{Is Charcoal Good For Oily Skin?}
Activated charcoal has been around as a buzz-word ingredient for the past little while, but what does it actually do? Also known as active carbon, it’s a compound that has been touted as something great for internal and external use. When charcoal is activated, it’s heated up. This makes the compound expand, creating a million tiny pores that can absorb toxins. In fact, charcoal is able to absorb over a third of its own weight in organic compounds and gases! It has been used in the medical community for a while, helping treat victims of overdose. Now, it’s being used in cosmetics, too. Here are the top 3 ways to use activated charcoal:
- whiten teeth – check out charcoal toothpaste!
- filter water – hello, Brita!
- cleanse your skin – this is what I’m talking about!
Since activated charcoal can pull out dirt and impurities from your skin, it’s especially great for anyone with oily skin, as it pulls out dirt with excess oil. I recently tested out three charcoal-based products from Garnier’s SkinActive Clean+ line for one week. Check out the slides to read my experience with each.
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Pore Purifying Clay Cleanser + Mask
This is both a cleanser and a mask. It contains Kaolin clay alongside charcoal, making it a wonderful mask that can absorb a lot of excess oil. I used it as a cleanser, massaging it into my skin and rinsing it away quickly. I also tried it out as a mask, letting it dry on my face for 5 minutes before rinsing it away. I definitely liked using it either way – my skin felt clean and fresh and my pores looked a lot smaller. As a mask, it hardened on my face and my skin felt tight, but it was easy to wash off and thankfully, the grey didn’t stain my bathroom sink!