Every family has that one remedy passed down through generations—simple, inexpensive, and used long before skincare aisles overflowed with serums and creams. For my nana, that remedy has always been baking soda. She kept a little jar of it near her bathroom mirror the way some keep luxury moisturizers, and whenever someone in the family had dull skin, clogged pores, or an unexpected blemish, Nana would say, “Go get the soda; it fixes everything.”

While baking soda is best used occasionally and gently—because it’s alkaline and can disrupt the skin barrier if overused—the methods she shared are clever, effective when used wisely, and surprisingly therapeutic. Here are Nana’s three signature baking-soda face treatments, how they work, and her comforting “kitchen-table logic” behind each one.

1. Nana’s Baking Soda Brightening Paste

Purpose: Exfoliation, glow-boosting, lifting dullness
Frequency: Once per week

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon filtered water

• 2 drops honey (Nana’s “secret softener”)

How to Make It (Nana’s Recipe Style):
In a small bowl, mix the baking soda and water until you form a smooth, spreadable paste. Add the two drops of honey and stir until the texture becomes creamy and slightly glossy. Nana always said the honey was the “peacekeeper”—it soothed the skin while the baking soda did the heavy lifting.

Apply the paste gently across the face, focusing on areas that look dull: the forehead, around the nose, and the chin. Massage in tiny circular motions for 10–15 seconds only, then rinse with lukewarm water. Pat dry.

How It Works:
This method functions like a gentle mechanical exfoliator. Baking soda has a fine, soft grain that helps loosen old, dead skin cells sitting on the surface. Removing this buildup allows light to bounce off the skin more evenly, giving that “fresh glow” Nana always swore showed up instantly.

The added honey plays a protective role. Because baking soda has a high pH, honey helps provide a little moisture balance while calming redness. Used once weekly, this recipe can brighten skin without being too harsh.

2. Nana’s Blackhead-Banishing Baking Soda Steam Treatment

Purpose: Clearing clogged pores, softening blackheads, decongesting the T-zone
Frequency: Every 10–14 days

Ingredients:

• A bowl of hot water

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• Clean towel

How to Make It (Nana’s Recipe Style):
Nana believed steaming was “opening the door” of the skin before treating it. First, heat a bowl of water until it’s steaming—not boiling. Add the teaspoon of baking soda and stir until dissolved.

Sit comfortably over the bowl, place the towel over your head to trap the steam, and let your skin absorb the warm mist for 5 minutes. Nana insisted this step was “the gentle way to unclog, not the painful way.”

After steaming, rinse your face with cool water to tighten the pores back up.

How It Works:
The warm steam softens sebum and loosens debris inside the pores. Baking soda slightly enhances the softening effect by helping the water dissolve surface oil more effectively.

Unlike squeezing blackheads—which Nana forbade—this method uses heat and moisture to reduce congestion naturally. The result is skin that feels lighter, cleaner, and easier to maintain.

3. Nana’s Overnight Baking Soda Blemish Dot

Purpose: Reducing the appearance of pimples, calming inflammation, drying excess oil
Frequency: As needed

Ingredients:

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• A few drops of water

How to Make It (Nana’s Recipe Style):
Mix the baking soda with just enough water to form a thick, sticky paste—the thicker the better. Using a cotton swab, dab a tiny dot directly on the blemish. Do not rub it across the skin; this recipe is spot-treatment only.

Leave the paste on for 20 minutes (Nana did overnight years ago, but modern advice suggests shorter for safety). Rinse thoroughly and pat dry.

How It Works:
Baking soda’s alkaline nature temporarily reduces surface oil, helping shrink the appearance of a new pimple. It also creates a mildly drying environment, which can help calm an inflamed spot. Because pimples thrive in oily environments, this drying action provides a quick visual improvement.

However, Nana’s overnight version worked for her because she had very oily skin; for most people, 20 minutes is ideal to avoid irritation.

How to Stay Safe While Using Nana’s Remedies

Nana always said, “A little soda goes a long way,” and she was right. Here’s how to keep these methods skin-friendly:

• Don’t use baking soda daily. Its pH is high, and overuse can dry the skin or upset the moisture barrier.

• Always patch test. Apply a tiny amount on your inner arm first.

• Use soothing moisturizer afterward. Nana followed every treatment with a light layer of aloe or cold cream.

• Avoid if you have sensitive or broken skin.

Used gently, these recipes offer classic old-school skincare charm with real benefits.

Nana’s Final Lesson

What made Nana’s baking-soda methods special wasn’t just the results—they were simple rituals that made you slow down, breathe, and care for yourself. Whether you used her brightening paste for a glow, her steam bowl to clear your head and your pores, or her spot treatment on a sudden blemish, each method felt like a warm piece of generational wisdom.