Activated charcoal: Everything you need to know
Activated charcoal is creating quite the storm in the beauty community as of late. You may have already seen the charcoal face masks and toothpaste that are making their way to the shelves. So, what is activate charcoal? What are the benefits? And how do we use it?
While the recent surge in popularity only began earlier this year, charcoal has had a long and active role in our history. The first recorded use was in medical treatments, however, it wasn’t until the ancient Egyptians first utilised this natural ingredient in beauty treatments that the wonderous skin cleansing abilities of activated charcoal were realised. As time went on, we gradually uncovered many of its other intriguing uses and miraculous effects on the body. In time, this earned it the title Black Magic, representing both its colour and medicinal properties.
Due to the activated carbon’s chemical make-up, the permeability of the product enables it to absorb and bind to the smallest of particles. The products ability to do this allows for a wide range of usages, including pulling all the dirt hidden away in our pores.
Like a magnet, the activated charcoal binds to the dirt, grease and dead skin buried in your pores, pulling it to the surface where it can easily be washed away. Once removed, your skin should both feel and look clean, refreshed and baby smooth.
The activated charcoal face products that you see on the shelves today blend this natural pour cleanser with more common base ingredients such as clay, mud and seaweed to create masks, scrubs and nose strips. Many of these products have received esteemed praise, gaining them attention from celebrities and beauty online beauty gurus. However, if you prefer to pamper your skin with homemade treatments, we have a simple recipe for you to make your own charcoal-containing mask.
Ingredients: 1- teaspoons of activated charcoal Benotine clay
Method: Simply mix the two ingredients together and apply to clean skin (either the entire face or simply focusing on that troublesome T‑Zone). Leave to dry before rinsing thoroughly.
In addition to pulling the bad stuff from your skin, activated charcoal has proven to be a very effective teeth whitener. Yes, brushing your teeth with a black substance in an attempt to gain a gleaming white smile may sound counter-intuitive. However, due to its super-absorbant qualities, the charcoal is able to bind to the build up bacteria and plaque. Then when you rinse your mouth, all this bad stuff is simply washed away. It can even remove the particles responsible for surface staining, leaving you with a bright white smile after just a few uses.
As charcoal-containing toothpaste can be quite abrasive on the teeth, it is recommend that you use it no more that two times a week.
Natural ingredients and beauty products are steadily becoming more widely available and affordable, making it easier for you to find products that contain the ingredients that have been known to benefit both your skin and health for centuries. Though one of many, Black Magic is certainly proving to be a superstar deep cleanser. We recommend using a charcoal-containing face product as least once or twice a week for the best results. Happy pampering!.
