We’re sure that by now you must’ve seen charcoal being used in all sorts of things, from toothpaste to face wash to face masks. It has popped up in multiple beauty products, so we decided to investigate whether charcoal belongs to our face or not.
Charcoal is used in skincare products because of its exfoliating properties and cleansing strength. Many users say that it acts like a magnet for dirt, oil and other unnecessary particles invading our pores. However, there is another lot of people who claim that it does not work like a magnet in fact, if anything, it peels off your micro facial hair and desiccates the skin scrapping off the natural oil layer.
Our verdict in this case would be that charcoal is a brilliant detoxifier. It draws out impurities better than any other ingredient.
Apart from detoxifying our skin, this pearl black ingredient helps balance the oils in our skin. If you have oily skin, using this amazing ingredient in face masks and cleansers can help draw out the excess oils from your pores leaving it smooth.
Charcoal is also used as an anti-inflammatory so is ideal to reduce redness and inflammation of your pores. Now it doesn’t necessarily make the pores smaller, however, they appear to be smaller as the dirt and bacteria is extracted out.
Now as charcoal extracts bacteria, it is great for acne prone skin as it cleanses the skin and kills the bacteria which reduce the chances of recurring acne. It is also known to reverse skin damage caused by acne such as scars, bumps and redness. This feature of extracting bacteria also helps with body odour as it kills the toxins causing the odour.
Mixing activated charcoal with a few drops of tea tree oil and applying on acne scars can help get rid of the discolouration caused by acne and helps dry out the puss by extracting all the gunk stuck in your pores.
Charcoal is a common ingredient in nose strips and face masks. This is because it helps extract blackheads and whiteheads by killing extra sebum, getting rid of dead skin cells and pollutants.
Aging, now that’s a curse we can’t seem to get rid of however we cracked the code of how to slow the process down and charcoal seems to be on top of that list. It protects our skin from free radicals. Adding coconut oil to activated charcoal powder helps keep our skin hydrated and healthy.
However, you must remember that it is a pretty powerful ingredient so you must use it carefully and make sure you don’t use it excessively. Buy the best quality charcoal powder to avoid any reactions, irritation or pore clogging.
If you do feel any irritation, rinse it off immediately as it may not suit every skin type.
