Everything You Need to Know About The Baking Soda TikTok Trend

The Trend: Baking soda has a slew of uses: a fridge deodorizer, kitchen cleaner, teeth whitener, and (of course) baking ingredient. But SkinTok creators have now started rubbing the powdery pantry staple on their faces, claiming it clears acne, improves skin tone, and lightens dark spots. Baking soda brand Arm & Hammer even has instructions for a facial on its website.

What People Are Saying: It sounds like a winner — baking soda is an exfoliant, it’s cheap, and it’s readily accessible. Fans swear by it, and the SkinTokers who promote it look great, but dermatologists say there’s little to no evidence that it has any lasting benefit. Skin may look brighter and more glowy right afterward because the baking soda has sloughed off the top layer of dead skin. It’s just a surface treatment and doesn’t go, well, skin-deep to fix conditions like hyperpigmentation. Plus, it could be too harsh for people with sensitive skin. Baking soda is alkaline, so it may also upset the skin’s natural pH balance and strip away its protective layer and necessary lipids. 

What to Know: Baking soda will exfoliate your skin, but there’s a risk it could make your skin worse. Over time, this regimen could actually cause breakouts and make skin dry, irritated, and red.