A dubious soda peeling is gaining popularity on the Internet: “The skin peels off in shreds”

Who needs a fashion burn?

A recipe for a peeling mask made from baking soda is gaining popularity on the Internet – young girls assure each other that such a simple recipe makes the face smooth, smooth, even radiant, and how it cleanses!.. The life hack supposedly came from Korea – but, as they say, not everything is so clear. Firstly, this recipe was not invented by Korean beauty bloggers with their touching “baby faces”, but by our grandmothers with their experience of life in the era of Soviet shortages. Secondly, baking soda really cleanses the face, but the consequences can be too unpredictable. Red spots, irritation and skin peeling off in clumps are just the tip of the iceberg, and premature wrinkles are not far away.

I really want to joke in the best traditions of ageism: they say, zoomers invented soda peeling, ha ha. Well, actually, this is really funny. The idea of ​​rubbing your face with a mixture of soda and salt is written down in almost every grandmother’s notebook in the “helpful tips” section: either by hand or in the form of a clipping from a magazine of the late twentieth century. A few decades ago, this advice was actually widely used.

A popular tip from the Internet: “Mix one tablespoon of baking soda with two tablespoons of freshly squeezed orange juice.”

The next line should sound something like this: “Assess the extent of the chemical burn and never do it again.” What’s the catch? Everything is quite simple: both salt and soda are excellent at drawing out fat, and due to their structure (cosmetologists would call this “abrasiveness”) they also perfectly smooth out the skin. With only one caveat: modern cosmetologists and factory scrubs with coarse particles like apricot kernels or sea salt recognize them as harmful – they scratch the face and destroy the protective layer, and also dry out the skin. There’s nothing to say about a homemade mask made from salt and soda. The fact is that soda is almost pure alkali, which really destroys all fat in its path. And even more than necessary. Well, orange juice (pure acid!) will finish the job.

Fighting oily skin is a favorite hobby of Slavic women. Clarification here is not superfluous, the phenotype really matters: alas, we are more prone to shiny noses than Japanese or Spanish women. Therefore, sales of all kinds of matting products, aggressive clay masks with zinc and alcohol lotions in Russia are an order of magnitude higher than in other countries. Cleansing and mattifying, as well as powdering the nose are our favorite beauty rituals, but it’s very easy to overdo it. If you dry out your skin, then, firstly, it opens up access for bacteria (read: there will be more acne), secondly, the skin in a panic will begin to produce more and more oil, trying to make up for the “deficiency” (hello, oily shine!), well and thirdly, wrinkles appear on dry skin much faster.

All this seems to be enough, even if we delicately keep silent about the main problem – the burn. Meanwhile, on the Internet you can find reviews from those who have already tried:

“The skin on my face steamed, and I applied baking soda to my face with a sponge, massaging it a little. After 30 seconds I felt a tingling sensation, knowing that this was how it should be (according to the descriptions), I waited another 15 seconds and washed it off. The skin felt smooth to the touch! And I was delighted, thinking that I had finally found the coolest peeling for pennies, counting and at the same time regretting the money that I had thrown away on all sorts of exfoliating products that did absolutely nothing. But I wasn’t happy for long until I looked in the mirror… My face was red, a rash appeared on my forehead in a matter of seconds, plus some burgundy spots. I think that in a few days I’ll be shedding my burnt skin like a snake.”

The review is dated 2016, but the chemical reactions have definitely not changed during this time. True, at one time such nightmares really seemed like the only possible way to achieve beautiful skin, but a lot has changed since then.

— In the eighties, when there were no normal cosmetics at all, I gave clients peelings from aspirin tablets. At home. “I came, applied it myself and watched with a stopwatch when it was time to take it off,” experienced cosmetologist Svetlana Orlova, whose work experience spans almost half a century, told the MK correspondent. “But we specifically stipulated that it would be either before the weekend, or the girls would specifically take a few days off. Because the skin still turned red and began to peel off, it was better not to show people for a couple of days. Fortunately, all this is in the past! Today there is no need to mock your own face like that. At home, modern peeling powders can help achieve a good effect, which must be lathered in your palms before use.

Need a decisive argument? Just think: what do we usually rub with a mixture of salt and soda? A crystal vase, for example, or cut glasses – to make them shine. Do you really want to treat your face like a dirty glass?