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When you picture beauty products, ingredients like rosewater, citrus, and other luxurious ingredients might come to mind — however, charcoal skin care is definitely having a moment. Now, I'm not telling you to rub a piece of charcoal you'd see at a family cookout on your face. In the beauty realm, using activated charcoal on your skin can be beneficial, for a lot of reasons.
For starters, activated charcoal is sometimes used in medical situations because it can draw poisons or toxins from the body. When it is used on your skin, it absorbs and pulls out the toxins that can lead to breakouts and other skin issues. Then when you wash your skin, the charcoal takes the dirt and oil with it, leaving you with cleaner skin.
And let's be honest, this isn't the weirdest beauty ingredient out there — after all, snail mucin is harvested and used in beauty products (if you were wondering, it smells amazing and isn't as gross as it would seem). Charcoal is actually relatively normal, and you can use sponges, face masks, and even towels with the ingredient, to name a few. If you are looking for what might be your next go-to beauty ingredient, try some of the charcoal products below.
1Konjac Sponge With Activated Charcoal
Konjac Sponge (3 Pack) Activated Bamboo Charcoal by The Beauty Shelf, $11, Amazon
This product is great for sensitive skin. You let the sponge re-hydrate in warm water and then gently rub it in circles on your face. You don't need to add any product, and the sponge exfoliates your skin.
2Carbonated Bubble Mask
Elizavecca Milky Piggy Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask, $10, Amazon
This mask is super fun to use, and it's also super effective. The activated charcoal works with the other ingredients to bubble when it comes in contact with the air.
3Charcoal Pore Strips
Biore Deep Cleansing Charcoal Pore Strips (2 Pack) , $15, Amazon
Combine the pore cleaning power of a pore strip with activated charcoal to clear up dirt and oil.
4Charcoal Body Scrub Towel
Morihata Binchotan Charcoal Body Scrub Towel, $18, Amazon
Charcoal isn't only for your face. There is ultra-fine charcoal in the fibers of this body towel, which helps to remove toxins and oil from your skin while exfoliating.
5Bamboo Charcoal Bar Soap
Bamboo Charcoal Soap - Facial Cleansing Treatment For Acne Prone Skin (3 Pack), $11, Amazon
This facial bar soap is ideal for acne-prone skin. This soap removes dead skin cells and oils, allowing your skin to heal.
6Cleanser
Yes to Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Cleanser, $8, Amazon
If you prefer a cleanser to a bar soap, try one with charcoal for a deep clean.
7Cream Mask
Activated Charcoal Face Mask by Pure Body Naturals, $15, Amazon
This cream mask draws out toxins while helping to keep your skin hydrated.
8Hell-Pore Clean Up Mask
Elizavecca Milkypiggy Hell-Pore Clean Up Nose Mask, $17, Amazon
This liquid nose pack is your new go to for clearing out stubborn pores. It has 4 percent charcoal to pull out dirt, sebum, and oil in clogged pores, and other ingredients that tighten the skin to reduce pore size.
9Charcoal Fiber Brush
Luismia Advanced Electric Bamboo Charcoal Fiber Brush, $24, Amazon
The charcoal fibers in the brush are meant to help reduce redness and pore size as part of your daily routine. For people who don't like the process of masks, this is an easy way to incorporate charcoal into your beauty routine.
10Polishing Mask
Freeman Facial Charcoal and Black Sugar Polish Mask, $13, Amazon
This charcoal mask is suitable for all skin types and has black sugar in it to exfoliate. This mask is two steps in one, it rids your skin of dirt and oil and preps it for a moisturizer.
11Charcoal Beauty Sponge
Charcoal Beauty Sponge by Tripp's Trading Post, $11, Amazon
This beauty sponge is latex free and contains charcoal. According to the product description, the charcoal helps to keep the sponge antibacterial. It's also vegan and cruelty free.
Incorporating charcoal into your beauty routine can help deep clean your pores, and using towels and makeup tools with charcoal can help keep your skin clear with their antibacterial properties.
