Activated Charcoal is charcoal that has been treated with high heat so that its adsorption ability increases. Traditionally, activated charcoal had been used to help in detoxifying your body. Because of its ability to adsorb toxins, it is quite a beneficial ingredient.
You must have seen people using activated charcoal in some way or the other! It became quite popular in recent years because of its vivid black color, which makes you appear quite ‘cool’ (and a little quirky) when you are using it. Activated charcoal has been used in many ways over the year, form companies using activated charcoal to make detoxifying water to bloggers using face masks with activated charcoal. But how does activate charcoal help you?
Suggested read: The Essential Vitamins For Skin Care That You Need To Invest In ASAP
The many uses of activated charcoal:
Activated charcoal is a versatile ingredient. It has been used in many ways in recent years. If you like to make you, then you will know that you can use it to make eyeliner as well as mascara at home. But its uses do not just stop there; it has quite a few tricks up its sleeve:
- Use it to whiten your teeth
Having white teeth is the secret to having a great smile. You can use the activated charcoal powder directly with the help of a wet toothbrush to help in whitening your teeth over time. Because of this excellent adsorption ability, it can pull out the stubborn tea and coffee stain that give you teeth a yellowish tint.
- Say goodbye to scalp problems
Regular shampoos leave some residue on your scalp and hair which can weight it down. When you use activated charcoal on your scalp, you can not only get rid of the dirt and oil but also make sure that your hair feels lighter!
- Cure your hangover
Or well, almost cure your hangover. Since activated charcoal is a great way to remove toxins from your body, some people swear by it to help them when they are hungover. Although activated charcoal will do nothing for the headache, it can help you get rid of the sick feeling that you get the day after your party too hard.
Suggested read: The ONLY 12 Summer Face Mask Recipes You Need For Complete Summer Skin Care
Activated charcoal is excellent for your skin in many ways. Some of the most important reasons why it is so popular are:
- Get rid of the impurities!
Your skin is continually acting as a barrier to the outside world. This means that it is continuously being exposed to the pollutants in the air as well as germs and other impurities. Activated charcoal is great for the skin because it is great at adsorption! Adsorption is a somewhat complicated chemical process; mainly it involves attracting chemicals and toxins. Activated charcoal has very tiny pores in its surface, ad these pores happen to be negatively charged. Because of its negative charge, it attracts all of the toxins in the skin which have a positive charge (so opposites do attract!). Thus, it leaves your skin looking and feeling brand new. All of the dirt, impurities, environmental pollutants as well and the gunk which has built upon our skin can be easily (and thoroughly) removed.
- Oily skin? No problem
If you have oily skin, you are no stranger to sin problems-especially pimples, and bumps on your skin. This is mainly because of the production of sebum. Although sebum productions are necessary to help keep our skin healthy and glowing, when it is produced in larger quantities, it can make the skin appear quite oily. Because fo its oiliness dirt sticks more readily to the skin, and it results in pimples and spots on the skin. With the help of activated charcoal for skin, you can help ensure that your skin has a balanced oil production. As mentioned earlier, it is great at adsorption, which means that it can easily bind all of the excess sebum, and help your skin appear fresh, and glowing rather than slick with oil.
- A great exfoliating agent
Activated charcoal has a gritty texture. It is gentle on the skin, but its grittiness helps it in exfoliating the skin while also removing the impurities from its surface. Exfoliation is an essential step in the daily cleaning routine. With the help of an exfoliating agent, you can get rid of the buildup of dirt and dead cells on the surface f the skin which makes it appear dull. This build-up also clogs pores which further aggravates the skin. With the help of activated charcoal, you can gently remove this buildup, without being too harsh on your skin. The gritty size of the charcoal is perfect for exfoliating; it is small rather than being to being which can be too rough on the skin and even cause micro tears.
- Reduce the size of our pores
We have mentioned how great charcoal is at removing impurities right? Well, this benefits you with more than just keeping your skin clean. The impurities and the buildup on the skin become trapped in your pores. This causes them to appear enlarged. Enlarged pore makes your skin look older, dull and drab. When you use activated charcoal for skin, you can help reduce the size of your pores by getting rid of all of the impurities are clogging it. With regular use, your skin will appear much younger and have a healthy glow to it.
Here is how you can use activated charcoal at home to help improve your skin!
Purchasing activated charcoal is quite easy, and you will find many different variants available on the market. You can either purchase it in a capsule or a loose powder form. If you buy a tablet, all you will need to do is to break the capsule open so that you can access the loose powder inside. Depending on the brand that you select, you will find that the charcoal has been derived from different sources. If you plan on using charcoal for your skin, make sure that it is derived from natural sources, but any form of activated charcoal will do in a pinch.
Do you already have some activated charcoal but now sure how you can sue it for your skin? The answers that you seek are all here! Making an activated charcoal mask at home is quite easy, and they look pretty cool too! You must have seen the Instagram videos of girls using a thick black mask on your feed several times by now; here’s your chance to finally use it for yourself and see what all the fuss is about!
To use activated charcoal for skin, all you will need is:
- Half a tablespoon of Activated Charcoal Powder, which is, of course, the main and most important ingredient!
- Half a tablespoon of Rosewater, if you cannot find rosewater in stores near you, you can even use plain old water for this.
- Half a tablespoon Bentonite Clay
- Bonus: add a bit of raw honey to help hydrate your skin. Raw honey is a natural skin cleanser which also helps in nourishing and moisturising your skin. It is a beneficial ingredient for your skin and is used in several homemade face masks and cleansers.
Once you have your ingredients with you, you will need to gather a large bowl where you can mix the ingredients. When you mix in everything, do not be alarmed if your fin that the mask is a bit runnier rather than goopy. Once you have through mixed all of the ingredients, ensure that your skin is clean, and apply the mask onto your skin. Let the mask rest for at least 0 minutes after which you can wash it off. Pat your skin dry and you will notice that our skin appears fresh and looks squeaky clean!
Do you want to gently exfoliate your skin with the help of activated charcoal? Then you can follow the recipe listed below:
For the ingredients for this scrub you will need:
- Half a tablespoon of Activated Charcoal Powder
- Half a tablespoon Rosewater
- Two teaspoons of coconut palm sugar
- Two teaspoons of honey
Once you have gathered all of your ingredients gently combine them in a bowl and the application I directly onto your skin. Use your fingertips and rub the mixture onto your skin using circular motions. Do not apply too much pressure or spend a lot of time on a single spot to avoid being too harsh on your skin Scrub your skin for about two minutes and then rinse off the mixture. Pat your skin dry and make sure that you follow up with a moisturizer to prevent your skin from drying out.
Suggested read: A Guide To The Best Men’s Skin Care Regimen
An important tip when using activated charcoal is to be cautious. Although activated charcoal does not stain the surface of your skin, it will stain other things. So when using it create masks and scrub, make sure that you are careful so as not to stain your precious towels or sink! Demarcate a particular area in your kitchen or washroom to help prevent the chances of staining your home forever!
Featured image source: Instagram
Facebook
Disqus
Google + 
