Activated Charcoal

Why we use this: Activated charcoal draws out dirt and impurities from the pores and gently exfoliates skin without stripping away natural oils. It can help fight acne and blemishes, and is especially beneficial for combination and oily skin.

Activated charcoal is very effective at bonding to impurities and toxins in your skin so you can wash them away. It has also been used to treat certain kinds of poisoning and drug overdoses, purify water, and whiten teeth.

Activated charcoal is not the same charcoal as is used in grilling. It is charcoal that has been heated to high temperatures to make it more porous. This treatment changes its internal structure, reducing the size of its pores and increasing its surface area.

Activated charcoal works through adsorption. Adsorption occurs when molecules of a substance adhere to a surface – a different process than absorption, where a substance is permeated or dissolved by another. The porosity of activated charcoal allows many substances to become adsorbed to, or trapped in, the spaces. Essentially, activated charcoal has a negative charge that makes positive-charged toxins attach to it. When the activated charcoal is washed away or flushed out of the system, it brings the toxins and chemicals with it.

Production method: high temperature steam activation

Source: coconut shells, bamboo, wood