I remember being at my sister's house and she was using one of those microdermabrasion kits -- you know the one that vibrates (that you use on your face). I actually used to own one myself. Since I had thrown out almost all of my beauty products (and I had an embarrassingly large amount of them), I'd been thinking about what to do about my acne scarring (none of those expensive products worked). My day to day acne was clearing up, but unfortunately after years of bad skin, it left it's mark behind. I knew that microdermabrasion was typically used to treat acne scarring (as well as wrinkles, discoloring, and sun damage). Usually this procedure is done by an esthetician or dermatologist with micro-fine abrasive crystals in order to remove the outer-most layer of dead skin cells. But it's not cheap. (Exfoliation is good for your skin even if you don't have acne scars.)
So, I started to research natural ways to do this at home.
The next day, I put baking soda on my face.
Since then, I've learned more about it. Baking soda is a very effective, natural and gentle abrasive for removing dead skin cells (not to mention cheap!). Though I've made other changes to my skin care, my scarring has improved since using this simple baking soda exfoliation once a week. It works very well at slouching off dead skin and leaves your skin smooth. One thing to remember is that because baking soda is alkaline, you will need to restore the natural PH of the skin. That is where the AVC toner comes in.
Okay, I'm hoping this is new for someone reading this...so who wants to try this? (Or if you do this already, what were your results?)
*If this is new for you, keep in mind that results may vary depending on skin type.*
Baking Soda Microdermabrasion
1-2 tsp water
Make a slightly soupy paste with the baking soda and water. You can do this in a small glass dish or in your hand. (I use my hand. I add baking soda and using my fingertips on my other hand, I drip water over the baking soda until it's enough to make a paste.)
Apply to a clean face and use gentle circular motions. (You do not want apply too much pressure.) Exfoliate the entire face (avoiding the eye area), neck and down to the chest if desired. Do this for 3-5 minutes. Rinse with warm water, follow with a toner to balance the PH of your skin. Moisturize if desired.
This is helpful for dry skin, acne scars, and blackheads.
Optional essential oil: Add a drop or two of lavender essential oil to your microdermabrasion for it's soothing properties. It is also helpful for wrinkles and acne. You can also replace the water with a facial oil, like sweet almond oil or aloe vera gel.
Notes:
- It's important to use a pH-balancing toner, preferably homemade like this one, to balance the PH of the skin.
- I wouldn't recommend using this more than two times a week or it may dry out your skin. I use it once every few weeks, sometimes just once a month. Try once a week for oily, dry, or normal skin. Once or twice a month for sensitive skin.
- You can also do this as a mask and leave on for 20 minutes. Then gently scrub as you rinse. Add honey for it's antibacterial properties and for moisturizing. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon or orange juice for brightening.
More Beauty Recipes:
- Apple Cider Vinegar Facial Toner
- Four Simple Foot Baths
- Lavender Vanilla Body Scrub
- Peppermint and Lavender Foot Scrub
- Single-Use Exfoliating Body Scrub
- Baking Soda Air Freshener Jars
- Remedies for Insect Bites and Stings
- Herbal Dream Pillows
- Benefits of Grassfed Gelatin
- Growing Herbs in Mason Jars
- Storage for Longer-Lasting Herbs
- All About Freezing Citrus
****Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or other healthcare professional. This is informational purposes only. The content is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please contact your doctor, dietitian, or other healthcare professional regarding any medical condition or treatment and before making any dietary, health, or lifestyle changes.****
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Omg,thank u sooo much for this ez recipe,I had no idea u can make a simple microdermo solution at home,cuz they are VERY expensive in the stores,I simply can NOT afford them :( Wow,thank u so much for sharing this recipe,I have to pass this on to my daughter,she will freak! Lol :) Have a blessed weekend :)
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome, T.G.! Home treatments work differently for everyone, but I truly love this one. My skin feels so good afterwards and I truly believe it has helped my scarring. But even without scarring, it's a fabulous alternative to those expensive (yes, VERY!) store-bought microderms! I'm all about saving money! Hope it works out for you guys.
DeleteYou are welcome, T.G.! Home treatments work differently for everyone,
ReplyDeletebut I truly love this one. My skin feels so good afterwards and I truly
believe it has helped my scarring. But even without scarring, it's a
fabulous alternative to those expensive (yes, VERY!) store-bought
microderms! I'm all about saving money! Hope it works out for you guys.
Hi Amethyst! I had (that is sooo nice to be able to say) slightly pitted skin due to several years of hormonal acne. So...for me, this was something that helped. I would recommend taking it slow, testing how your skin reacts, and making sure you are gentle before increasing to three days a week. My improvements took time and I think it's important not to rush the skin healing. One other thing I've been doing (just once a month and keep in mind I'm not an expert on this) that has helped is this enzyme peel--> http://amzn.to/19NNrOJ
ReplyDeleteThis recommendation came from this ebook--> http://skinterventionguide.com/?hop=crunchyj
This is my affiliate link, but I would truly, highly recommend this book (if in your budget) for anyone with skin issues. This is the most comprehensive guide I know of for improving skin from the inside and outside.
I hope that helps. Good luck to you. I know what a struggle it can be and I wish you all the best in healing your skin!
Hey, I'm definitely going to try this--looks awesome... But I was wondering if you need to finish with a moisturizer. I hate having my skin feel wet or dewy after something like this, and I really only use moisturizer in winter when my skin really starts to dry out. I usually just use an oil-free CVS brand thing by the way, if you have any judgement on that. :P
ReplyDeleteUgh... Gotta change that profile pic! It's ages old and is of Club Penguin believe it or not. -_-
ReplyDeleteAlright, I'll give you the results when/if I do it! I've still been putting off looking/ordering the apple cider vinegar, though. :P
ReplyDeleteCheck my toner post if you want to order it online....but you can find raw, unfiltered ACV at some stores. Walmart has the Heinz brand (and some might even have Braggs), most health food stores have Braggs, and if you don't mind paying more, I've even seen it in regular grocery stores. Hope it works out for you! :)
ReplyDeleteHi there. Do you think I could mix baking soda and coconut oil and apply it on my face like that or is the coconut oil too oily?
ReplyDeleteHi Tori, you can definitely use coconut oil if your face does well with coconut oil (some people do have issues using coconut oil on the face). Just add enough oil to the baking soda to make a thick paste. Hope it works well for you!
ReplyDeletehi! you think i can try this for my scars on legs cause by peeling oil..? this oil badly burn my entire legs and it leave a scars..i really felt bad and frustrated...thankyou.
ReplyDeleteHoney's antibacterial properties are due to the Hydrogen Peroxide that's produced by the honey making process. You can see this if you've ever noticed that white foamy layer that can build up on honey that's sat for a while... that white foamy layer is the H2O2 (or Hydrogen Peroxide). This make me wonder if switching out the honey recommended at the end with H2O2 would have the same effect w/out the sticky honey aspect of it?
ReplyDeletethank you..i tried the cocoa butter...and it helps moisturising my scars...i'll try your advise as well to apply rosehip oil maybe thosyou mentioned can possibly ligthen my scars..thank you.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! I hope you find one that works for you!
ReplyDeleteI've been using baking soda on my face for a few weeks now. I love it!
ReplyDeleteIt's great stuff!
ReplyDeleteI want to know, we have to repeat this procedure in how much time ?
ReplyDeleteHi Manisha, The amount of time you need to exfoliate? 3-5 minutes is long enough.
ReplyDeleteIf you meant how often you should do this, then you can do it 1-2 times a week. I would start with just every other week and see how your skin reacts. You don't want to use this too often as it can be drying and I've read where people have negative effects from using it too often. I use it once or twice a month. Hope that helps! Thanks for stopping by!
I've been doing the Baking Soda microdermabrasion technique for six weeks now, once a week. I use Bragg's ACV as the toner. I am sold - love the way my skin feels.
ReplyDeleteHi Susan. I'm so glad you are loving it! I love the way it makes my skin feels too! Thanks for stopping by to comment and I hope it continues to go well for you.
ReplyDeleteHii... i m 20 yrs old n hv an oily skin with acne scars n holes.. can dis solution help me out for dat holes also..n wat kind of toner i should mix wid baking soda n wat should i apply after ending dis session??? plzz help.. :(
ReplyDeleteThis microdermabrasion is the best for your face. I have done a few treatments and it has worked wonders. My skin is so smooth, and my wife loves it.
ReplyDeleteJames | http://www.floridaaesthetics.com/microdermabrasion
Hi, S.R., sorry for the late reply. This can help with scars. The toner I use is a diluted apple cider vinegar toner. Use about 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water (or a similar ratio). After gently scrubbing your face with this baking soda mixture, rinse face with warm water, then apply toner with cotton ball. The toner is to bring your skin's PH level back to normal. I'm going to repost (below) my response to someone else about scarring...but if you have numerous skin issues and are able to, may I recommend this ebook, The Skintervention Guide by Liz Wolfe (http://purelyprimalskincare.com/?hop=crunchyj). If you can't get the book, check out her site for free info.
ReplyDeleteMy experience with scars:
I had (that is sooo nice to be able to say) slightly pitted skin due to several years of hormonal acne. So...for me, this was something that helped. I would recommend taking it slow, testing how your skin reacts, and making sure you are gentle before increasing to three days a week. My improvements took time and I think it's important not to rush the skin healing. One other thing I've been doing (just once a month and keep in mind I'm not an expert on this) that has helped is this enzyme
peel--> http://amzn.to/19NNrOJ
thnkxxzzz very much .. m using a lotion for my pimples on my face so after doing this procedure can i use that or i should stop it..??
ReplyDeleteS.R., I can't say for sure if you should stop using the lotion, but I can tell you what I do/did. After doing this exfoliating (once or twice a week), I use the ACV toner as I said above, then I'd apply a very thin layer of a carrier oil (I like jojoba, though I mix it with other oils) for moisturizing. For spot treating pimples, I used tea tree essential oil or hydrated clay (http://amzn.to/1a4oGxZ). So...I'm not telling you to stop using your lotion. If it's working for you and you want to continue it, there is no problem using it after doing this treatment. But if you want to find an alternative, there are a few options for pimple treatment.
ReplyDeleteIf you are having a lot of issues with your skin (I've been there, so I truly understand!), please consider looking into diet changes if you haven't. For me, my skin improved immensely after removing some foods that were affecting my skin (gluten and dairy for me) and by adding in other foods that were good for my skin (sauerkraut and cod liver oil). Check out this post from the writer of the Skintervention Guide that I mentioned above and explore some of her website for a lot more free info about this. I hope this helps! Good luck with your healing! It takes time, but you can get there. :)
Here's the link: http://realfoodliz.com/wap-me-pretty/
I am 20 years old and my skin looks aged. Scars do not disappear after a cut or so. My skin is too sensitive. My hands and feet look all ugly due to scars and blackened skin. My skin is scaly as well.
ReplyDeletePlease help :(
may I add something....lemon juice works wonder as well! Baking Soda, AVC and Lemon Juice makes your skin glow, healthier etc..and you'll see a dramatic change. I tell you from experience...I use baking soda, then sometimes I use AVC or Lemon Juice (diluted of course) just before bed time ...the following morning your face looks different, skin feels different and you feel like you had a facelift. It so good. You'll look radiant! Oh AVC and Lemon helps reduce your pimple too!
ReplyDeleteHi Mama K. Yes, of course! I like using lemon juice as well. :) Thanks for stopping by and for sharing your experience/input!
ReplyDeletehi bella...im having the same prob as u..:(
ReplyDeleteI have been using this for years and it works great!! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat, StephR! I'm glad it is working for you! It works great for me as well. :)
ReplyDeletesdfasfd
ReplyDeleteinformative but now a day most of the people prefer the laser treatment, Ultrasonic microdermabrasion also exfoliates the skin to correct the
ReplyDeletedamages of skin but is not harsh because it uses ultrasound for this
purpose Read more visit on Microdermabrasion
I can relate to this so much! I too have a hormonal imbalance which is being treated at the moment. I'm pretty sure it's the reason why my skin has had a hard time healing my acne scars and it gets me down... I will be trying this DIY microdermabrasion and see how it goes. But yes, it's important to not give up as things like this can take a while to see the results!
ReplyDeleteThanks Caitlin! I had a lot of hormonal issues as well that caused my skin to go crazy...plus later I realized gluten and dairy had a huge effect on my skin. But you are right...it can take awhile, but don't give up hope! Although my breakouts have mostly stopped, I'm still working on healing the damage. Takes time, but change does happen. And good luck to you as well! Try not to let it get you down. Your skin does not define you.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog post!!! its worth to read this. I found out some more great stuff to read.
ReplyDeleteBeauty and Cosmetic
what is AVC?
ReplyDeleteinformative post but now a day people need a simple way to get rid of problems. Now a day most of the people prefer the laser treatment we also provide the best treatment of microdermabrasion in dubai
ReplyDelete