Project Little Bit: Baking Soda: The Super Staple

Husband and I have always been conscious of household chemicals and careful about what we use to clean as well as what we put into our bodies. But becoming pregnant has made me extra-conscious about what I put ON my body as well. It turns out that a lot of my regular beauty products are verboten as long as I'm expecting. Thankfully, I found an alternative for several of them that is as safe and gentle as it is effective - and not only that, but super-cheap to boot. What's this magical alternative, you ask, because perhaps you can't see the picture that begins this post, and you also didn't bother to read the title? That would be baking soda, the handy little ingredient with about a million uses.

Okay, maybe not a million. But a lot, and the list goes way beyond baking and fueling science project volcanoes. I had already been using it as an exfoliating facial scrub, and my skin's been in great shape since I started. While in the shower the other day, I realized I shouldn't use my regular shampoo because it contains salycilic acid, a big no-no if you're pregnant. Out of desperation I grabbed the container of baking soda I keep in there for my face, and used it to scrub my hair. It left it clean and soft, and since it strips the dirt without stripping the natural oils, I didn't need to use any conditioner. I've been using it ever since, and I'm so happy with the results that I probably won't go back to my old shampoo after the baby's born.

That's only a couple of its uses as a beauty product, and it comes in even handier as a household cleaning product. Check out these links for a comprehensive look at how baking soda can help free you from chemicals while freeing up your cash for bigger and better things.