Baking Soda (Bicarbonate of Soda) for Epidermolytic Ichthyosis
“Baking soda in a daily bath changes the pH of the water and makes it softer and easier to absorb. The result is that skin hydrates and inflates, and in turn this maximises skin shedding”
In the first of our “Skincare Showcase Series” I want to highlight a really simple but effective product. That’s right, good old BAKING SODA!
Baking soda, aka Bicarbonate of Soda, is a brilliant addition to your EI care routine, and as soon as I started using it for my daughter, I immediately regretted not usung it sooner!
Baking soda is what’s known as a KERATOLYTIC, and this very simply means that it helps to breakdown unwanted tissue.
In EI, and all types of ichthyosis, the old dkin doesn’t shed as it should, and builds up at the surface forming the scales that characterise ichthyosis. If we don’t take action to reduce the scale, we risk infections, odour, painful cracks, and limited mobility.
Balneotherapy is the foundation of every ichthyosis care routine. The objective is to hydrate the skin, and help to remove scale.
If you ADD baking soda to your daily bath routine, this basic but MAGIC ingredient does half the work for you!
Baking soda changes the pH of water making it softer and easier to absorb (Optimal pH 7.9). The result is that the old skin cells found in EI scaly skin, hydrate and inflate, allowing them to break away much more easily from the skin surface.
If you then decide to add some strategic exfoliation to this, a cellulose sponge is my tool of choice here, and you’ll find it looks like it’s snowing skin all of a sudden.
If you’ve never used this in your bath, please give it a try, and you will NOT be disappointed. It cannot hurt, so don’t be afraid! Just baking soda in the bath, no oils, no expensive products, just baking soda…it’s BRILLIANT!