) and the Biore Baking Soda Cleansing Scrub ($9.99), both targeted at combination skin and meant to provide a gentle yet deep clean. I tested the products for one week...
The Biore Baking Soda Pore Cleanser is meant to deep clean and exfoliate dry, flaky skin. Biore says it's pH balanced, oil-free, dermatologist tested and good for every day. I found this cleanser to be fairly standard. It's a gel formulation with a few bits of exfoliating beads that foams lightly. This stuff won't remove makeup, so you'll need to start with a makeup remover. I didn't find this one to be particularly "exfoliating" but it got the job done in terms of making my skin feel clean. I was a little miffed with this because the addition beads meant that I couldn't use it in conjunction with my Foreo Luna Mini.
Now we get to the cool stuff. The Biore Baking Soda Cleansing Scrub is a water-activated powder-to-foam facial exfoliator. It contains baking soda, which foams up when you add water to the palm of your hand. I want to mention that this stuff smells AMAZING. Not at all like baking soda, just really clean but not chemical-y. The "baking soda" particles are a fine yet abrasive powder, which makes for a thorough scrub. What's great is that you can control the scrubbiness/intensity of the scrub by adding more/less water. Less water yields a slightly more abrasive scrub while more water makes for a gentler cleanse.
Overall, the concept of baking soda in beauty products is a cool concept, especially since baking soda has so many household uses (from brushing your teeth ... to deodorizing shoes). Both products seem appropriate for combo skin since they're oil-free but not stripping. Personally, I would pass on the Baking Soda Pore Cleanser, as it's nothing special. However, the Baking Soda Cleansing Scrub is one to check out, as it's an effective physical exfoliator that can be customized to your personal preferences.
What do you think of baking soda in beauty products?
Product provided courtesy of Influenster
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