I watched peroxide bubble to boiling! What caused this?

[Tlb2012]

The other day I met hydrogen peroxide baking soda and about 20 vitamin C tablets crushed up together with head and shoulders shampoo. I'm next-door this together because I was going to lighten my hair before putting my new red hair dye on it. Before I knew it the mixture started to rise halfway into the bowl right in front of my very eyes and and all of a sudden it started boiling! Does anybody know why that could have happened? It had me very shaken up for hours! When I freaked out I just went and poured the stuff outside on the grass. Someone respond and let me know what part of that mixture could have caused it to almost set my house on fire.

[Surinecet]

Baking soda is an alkaline substance which reacts to anything acidic (i.e. hydrogen peroxide) by giving off carbon dioxide, making the bubbles you saw. It's not actually "boiling" and will do nothing more than make a mess. Mixing vinegar and baking soda will product the same result.

[TimeForMe]

It was the acid in the Vitamin C reacting with the alkaline baking soda. It's not boiling, just fizzing a lot.

[Tlb2012]

Wow the bowl felt hot! I'm glad to hear it was just fizzing and no real danger!

[Anje]

Well, the acid-base reactions are definitely exothermic. I'd expect it to get at least warm, if not hot. Despite not boiling, it's not a reaction I'd want happening on my head! Strand test this and any future concoctions before putting it in your hair.

[lapushka]

Well, the acid-base reactions are definitely exothermic. I'd expect it to get at least warm, if not hot. Despite not boiling, it's not a reaction I'd want happening on my head! Strand test this and any future concoctions before putting it in your hair.

Exactly! Why you'd want to 1/make this concoction 2/put it on your head, is beyond me. I was shocked reading what you've thrown into the mix!

[angstroms]

Wow the bowl felt hot! I'm glad to hear it was just fizzing and no real danger!

Neutralizations tend to warm up. Interesting though, since Ascorbic Acid + Baking Soda is slightly endothermic and will usually drop a few degrees C. I don't know about peroxide and baking soda, though. Pure hydrogen peroxide has a pH a little above 6, so it's not very acidic. Makes sense that it would react too, I just don't know the thermodynamics of it. Might have to find out, since something was obviously exothermic. :D I've heard of people brushing their teeth with peroxide and baking soda, as well as using them together like a bleach for tile floors...

Also, what Anje said! Not only do you not want reactions like this happening on your head, I assume that the treatment requires the original chemicals and not their reaction products. Vit C and baking soda will produce sodium ascorbate, also vitamin c but slightly more bio-available when taken orally. Not sure what that means for hair. Baking soda and peroxide will make CO2 gas, water and NaOH. I'm guessing you don't want lye in your hair. :shudder:

[Tlb2012]

I will never ever do that again. Thankfully I saw the stuff boil in just enough time before slathering it on my head!

ETA: I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the stuff boiling! All sorts of nightmare images were swimming through my mind. .. Oh wow. It's easy to see now that I was not very knowledgeable in chemistry!

[anax]

that sounds terrifying!!! where did you get that idea from!!

[Shibe]

It's not boiling, its fizzing.

[Firefox7275]

Stop mixing random chemicals if you are not a chemist, you are lucky not to have released toxic gases into the air.

[Bagginslover]

^THIS! Things that are safe for home use, are only safe on their own, you start mixing them, and you can quickly get yourself into a whole world of trouble!
What were you trying to make, doesn't sound very hair friendly.

[PrincessIdril]

Stop mixing random chemicals if you are not a chemist, you are lucky not to have released toxic gases into the air.

Very much this! Please don't mix random chemicals if you don't have much knowledge of chemistry, you could easily do yourself or others some serious harm. If you must mix things please do some research first!

Also what on earth were you trying to achieve by making such a mixture!?

[Tlb2012]

that sounds terrifying!!! where did you get that idea from!!

Believe it or not, I came up with this idea myself! Well, at least I have the excuse that I was a failure at chemistry! Glad I didn't put the stuff on my head. That would not have been good!


Very much this! Please don't mix random chemicals if you don't have much knowledge of chemistry, you could easily do yourself or others some serious harm. If you must mix things please do some research first!

Also what on earth were you trying to achieve by making such a mixture!?

Advice taken! I had heard that baking soda can lighten the hair, and since I'd already had some kind of success with peroxide when I was blonde, I thought mixing the two together would work better! What a joke! Definitely advice taken, and no more crazy mixtures or unintentional science experiments when it comes to my hair! My number one focus now is going to be to grow it long!


Stop mixing random chemicals if you are not a chemist, you are lucky not to have released toxic gases into the air.

You're right. Advice taken! :)