Did you know that the common household ingredient, baking soda, is one of the most celebrated remedies to treating eczema? Many parents from across the world rave about the healing properties of this all-natural mineral, and the popularity it’s gained over the last few years has made it a staple for many parents who have kids with atopic dermatitis. Today, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about baking soda so that you too can benefit from this gentle mineral in your own home.

What Is Baking Soda?

Before we move on, let’s make sure one thing is clear – baking soda and baking powder are not the same thing. If you experiment with any of the suggestion in this article, please ensure that you are in fact using all-natural baking soda. Baking powder can contain metals and other materials – and it’s not all that helpful for skin issues.

Baking soda is actually just plain old sodium bicarbonate, a natural salt-like mineral. When it gets mixed with any kind of acidic material, a chemical reaction occurs that produces lots of fizzy carbon dioxide bubbles. This is the reason why baking soda gets used in baking so much – it can help add lightness and texture to many dishes.

How Baking Soda Helps Eczema

Like salt, baking soda is naturally antiseptic and cleansing. In many parts of the world, salts are used to dress and sterilize wounds, and baking soda can do that job in a much gentler way than traditional hard salts can.

Baking soda helps eczema in a few ways…

•         Naturally antiseptic
•          The gentle foaming action can be deeply cleansing to sensitive eczema spots
•          Helps reduce rashes and inflammation
•          Helps balance pH
•          Helps detoxify the skin
•          Helps cleanse and clear any bacteria or germs from the flare up zone
•          Helps strengthen the skin to prevent further flare ups

Baking soda is a great ‘everyday’ go-to item to add to your child’s eczema treatment plan if their doctor or other medical professional feels it’s a good match for them.

How To Use Baking Soda To Treat Eczema

There are several ways to use baking soda to treat eczema flare ups, but there are the most used and most widely celebrated among parents who help itchy kids…

Bathing

Draw a full, warm bath like usual and add about ¼ cup of baking soda. This is a very diluted mixture that should be safe for even smaller children. You can start even smaller if you prefer. If you use baking soda in the bath, you can still use any bath oils you may normally use. Many parents even do oatmeal baths mixed with baking soda baths during particularly itchy flare ups.

Paste

Mixing baking soda with clean, warm water will create a mud-like paste. Work on the ratio of soda to water until you get a thick, heavy consistency that can be applied directly to a flare up. This is a great way to cleanse and protect areas that may be too sensitive for scrubbing. After 3-5 minutes, just rinse off the mixture and apply ointment to seal in the hydration.

Your Baking Soda Story

Have you used baking soda to help treat your child’s eczema?
Share your experiences with us in the comments below!