Baking Soda
Soda
There are a variety of substances called soda that trace their roots to antiquity. They are all salts of the important element sodium:
- caustic soda, or lye, is sodium hydroxide.
- washing soda is sodium carbonate.
- baking soda is sodium bicarbonate.
These alkaline (or base) chemicals have long been know to be the chemical opposites of acids. The strength of acids and bases is measured on a numerical scale called pH that goes from 1-14.
Our blood has a normal, slightly alkaline, pH range of 7.35 to 7.45. Baking soda is 8.3.
Baking Soda
When baking soda is added to food ingredients, it reacts with acidic components of a recipe to form the dreadful climate killer carbon dioxide (CO2), which also happens to be what we exhale from our lungs. It puffs up the food while baking, making it feel lighter and more palatable. Then the CO2 goes off into the air.
When CO2 dissolves in water, it forms a weak acid. One hundred years ago, the oceans had a pH of 8.2; now they average 8.1, which is slightly more acidic, or less basic.
We don’t have time for that discussion here.
Sodium bicarbonate
Besides being used in food, sodium bicarbonate solution is use in medicine (Sodium Bicarbonate Injection USP) as an intravenous drip in conditions such as cardiac arrest. Our blood cannot be too acid; oceans cannot be too acid – not even a little bit.
So what about skin? Our skin, is usually slightly acidic for a reason.
Commensal Microorganisms
Commensal microorganisms are the normal indigenous microbiota present on our body surfaces, gastrointestinal, and respiratory tract.
Our immune systems have evolved to exist in a symbiotic relationship with our “friendly,” commensal organisms. They generally remain friendly unless something happens to upset the fine balance in our relationship. Our friendly organisms thrive with a weakly acid pH. If we harm them with a high pH product on our skin, they meekly give up and make room for other organisms that need a higher pH and may not be friendly. Then our immune systems have to play catch-up.
Deodorme TM
One of the secrets of Deodorme, which we share with you now, is that deodorme contains citrus extract to make it gently acidic.
