Hello... I know people who use baking soda to wash (Including myself!) And I was wondering just how natural it can be considered? I know it is a chemical compound.. but did it "occur" naturally in earth? (Before people started to make and market it??)
Also is it considered Raw?
I looked up baking soda online but still have not found these answers.
I always only put things on my body that I would put in it. So this has been a concern of mine.

thanks everyone =)

Hello Vegcase...That is a very good question...I've brushed my teeth with baking soda and baking soda toothpastes (like Tom's of Maine) for years because it just seemed that it was a much better idea than regular brands of tooth paste that have a warning on the label...DON"T SWALLOW...not that I am inclined to swallow my tooth paste...but for heavens sake it could happen accidently as it is something that is in my mouth...anyway...your question is a very good one...perhaps the folks at Tom's of Maine could answer it...Diana

well,its deffinetly man made

I never like to use the word 'natural' If your main concern is not putting toxic stuff in that you wouldn't ingest as food. the answer is probably a...maybe

persoanlly my choice if i'm to pick something to use that was not 'natural' I would pick the simplest thing

baking soda chemical compound, sodium bicarbonate or odium hydrogen carbonate or NaHCO3

seems pretty basic and harmless compared to enviornmental toxins, impurities in water , or a hot dog...don't you think?

Veg,

The Baking Soda that is manufactured, is not raw. It can be found naturally according to Wikipedia [en.wikipedia.org]. I've never seen baking soda that wasn't manufactured so I don't have a clue where to get it. Also, I don't know how harmful it can be even though it isn't raw. There are many supplements out there that are supposed to help one's health and they do have some benefits but they aren't totally raw.

Before raw, I used to take it to stop my hiccups. It was the only thing that worked. Now, since raw, I can take Magnesium to stop them.

I have tried using baking soda in the past for tooth paste but it tasted awful. Now, I just use water and a brush. I might try the oil pulling method, too, as I read good reviews on that.

Good luck.
Therese

hey Therese, thanks. ..What is the oil pulling method?'
=)

i read up on oil pulling and they said that it is false..that nothing happens because the oil isn't touching anything really..i guess it says it meets with all your endings to cleanse thet oxins out of your body and pull them out...they said that is why the oil becomes white...but any swishing..or mixing or blending of oil does this..if you put it in a blender it turns white and fluffier..so i don't know...but you can check it out on google!!!
love earthangel
xoxoxoxoxox

Much peace and love!!!
EarthAngel
Xoxo

Bicarbonate is what your body uses to keep the pH of your plasma at a fairly constant level.

I'm pretty sure I read in my Norman Waker book on fruit and veggie juices, that it may cause stones in our gallbladders and livers..

Here's what the stuff is:
baking soda:
Also known as bicarbonate of soda.

bicarbonate of soda:
Inorganic compound, white, crystalline salt of sodium, chemical formula NaHCO3

Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, comes from soda ash obtained either through the Solvay process or from trona ore, a hard, crystalline material.
Because the synthetic process used in the Solvay method presented some pollution problems, Church & Dwight Co. Inc. is basing more and more of its manufacturing on trona mining. Another large producer of soda ash, the FMC Corporation, also relies on trona to manufacture soda ash and sodium bicarbonate. Trona is mined at 1,500 feet (457.2 meters) below the surface.
Making baking soda

Next, the intermediate soda ash solution is put into a centrifuge, which separates the liquid from the crystals. The crystals are then dissolved in a bicarbonate solution (a soda ash solution made by the manufacturer) in a rotary dissolver, thereby becoming a saturated solution. This solution is filtered to remove any non-soluble materials and is then pumped through a feed tank to the top of a carbonating tower.

[www.answers.com]

Why not use real soap, I make soap the old fashioned way and it retains all the glycerine and I only use the best organic essential oils for it. Sure makes a difference on your skin when you use it.

Love,
Prism

Prism: Thanks for the info! I also do use plain old castile soap which works fine but sometimes doesn't get the deep clean of an exfoliater. The main thing I use baking soda for is its slightly abrasive texture. Besides using it for cleaning house, I like to use it about once a week as an exfoliater on my face. And also in brushing my teeth as a whitener. So I have been looking for alternatives to this texture I get from baking soda... any suggestions?

Nothing that I've found beats using those exfoliating gloves. I use them on every part of my body with my own hand-made soaps.

Almond meal makes a good exfoliating agent for your body, as does salt, and even sugar. If you use sugar mixed with some honey to thicken it, and used those gloves, you'd feel how soft it leaves your skin.

Love,
Prism

Real soap (pH 11 or higher) is much worse for your skin than baking soda.

Your skin's protective acid mantle is about 5.5. The further you stray from this with anything applied, the worse it is on your skin.

That's why gentle synthetic detergent cleansers at pH 5.5 were developed for the skin: so they would not be nearly as harsh as soaps.

Arugula, you should be cautioned to not make blanket statements that don't give a person enough information. People can research this on their own, but here is a bit more info. in response to your above post.

{Your skin makes a lightly acidic secretion to help protect itself. This is called the Acid Mantle. Because it is acidic, the most effective way to clean it off, along with excess oils, dirt and germs, is using an alkaline foaming system (soap!). Your skin begins resecreting the mantle immediately. Within 20 minutes it is about 1/3 strength and with 2-3 hours it is back up at full strength. This varies slightly person to person, and there are rare cases of this mechanism failing in very sick individuals. In other words - this is an absolute non-issue. There is no health reason to choose one product over another based on pH, assuming pH levels are within say 3.30 or so (like an orange) and 10 (such as a bar soap). It is interesting to note that the mildest cleanser you can use - properly made handmade style bar soaps - also have the highest pH at 10.01. We have testimonials of eczema and dermatitis disappearing after just a few days of handmade soap use, (Testimonials) so don't let anybody tell that mildness equals low pH - it just ain't so! [www.vermontsoap.com]}
**************************
Note: My skin and wrinkles are only improving with the use of the exfoliating gloves and my hand-made soaps using real essential oils. I got asked yesterday what I was doing to get rid of wrinkles by someone that I see on occassion.

Love,
Prism



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/2007 03:53PM by Prism.

Prism, I have definitely made extensive research in this topic. Also I am not selling anything, particularly soap. I can assure you that I have made much more heavy research in this area than the seller website to which you refer. There is absolutely no way that a person well-versed in surfactant chemistry could conclude that soap is better for the skin than a properly formulated syndet cleanser.

Here are more references for you, since you implied that I have not done my homework. Have you read all of these? Perhaps you will come to different conclusions.

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I'm not going to read all of that you list. I can see for myself the difference in my skin.

If you disagree that's ok by me, no harm done and you've listed enough info for anyone that wants to can spend as much time as they like in reading some or all of it.

Love,
Prism

Arugula,

why not just say
this is what happens when soap is used on skin
this is what happens when baking soda is
this is what happens when you use just water
then this is what I think is the best way to clean skin.

I'd certainly find it informative.