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| - Last Updated on August 29, 2024 by Nivedita
Quick Take
A social media post claims that you can whiten your skin with a mixture of tomato and baking soda. We fact-checked and found this claim to be False.
The Claim
A social media post with the picture title “BAKING SODA & TOMATO for SKIN WHITENING reads, “Natural homemade remedies to have bright glowing skin.
With the help of baking soda and tomato juice, you can easily have fair glowing skin. So follow the way it’s been mentioned over here and have a glowing clean face at home.” A screenshot is attached down below:
Fact Check
Is it safe to use baking soda on the skin?
No. Using baking soda on skin can cause irritation. Skin experts strongly advise against using baking soda at home for any skin treatments.
Dr. Iram Qazi, MD (Dermatology) says, “I will never suggest baking soda as a home remedy treatment. It can have damaging effects on the skin. That is because baking soda can interfere with the skin pH. The normal pH of the skin ranges from 4.5-to 5.5. This pH keeps the skin healthy and forms a protective oil barrier around it keeping it well moisturized with healthy oils and protecting it from bacteria as well. Baking soda, on the other hand, has a pH of 9. Thus applying a strong alkaline base to the skin can remove the natural protective oils from the skin and make it more prone to bacterial infections and skin damage. Also, baking soda can cause skin irritation and inflammation which may worsen acne and increase pigmentation and scarring of the skin. It can also increase skin dryness which causes overproduction of skin oils leading to more acne breakouts and scarring of the skin.”
Can you whiten your skin with a mixture of tomato and baking soda?
No. No scientific evidence proves that a mixture of tomato and baking soda can whiten your skin. Even though various homemade remedies use tomato for skin whitening, it is not backed up by scientific evidence. Further research is needed to find any benefits of using this mixture on the skin.
A false post also claims that one can whiten the skin overnight using sugar, honey and lemon juice.
Dr. Swati Watwani, Medical Director, Co-Founder & Chief Consultant – Persianlily – Skin/ Hair/ Aesthetics/ Ayurveda Clinic, clarifies this by stating, “No, I do not recommend using baking soda on your skin as baking soda has a highly alkaline PH and can cause a lot of disruption to the health of your natural skin barrier, it can also negatively influence the functions of enzymes in the skin and really lead to problems such as irritation, water loss from the skin, impaired barrier function. Your skin has acidic PH also baking soda being highly abrasive can cause lots of non-specific mechanical exfoliation drying out the skin further this is again made worse by adding tomato juice to it as it will dehydrate the skin and make it more sensitive further by inducing rashes & aggravating hyperpigmentation.”
Dr. Jyoti Agarkar, MD (Dermatology) says, “Such home remedies may have side effects. You may not even know that baking soda is not suitable for your skin type and end up causing irritation or redness. It is very important that you understand your skin type first and then decide on a product. And, you should always do a patch test on your skin first before applying it all over your face.”
Dr. Agarkar sums it up by stating, “God has given us a very beautiful body and skin and we should cherish it instead of trying to change its colour. I always prescribe my patients a healthy diet, regular exercise, enough sleep, and a good amount of water consumption. This helps in bringing out a natural glow that cannot be matched by any artificially induced whitening products. Also, when you are choosing any skincare products, choose according to your skin type.”
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