Sparkling Water for Face Wash? The Story Behind the Unusual Japanese Beauty Hack

People drink sparkling water for a variety of health benefits. It can help you lose weight by replacing unhealthy, sugary sodas so that you consume fewer calories. Some also believe it can alter the alkalinity or acidity of your blood. But did you know it can also be applied directly to your skin for a more beautiful complexion?

In this article:

1. Should You Wash Your Face With Sparkling Water?
2. You Can Get Creative With Your Own Sparkling Water Wash Recipe
3. Methods for Face Washing With Sparkling Water
4. Affordable and Environmentally Friendly Ways to Give Yourself a Sparkling Water Face Wash

Sparkling water face washes are taking the beauty world by storm – and we’re about to explain why we think it is entirely justified.

Should You Wash Your Face With Sparkling Water?

The natural pH of your skin is somewhere around 5.5, which means it is slightly acidic. Regular water, on the other hand, has a neutral pH of 7, which makes it basic when compared it to your skin’s pH.

No, we’re not talking pumpkin spice latte basic – we’re talking about the type of basic that strips away the natural oils of your skin.

You know how your face feels extra dry immediately after you wash it? That’s because regular water is, like, so basic that it’s drying your skin out. That dryness can cause tiny cracks in your skin for bacteria to infiltrate and reproduce. Some dermatologists believe this is a major cause of breakouts.

Another great thing sparkling water does is that it clears dirt and oil out of the deepest parts of your pores in a way that could make Biore green with envy. Instead of waiting 15 or 20 minutes for a pore strip to pull the gunk out of there, you can get the job done in a matter of seconds with a sparkling face wash.

When those tiny, fizzy bubbles make their way into your pores, they knock all the dirt loose when they pop. After they do their job, washing away all that muck is as easy as rinsing your face. Vasodilation is yet another wonderful side effect of a sparkling water face wash. Anything you do that dilates the blood vessels in your skin is great for keeping your complexion looking young and healthy.

All the extra circulation helps bring nutrients and oxygen to every single layer of your skin. When your epidermis is getting more nutrients, it’s easier to rebuild collagen and generate newer, healthier cells. This can slow down the aging process and keep you looking younger for longer!

One of the best things about a sparkling water face wash, though, is how good it is for all skin types. This is especially true for people with sensitive skin. Like we mentioned earlier, the basic pH of regular tap water causes a lot of dryness and irritation for people with sensitive skin. Switching to sparkling water could be the answer to your skin irritation woes.

You Can Get Creative With Your Own Sparkling Water Wash Recipe

There are tons of different sparkling-water-inspired beauty products available for purchase. But if you’ve never done it before, we suggest you start simple and get yourself some regular carbonated water from the grocery store. That way, if something goes wrong or you watch a bad tutorial video, you won’t have too much buyer’s remorse.

If you have exceptionally sensitive skin, you may want to consider diluting the carbonated water in order to reduce its fizziness. Most beauty experts suggest a 50/50 mix a sparkling water and mineral water.

You can also experiment with a half-and-half mixture of sparkling water and green tea for those extra skin benefits.

Be careful when experimenting with mixing your sparkling water into other liquids. Like we stated earlier, the slightly acidic pH of the sparkling water is what gives it most of its skin benefits. Diluting it with more neutral/basic fluids can strip away these benefits, leaving your skin dry, irritated, and dull looking.

Methods for Face Washing With Sparkling Water

There are different ways you can use carbonated water to wash your face. We found many different methods suggested by beauty experts on the internet. Some of our staff even tried out the more promising ones. Here are our favorites:

• The Soak and Rinse – Start by prepping your skin and getting it moist with the carbonated water first. This can be as simple as splashing it on your skin, or you can even pour it into a small bowl and submerge your face for a few seconds. After that, use whatever face wash you prefer. Finish your cleansing routine but using the carbonated water to rinse your cleanser off of your face. Then apply moisturizer and proceed with the rest of your normal beauty regimen.

• The “Dragon Scale” Face Mask – One of our staff writers came up with this name. She calls it the “dragon scale” face mask because she had to partially overlap the cotton pads in order to completely cover her skin. This one is fairly simple: soak some cotton pads in your carbonated water mixture, place on your face, find a nice, quiet place to lay still, and let your skin soak for no longer than 10 minutes. Going any longer may cause irritation.

• The Dunk Tank – This one is fairly straightforward: you pour your sparkling water mixture into a bowl which is large enough to fit your face, and you dive right in. Some people suggest keeping your face submerged for about 10 to 15 seconds at a time; others argue that you should hold it under for as long as you can hold your breath. Just be warned that the carbonation has a habit of getting up your nose and causing some discomfort. But if you have sinus problems, this could be a skin beautifier and congestion cure all in one!

Affordable and Environmentally Friendly Ways to Give Yourself a Sparkling Water Face Wash

If you stopped halfway through reading this article and started shopping around online for a sparkling water facial products, then you already know how expensive they are.

Environmentally conscious beauty experts may also be worried about how wasteful it is to purchase glass and/or plastic bottles all the time. There is a way around this, but it requires a modest upfront investment.

You can be kind to mother earth and your face by investing in a soda machine. Some of them don’t even require electricity, which is an extra bonus for people who don’t live in areas with access to alternative energy.

We should also mention that some of the companies who produced the carbonation canisters will let you ship back the same canister multiple times for a refill instead of sending you a brand new bottle. There’s barely any environmental footprint at all.

Plus, when you’re not using it to make a refreshing face wash, you can make zero calorie sodas in your own kitchen. It’s a win-win all around.

Like we mentioned earlier, some of her staff have experimented with this beauty trend since we started researching it. We’ve had some pretty fantastic results with it, and we can totally understand why this trend is taking the skincare blogosphere by storm.

We enthusiastically recommend that you give this a shot. Trust us – your skin will thank you!