{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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This is probably my least favourite product in this line. It did a good job at removing excess oil, but with the menthol added in, my sensitive skin felt like it was being stripped of more oil than I would like. Having said that, it falls in line with the rest of the charcoal-based products, as it kept my skin matte throughout the day. If you don’t have sensitive skin, it might be a great cleanser for you.