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What is Activated Charcoal?
You may have come across it on the titles or ingredients of so many skincare and body care products, but may not be clear what is all the hype about and how can it benefit your skin.
Activated charcoal, also called activated carbon, is a fine black powder that is produced when common charcoal is exposed to high heat. This exposure creates tiny internal spaces or holes in the charcoal, making it highly absorbent and able to trap chemicals and toxins. Although it is a type of charcoal, activated charcoal is different from the charcoal used on an outdoor grill.
What does it do for your skin?
Dirt, oil, makeup, toxins, and skin cells that can accumulate on the skin leads to enlarged, dark and clogged pores- even acne breakouts. All those impurities are attracted to the charcoal molecules like a magnet, that lift away from skin when in contact. What’s left is a healthy, clean glow that is not dried out! Charcoal’s chemically inactive properties benefit everyone, as it typically does not cause irritation or allergic reactions, even on the most sensitive skin.
Cleaning and detoxifying your skin, as well as using the right blend of products, helps to minimize pore size and improve acne.
What products should you be using?
We recommend beginning your detoxifying routine with a charcoal cleanser. Save the Wave Skincare’s Bamboo Charcoal Cleansing Bar is a simple solution for this at only $8, in comparison to other brands twice the cost and up!
Adding a mask to your skincare routine gives an extra dimension of care and can deliver all the best bits from your everyday favorites in one product. The Purifying Blueberry Charcoal Mud Mask from STWS not only smells amazing, but the activated charcoal is included with all the same benefits we mentioned previously.
As with other facial masks, it is best to apply a charcoal mask once or twice a week. Because the mask needs to sit on your skin for about 15 minutes, it might be more convenient to include it in your nighttime skin care routine. If you apply the mask in the morning, you can do so before getting in the shower, and then wash the mask off afterward.
Activated charcoal is also believed to be antibacterial and anti-fungal, making it ideal for unclogging pores and hair follicles. Since charcoal is highly porous and absorbs bacteria and toxins (it's said to absorb 100- to 200 times its weight in impurities), it also makes a great ingredient for deodorant! The most common chemical ingredients found in most big brand deodorant and antiperspirants are parabens, triclosan, phthalates, propylene glycol and aluminum that have been proven to cause many unwanted medical conditions. STWS’s Activated Charcoal and Spearmint Cream Deodorant was developed eliminating these harsh ingredients for a simplified, chemical-free all-natural deodorant that works! We even print the ingredients on the label.
We hope we have helped you better understand what activated charcoal is, and how/why it is good for your skin.
We invite you to try all three of our activated charcoal products and see for yourself why charcoal is the latest skincare trend.
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