Charcoal has been medicinally used since ancient times for many purposes. The first use of charcoal for uses other than providing heat was around 30,000 BC when cavemen used it as a pigment for drawing on the walls of caves. Egyptians used charcoal to eliminate bad smells from wounds. Hindus used it for water filtration.
In the 18th century, it was proven to protect from toxins. Recently charcoal helps provide skin benefits. It helps in eliminating the pores and blackheads. Charcoal soap is also a very good natural product that has many benefits. We will be telling you all about the benefits of charcoal soap in this article.
With a wide range of benefits available, charcoal has become one of the important ingredients of beauty soaps and skincare products. It can be used to achieve a spotless beautiful look.
What Is Charcoal and Activated Charcoal?
Charcoal is obtained by burning an animal or vegetable-based product with a limited supply of air. With the rapid growth of industries charcoal with better absorption properties was developed and named “activated charcoal”.
Activated charcoal is made from burning wood, coke, petroleum, peat, coconut shells, sawdust, bone char, etc. the material is either steamed or subjected to high temperatures to get the activated form of carbon.
The processing increases the surface area of charcoal and porosity. Activated Charcoal is one of the best natural pore cleansing ingredients and it is beneficial for skin in a few other ways too.
The major difference between charcoal and activated charcoal is that activated charcoal is alternative medicine and charcoal briquettes are a type of fuel. Activated charcoal is safer than charcoal since it is made with non-toxic products. It also includes more processing than charcoal.
Activated charcoal is much more effective in filtering material and a more effective adsorbent than charcoal. Activated charcoal is more commonly used in medicine more than charcoal.
Top 10 Benefits of Charcoal Soap
Charcoal has proven to be beneficial for the skin in many ways. It works great for oily skin. Being an exfoliator also manages to make your skin look healthier. So, let’s get started with the list of amazing benefits of charcoal for the skin.
1. Treats Oily Skin
Oily skin is prone to acne, breakouts, and pores. Sunlight, dirt, dust, toxins, and environmental factors can settle down on your pores leading to break-outs and acne. To avoid this there are various methods available to treat oily skin.
Charcoal soap helps in removing unwanted excess oils from the skin along with the dirt and impurities. It gives an oil-free and smooth look. It also helps in removing the excess oil of the body.
2. Makes Skin Tight & Firm
Collagen helps in improving the blood flow, elasticity, reducing visible wrinkles. It prevents the skin from sagging and gives a youthful appearance.
With age, our skin loses collagen and tends to become loose. Charcoal helps to make the skin look tighter and firmer.
3. Reduces Pore Size
Spending a lot of time outdoors can result in an accumulation of dust, smoke, and other particles to settle on your skin pores. overtime this leads to break-outs. They become visible on the face by growing in size.
Charcoal is the best solution in such cases. It not only removes the dirt but also helps to treat clogged pores by reducing their size. Activated charcoal has been proven to reach deep into pores to remove, toxins, impurities and help in exfoliation for a smoother glow.
it removes the dirt without absorbing important nutrients and vitamins. The result is smooth, supple and even-toned skin.
4. Reduces Acne
Activated charcoal is proven to be beneficial for reducing acne. It eliminates impurities, toxins, and unnecessary excess oils from the skin. Sometimes it also helps in treating the facial marks caused by acne. It can be used to help remedy allergic skin reactions.
5. Exfoliates Skin
The gritty texture of charcoal soap has a mild abrasive property that helps to get rid of dead skin cells. It provides gentle exfoliation. It helps to remove the dead skin cells along with the extraction of dirt and grime from the skin. With its anti-microbial properties, it can also be used to prevent skin infections.
Dirt, toxins, metals, and chemicals are attracted to the charcoal molecules and washed away. Activated charcoal is inert, which means that it doesn’t cause allergic reactions nor will it irritate sensitive skin.
6. Clears Skin Blemishes
Although aging is a part of life sometimes it occurs earlier due to environmental factors, the food we eat, and the products we use. This can cause skin damage.
Daily use of charcoal soap can give you blemish-free skin. It does this effectively by removing the impurities and toxins from the skin. It helps to remove the dead cells providing a clear and flawless look.
7. Treats Dandruff
The activated charcoal will work on your hair as it does on skin by pulling out toxins and purifying.
Charcoal can also act as a shampoo. When used as a shampoo, it helps treat dandruff and dry scalp. It produces a rich lather to give a pampered and luxurious feel to the skin.
8. Suitable For Every Skin Type
Skincare products should also suit your skin type. Charcoal is a very good product for oily skin, to remove the excess oil from the face and body. It moisturizes and nourishes dry skin. It does not cause any skin allergic reaction hence is also good for sensitive skin. It treats skin allergies and redness.
9. Treats Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a skin disorder that causes skin cells to multiply at a higher rate. This makes the skin build up into bumpy red patches with white scales.
Charcoal is also used to treat dry and cracked skin. With the ability to remove dead skin cells and dirt, charcoals soap also helps to treat psoriasis and eczema. In some cases, it also helps prevent the recurrence of the disease.
10. Prevents Premature Aging
Aging can also occur due to stress, dirt, sun exposure and various other factors.
Charcoal soap helps to get rid of blemishes, fine lines, and wrinkles. It effectively prevents premature aging, preventing you from looking old and dull.
How To Use Charcoal Soap On Face And Body
Skin can get greasy, oily, and full of impurities and dirt due to many environmental and chemical factors. This can cause skin irritation, clogging of pores, break-outs, rashes, and even encourage the growth of harmful bacteria.
Charcoal acts as one of the exfoliators to give you the dirt-free and oil-free skin. Charcoal is available in the form of skin cleansers, masks, soap. Here’s how you can use Charcoal soap on your face and body.
1. Using Charcoal Soap On Face
Step 1. Wash your face with warm water to remove the settled dirt and oil. Wet and lather activated charcoal on your hands.
Step 2. Apply this lather on your face avoiding eyes and mouth.
Step 3. Clean your face with gentle strokes in a circular motion concentrating on acne-prone areas. Be careful while touching the pimples.
Step 4. For dry skin, massaging for 30-60 seconds is enough. For oily, acne-prone skin massage for 1-2 minutes to achieve the best results.
Step 5. Rinse your face with warm water followed by cold water to seal your pores.
Step 6. Gently pat your face with a soft towel. Use a pore-minimizing toner and a water-based moisturizer.
2. Using Charcoal Soap On Body
Step 1. Wash your skin with warm water to remove the dirt.
Step 2. Lather the activated charcoal from all over your body concentrating on the oily, acne-prone, hyperpigmented areas like armpits, neck elbows, knees, and groin.
Step 3. Continue to lather and cleanse with the soap. Keep the soap aside once you get a significant lather.
Step 4. Gently scrub your body for 3-4 minutes to get rid of all those dirt and oil. Rinse your body with cold water to seal the pores.
Step 5. Gently pat on your skin and apply a moisturizing lotion.
Conclusion
Activated charcoal has many skin benefits when it comes to skincare and maintenance. With regular use, you will be able to achieve spotless skin. Dirt, dust, humidity, and sweat can make you feel grimy and uncomfortable. They can also cause skin rashes, acne, and even encourage the growth of harmful bacteria. While using charcoal soap you will explore a whole new level of deep cleansing.
Its gritty texture exfoliates the skin very well, by eliminating the impurities, toxins and extracting the excess oil. It can also be used to tighten the skin and make it look firmer by reducing fine lines, wrinkles, and blemishes.
Its anti-bacterial properties are also used for treating psoriasis, eczema, and skin reactions. It can also be used as a shampoo to treat dandruff and dry scalp. It does not stain your skin and does not leave too much of a mess on the tub like other scrubs. It is gentle on the skin and ideal for the ones who have skin sensitivity issues.
With a wide range of advantages available charcoal has achieved a good position in the beauty industry. Despite all the benefits, charcoal soap is inexpensive.
Have a happier and healthier life!
Also Read: Top 10 Face Wash For Blackheads In 2021
