Charcoal is now a common ingredient in beauty products. It can be found in toothpaste, deodorants and face masks. Science has shown that charcoal can remove toxins from the body. This could be why charcoal products are increasingly popular in beauty and food.
What about charcoal soap? What is charcoal soap and how can it benefit your skin? Let’s learn more.
What is Charcoal Soap?
Charcoal soap is a popular detoxifier that eliminates bacteria, dirt, and pollutants from the body. The beauty industry is witnessing an increase in demand for activated charcoal soap, which has skin benefits. It’s beneficial for anti-aging, psoriasis, and acne treatment.
Charcoal types
There are two types: activated charcoal or regular charcoal. Activated charcoal is different from regular charcoal. Regular charcoal is made from briquettes, which have not been activated and are contaminated with toxic substances that can be harmful to the health of humans.
When you browse the beauty aisle, activated charcoal is often listed as an ingredient in soap. Wood, shells and fruit pits are the most common ingredients in activated carbon.
Activated charcoal is made by heating a dense carbon material to extreme high temperatures. To activate the material, steam or hot-air are used. This makes the material more porous, and allows it to absorb and bind various liquids and gases.
How does activated charcoal work?
Activated charcoal and other substances form chemical bonds that allow molecules to stick to their surfaces. This is known as “adsorption”, which is different from absorption (where one substance is absorbed into another).
Charcoal can absorb up to a thousand times its own weight. Charcoal has a large surface area due to its pores. One cubic inch of charcoal covers 150,000 square feet. This is a remarkable amount of absorbing power. A tiny amount of charcoal can absorb toxins from the skin.
Activated charcoal’s ability to bind with toxins has made it an ideal emergency treatment for poisonings or overdoses in medical settings. Water purification is another function of activated charcoal.
Charcoal Soap Benefits
Charcoal soap is a popular product that can cleanse, detoxify, and purify the skin. It can be used to treat oily skin and effectively heal skin spots. Here are the main skin benefits of activated charcoal soap:
1. Reduce excess oil from your skin
Charcoal soap can remove excess oils and dirt from the skin, leaving you with a soft, smooth complexion. It also removes any unwanted oil from your body and face.
2. You can deep cleanse your skin
Charcoal soap gives you a flawless, clean complexion because it eliminates dead skin cells. It removes dirt and oil from the skin’s innermost layers and cleans them. The pores are then cleansed of impurities, which can lead to blackheads.
You will notice a difference in your skin texture and pores after using the product.
3. Acne and Pimples: Effective Treatment
Charcoal soap is extremely effective in treating acne. It absorbs excess oil and other blemish-causing substances. Charcoal soap is a different treatment for acne. It leaves skin with a radiant glow and reduces the appearance of redness.
4. Increases the size of your pores
Dirt and grime build up over time. Charcoal soap is an effective catalyst to remove dirt. This results in smaller pores and, over time, it reduces your pores’ size.
5. Reduces the effects of ageing
You should take immediate action if your skin seems loose. This is a sign that your skin has become older. Charcoal soap tightens the skin and prevents wrinkles from forming. All skin types will benefit from its ability to quickly tighten and reduce inflammation.
6. Gently exfoliate your skin
Charcoal soap is known for its gritty texture. This may be why it can provide the right amount exfoliation. It has antimicrobial properties that help prevent skin infection and remove dead skin cells and dirt. It can be used even by people with sensitive skin.
7. Treatments for sensitive skin conditions
You can use charcoal soap to soothe skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. It can remove excess oil and toxins from the skin, making it feel clean. It is important to consult a doctor before you use it.
Charcoal soap Side effects
Charcoal soap generally has no side effects and is considered safe. A skincare product without a prescription may cause allergic reactions.
Use a small amount on the inner arm first before you apply it to your entire body. You can test it first on your inner arm to see if it suits you. Then, apply it to the rest of your body.
What is Charcoal Soap good for?
Charcoal soap is ideal for treating oily skin and removing impurities. Charcoal soap can be used to treat skin conditions and is great for daily skincare.
Can Charcoal Soap be used every day?
You can use charcoal soap every single day. You can apply charcoal soap once a day to your skin. For those with sensitive or dry skin, a less frequent application might be a better choice.
Charcoal soap is harmful?
Charcoal soap is free of known dangers. To avoid side effects, however, it is always best to consult a physician.
Summarising the Charcoal Soap benefits
Charcoal has been used historically as an antidote to poisoning. While charcoal soap’s health benefits have not been scientifically established, many people love it for its ability to treat skin conditions such as acne and dandruff.
You should consult a doctor before applying any new products to your skin, especially if there are pre-existing conditions.
Refer to
- Montserrat Amigo, July 2010; Use of activated charcoal in acute poisonings: Clinical safety and factors associated with adverse reactions in 575 cases – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0025775310004537?via%3Dihub
- Ahed J Alkhatib, June 2018; The Appropriate Use of Activated Charcoal in Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Approaches – https://biomedres.us/pdfs/BJSTR.MS.ID.001170.pdf
- A. Mohammad-Khah and R. Ansari, December 2009; Activated Charcoal: Preparation, characterization and Applications: A review article – https://sphinxsai.com/CTVOL4/ct_pdf_vol_4/CT=10%20%20(859–864).pdf