Why is activated charcoal so cool?
I first encountered activated charcoal as a new detox trend that was sweeping across the snack scene. I saw it popping up as this new yet healthy flavor in juice, frozen yogurt, ice cream, lemonade etc.
At first, I was pretty shocked that it was being offered in food products since I instinctively think of the charcoal used for making ihaw. But it turns out that activated charcoal is in a league of its own.
What is it?
Activated charcoal is a fine powder that is a result of superheating natural sources of carbon. Due to the rich carbon content and the high temperatures, the process causes the charcoal to develop lots of internal spaces or "pores."
Gif from Giphy
To all the beauty junkies out there thinking “Excuse me, we’d rather stay away from having more pores”, don’t worry! These pores are strictly limited to staying on the ingredient. And, as it turns out, the pores that appear in the activated charcoal during the process is exactly what makes it so desirable when it comes to detoxification.
The existence of these pores can effectively trap chemicals to prevent their absorption. This is even used in treatments for poisoning, because the activated charcoal prevents the body from absorbing the chemicals.
With such a powerful toxin clearing property, it’s no surprise that this ingredient is becoming a health and beauty detox staple.
Other (beauty related) uses
Activated charcoal is a supreme skin detoxifier. It easily catches microparticles of dust, dirt, bacteria, and other ugly things that we don’t notice on our skin. The charcoal binds itself to the particles and pulls out all the unwanted dirt, toxins, and excess oils for the deep cleanse you and your skin need and deserve. Same thing goes for activated charcoal in hair care products too!
The antibacterial property also makes it ideal for healing bug bites and wounds since it's able to draw out the microbes present in the wounds. It can also be used to alleviate any bug bite irritations by neutralizing stings or itches.
Another cool property of activated charcoal is that it can draw bacteria from odors too. You can find different varieties of activated charcoal deodorants now because of its ability to absorb excess moisture.
In summary, activated charcoal is such a cool ingredient that can be applied to an array of health and beauty products. At Bare Necessities MNL, we take advantage of this rich and powerful ingredient by adding it to some of our products.
You can check them out by hitting the Shop Now button below to get them while supplies last!
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Sources:
Higuera, V. (2019, August 07). Charcoal Mask Benefits: How to Apply and What to Know. Retrieved September 26, 2020, from https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/charcoal-mask-benefits
How to Use Activated Charcoal Powder in Skin, Body and Hair Care. (2017, December
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https://www.biome.com.au/blog/how-to-use-activated-charcoal-powder/
Activated charcoal: 8 uses and what the science says. (n.d.). Retrieved September 26,
2020, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322609
Neuvonen, P.J., Olkkola, K.T. Oral Activated Charcoal in the Treatment of Intoxications.
Dis-Manage-Health-Outcomes 3, 33–58 (1988).
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03259930