Baking soda, which is also known as sodium bicarbonate, is a natural alkaline that is commonly used as a leavening agent in baking, but it can also be used successfully for soap making and other bath and beauty products. Baking soda has natural deodorizing qualities, great at lifting dirt and removing excess oil from your skin. It also leaves your skin feeling soft and silky, and adds a gentle exfoliating component so you can't go wrong when you add sodium bicarbonate to your list of soap making supplies.