City Beauty: Behold the Mighty Power of Baking Soda

(Previously on City Beauty: A judgmental cock and smooth legs.)

Even the box knows it's magic. Look at that sparkle. Like Edward Cullen in a measuring cup.

Most of my bath, cleaning and beauty tricks involve one ingredient: Baking Soda. I use it so much that it the box rarely leaves the bathroom counter. Once it stayed there for so long the ink from the cardboard left a stain from being exposed to so much shower steam, and I just turned it around and used baking soda to clean it up. It cleans itself! Miracle! Best part is that it's a cheapie product, and being in a cash-flow hiatus (unemployed freelance writer!) I can feel frivolous using the stuff on everything.

So here now are two of my favorite tricks using mighty baking soda.

Hair: Hard Water Haven

Growing up, my parents' home relied on well water. In my part of America, that meant privately owning the water supply that ran through our pipes and not paying the city a monthly bill for water use. City-controlled water contains fluoride supplements and softeners to remove some of the chemicals from the water. We relied on a Britta Filter pitcher for drinking water (and later, a fancy fridge with a filtered drink dispenser built in the door) since the tap water had a chalky taste. Well water is "hard" water thanks to high levels of dissolved minerals, primarily calcium and magnesium, and hard water isn't very good for hair. Using baking soda gets rid of the built-up from hard water and softens your hair, a trick I wish I had known for my frizzy hair when I was a young teen.

You will need:

- 1 teaspoon of baking soda, or roughly the size of a large coin poured into the palm of your hand
- Dollop of shampoo on top of said baking soda

The How-To:

- Mix it together into a shamp-soda hybrid
- Wash your hair!
- Repeat once a week

For those WITHOUT hard water, this is a fantastic way just to give your hair a boost and remove product built-up.

Face: Feeling Fancy While Frugal

This mix is so ridiculously easy I'm almost ashamed to share it. As I've mentioned before, I have sensitive skin, so scrubbing my face with a washcloth or abrasive scrub isn't for me. Some swear by a baking soda scrub, but a gentle facial will work just as well without irritating the skin. Just be sure to apply this one over the sink. Might as well go ahead and get naked, so none of the mix splashes on your clothes, and for funsies.

You will need:

- 2 tablespoons baking soda, or a small palm-full. (Hold your hand over the sink in case of spillage.)
- 1 tablespoon of warm water, or a splash from the tap.

The How-To:

- Mix into a paste. The mix should not be watery.
- Apply to face. (Be grown-up and do not get it in your eyes or mouth.)
- Leave on until completely dry -- at least 5 minutes.
- Rinse, wash face with your cleanser of choice.
- Moisturize!
- Repeat twice a week.

Beautiful! You're beautiful. For real though. Stay beautiful.