Charcoal has become popular on the beauty scene recently and some may wonder why… well, I wanted to point out a few of the reasons why I use charcoal and why you should too. The benefits of charcoal for beauty are many; however, there are four main reasons why I like to use it. Charcoal is great for detoxing the skin, clarifying the skin, exfoliating the skin, and soothing irritated skin.
Charcoal for Detox
Charcoal works really well at binding to toxins on the skin. This is because charcoal is super porous with a negative charge which attracts toxins which are positively charged and holds on to them. Charcoal can absorb thousands of times its weight so it can hold on to TONS of toxins. This is why it is used in emergency situations when someone has ingested a poisonous substance ( please don’t try this at home) and some even take it as a supplement when they have an upset stomach (please consult your doctor before using it in this way). Using charcoal topically has the same benefits. It attracts the toxin absorbs it and then washes away, leaving the skin clean and toxin free!
Charcoal for Acne Prone Skin
Because of the properties mentioned above charcoal helps prevent and heal acne by getting rid of acne-causing toxins. It also absorbs excess oil, dirt, pollution, dead skin cells, and bacteria that can clog pores and cause acne. Removing toxins and dirt help to draw out impurities in the skin and allow it to heal. Removing the toxins, dirt, and bacteria on a regular basis keeps them from causing the breakouts. This makes charcoal the perfect addition to the beauty regimen of someone with frequent or infrequent acne breakouts.
Charcoal for Exfoliation
Charcoal’s gritty texture makes it a great light exfoliator. As I’ve mentioned before regular exfoliation is great for the skin for a number of reasons. Check out my top three reasons for exfoliating here. Charcoal specifically as an exfoliant is great because it does double duty. It exfoliates and absorbs excess dirt and oil at the same time. This leaves your skin soft, supple, and radiant.
Charcoal for irritated skin
So all of the benefits mentioned above also help irritated skin. Charcoal’s absorbent and toxin removing properties remove the irritations from the skin. Charcoals light exfoliation properties remove dead skin cells and toxins without causing further irritation.
So what do you think? Is it worth it? I’d say YES! Just make sure you are using activated charcoal and not charcoal for the grill (this has added chemicals to make it burn better). Let me know how you will be using charcoal in your beauty regime.