How To Unclog Your Pores With Baking Soda

Home remedies and folk medicine have long been the answer to some of our more minor health and beauty woes. From DIY face masks and body scrubs to toners and even the occasional homemade hair rinse, simple ingredients found in the kitchen can have surprisingly effective and lasting results when it comes to beauty care. And as stubborn as they are, blackheads can also be tackled with one of the most basic ingredients: baking soda, which has a history of treating acne.

Blackheads typically form from oil build-up and dirt in our external environment. They can also lead to pimples and acne, which is why you should regularly unclog your pores, and believe it or not, baking soda can actually do the trick. Baking soda has anti-inflammatory properties and can be an excellent exfoliant. It can also neutralize your skin's pH, which may mean fewer blackheads in the future. However, if you have particularly sensitive skin, you most likely want to skip this one — or at least do a test patch on a small area of skin before diving in headfirst. Now, here's how to unclog your pores with baking soda.

This deep pore cleanser is incredibly easy to mix up and should leave your skin instantly feeling clean and fresh. All you need is baking soda and water. Mix 2 teaspoons of baking soda with 1 teaspoon of warm water until it has a paste-like texture. Apply it to your face, especially targeting areas where blackheads tend to be toughest, like the nose and chin. You have the option of leaving the paste on your face for about 10 minutes like a mask or rinsing it off right away, just as you would a facial scrub (via Medical News Today). Alternatively, it could also be applied as a spot treatment.

Depending on how large your pores are, you may want to add baking soda scrub as a regular in your skincare regimen. And don't get discouraged if it takes a little more effort than expected to achieve clear pores and glowing skin. Healthy habits and proactive care can go a long way, but genetics can also be a barrier. "Pore sizes and numbers vary largely by gender, locations on the body, and by ethnicities," Tiffany Libby, M.D., F.A.A.D., a board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon, told Byrdie. "Like many other traits, they are a result largely of genetics."

It can be super satisfying to save money while using simple ingredients and methods to cleanse, soothe, and care for your skin. In addition to baking soda, face steaming, lemon and honey masks, and sugar scrubs can all lend themselves to clearer and healthier pores, and they make for a great mini-spa day at home.

Sugar scrubs are effective for their coarse nature. To make one, simply mix together raw sugar and warm water, then apply to the skin and rinse. Next, to safely steam your face, add steaming water to a large bowl or pot and position yourself above it. Then, place a towel over your head and the bowl to trap the steam and open your pores. You can even add a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil. Sit here for about 10 minutes. "This steam helps to soften the contents of the pore, which could be a plug that may cause acne," Michelle Henry, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and dermatologic surgeon in New York City, told Women's Health. "The heat may also stimulate sweating which may help to encourage the extrusion of that plug."

Lastly, you can mix together a couple of tablespoons of honey with a few drops of lemon juice to create a mask that will exfoliate and tighten pores. Then, you'll be left feeling fresh and awake.