Charcoal isn’t just for barbecues, and this ingredient can give your skincare regimen a boost.
Everything you need to know about charcoal skin care
If you think charcoal is just for backyard barbecues, guess again. Believe it or not, this dermatologist-recommended ingredient plays a starring role in a variety of charcoal skin care products—and it has many benefits for all types of skin, and especially for those prone to acne breakouts. Just so you know, using charcoal for skin improvement isn’t anything new. It has been used in Japanese, Indian, Egyptian and other cultures for wound healing for centuries, and doctors frequently use charcoal to absorb chemicals and toxins (such as drugs and alcohol) before they have a chance to get into the bloodstream.
A closer look at charcoal skin care
Another one of Mother Nature’s beauty solutions, but first things first… The charcoal for skin care is vastly different than the charcoal briquettes you use in your grill. Charcoal skin care products contain what’s called “activated charcoal,” which means that it is processed to increase its ability to absorb whatever may come across its path. So when you use a charcoal scrub on your skin, it picks up oil, dirt, chemicals, toxins and bacteria, making them easier to wash away when you rinse the scrub off. Other benefits of a charcoal scrub like our Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Facial Scrub with Charcoal include clearing blackheads and gentle exfoliation that helps minimize the dead skin cells, oil and other debris that can lead to clogged pores—and potentially acne. A charcoal scrub can also help the pores appear smaller by clearing out excess oil and grime. And lastly, charcoal can be used by all skin types (including sensitive) because it will not irritate the skin.
Can you use charcoal for acne?
It’s important to know that charcoal does not technically treat acne—but you’ll often find charcoal in products along with acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid. Because charcoal can absorb unwanted oil and debris in the pores, it can help acne-fighting ingredients do their jobs by clearing out anything that stands in their way so they can get to where they need to be in order to minimize breakouts.
The Advantages of AcneFree's Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Facial Scrub
More than just a charcoal scrub for occasional use, our Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Scrub is a gel-based cleanser that contains maximum-strength 2% Salicylic Acid to minimize breakouts, along with natural jojoba and purifying charcoal to care for your skin. Fragrance-free to reduce irritation, this gel-based acne cleanser deep-cleans the pores to make them look smaller, reveals a brighter complexion and most importantly, helps get rid of blackheads. For even better results, use it with the Acne Clearing Mask twice per week.