Charcoal face masks have been around for years. As a child, I remember seeing those advertisements on television that dramatically made the woman look younger and her skin glows heavenly after removing the mask.
Hearing about charcoal, the very first thought that comes to my mind is – a black face mask evenly applied on the skin and left to dry, once it’s hard you just have to peel it off and it’s done.
But, it’s not that simple and easy. And you don’t “just peel it off” to achieve your clear skin.
Also, your usual charcoal face mask is so much more than you know of it. It has a history that brought it into the beauty and self care industry.
So, before diving into its skin benefits and application, let’s quickly go through some background and history of your Charcoal face mask.
Charcoal Face Mask: History, Benefits, and More You Should Know
Background and history of charcoal face mask
The earliest use of charcoal is recorded in 400 B.C. It was used to treat medical situations like vertigo, epilepsy, and anemia. Besides, it was used for the treatment of wounds, burns, and other surgical procedures to prevent the action of bad bacteria or toxins in the body. It was acknowledged that charcoal would filter all the unwanted impurities from the body leaving it clean inside.
The use of charcoal in skincare goes back to 1500 BC. The Egyptians used it to preserve the dead bodies.
What you are using today for our faces, is not purely charcoal but the “activated charcoal”. Activated charcoal is charcoal that has been treated to increase its capacity to absorb dirt, impurities, and oil from your skin.
However, the development of activated charcoal took place between 1870 and 1920. Later, catering to its establishment, its use became widespread. Hospitals and clinics around the world began using it for various purposes. And, not to mention, the use has continued successfully to the present times.
Later, over the years, the skincare and beauty industry discovered the magnetic properties and their effects on the skin without being absorbed into it. Hence, it became a part of the skincare products around the world.
The most effective charcoal ever used is called Bamboo Charcoal. Its use is dated back to the reign of the Ming Dynasty in China. It was discovered to be the most absorptive wood charcoal, almost two to three times better owing to its unique microstructure.
Benefits of Charcoal Face Mask
Charcoal is produced by the process of incomplete combustion of plants and animals. Activated charcoal is used widely in the skin and beauty industry due to its remarkable absorbing properties.
Activated charcoal is the key ingredient in many skincare products today. Therefore, this makes it necessary to understand the reasons behind its popularity and its use. The benefits of the charcoal face mask for your skin are as follows:
1. Absorbs toxins from the skin
Charcoal face masks are the most touted detoxifying agent for skin. Its extra absorptive powers allow the mask to absorb all the toxins that lie under the epidermis and cause serious skin infections.
2. Helps in reducing, closing, and cleaning the open pores
Open pores on the skin are a serious cause of blackheads. Hence, the use of charcoal helps in removing all the grime, dirt, and impurities from your skin and keeps it clean and smooth.
3. Exfoliates your skin
Because of its coarse texture, charcoal acts as a great source of exfoliation in skincare. It eliminates dead skin cells, leaving the skin looking brighter and clearer.
4. Treats oily skin effectively
If you have oily skin, you should give charcoal masks a try. Charcoal reduces the extra oil that is produced by the pores. It controls the secretion of oil on your skin.
5. Even Skin tone
The credit goes to the cleansing properties of charcoal. The mask even out the skin tone by cleaning it from not outside but inside too. Also, the face mask hydrates your skin in the process of application and gives you fresh and smooth skin.
How to make Charcoal Powder for Face at Home?
Though charcoal face masks are easily available online or at your local chemist shop, you can make charcoal power for your face at home.
For starters, you need a bowl and a spoon to mix your ingredients.
Next, gather the following ingredients: water, bentonite clay, activated charcoal powder or capsules, raw honey, and some essential oils (if you have dry skin).
Mix one tablespoon of all these ingredients and create a paste. Add a little extra water if needed.
And that’s it. Your homemade charcoal face mask is ready for use.
How to use Charcoal Face Mask?
The application of the charcoal face mask is simple and easy. But it is always advisable to do a small patch test before you apply it.
Here are step-by-step instructions to use a charcoal face mask:
- Clean your face with your regular face wash. Your clean face will penetrate the mask better.
- Apply the mask on your face evenly excluding the area around your eyes. Use your fingertips to gently push the mask into the skin. Don’t go hard on your skin.
- Once you’ve applied the mask, let it dry for the next 15-20 minutes.
- As it dries, your skin will start feeling tight and itchy, that is when you’ve to rinse your face with warm water.
- Once all of it comes out, pat dry your skin with a towel and apply your regular moisturizer.
My experience with a Charcoal Face Mask
I was thinking of trying a charcoal face mask for a long, long time. I finally did it recently. And, while its process is familiar to all of you, I won’t embarrass myself by revealing the mess I created during the process (or maybe I just did?)
Charcoal can be messy at times, so make sure you don’t have any important things around you when you’re applying it.
The application of the mask is easy as I shared above. The problem begins when it’s dry and gets hard on your skin. And, the “description to use” on the product asks you to make weird faces to loosen it.
Removing the mask was the real task. But, I managed to do it without any pain by using cotton balls dipped in warm water.
However, it does take out everything that shouldn’t stay with your skin – the oil, the blackheads, the whiteheads, the dirt, and the impurities. Literally, all of it. My skin felt fresh and clean.
Conclusion
While my DIY face mask helps me in the quick run, the charcoal mask has been doing the same for a long time.
It will work wonders for you if your skin is normal like mine. If you have sensitive or dry skin, please refer a professional or as I said previously, do a patch test to see how it works on your skin.
This will help you to avoid any skin irritation or reaction.
So, girls and boys go ahead. Invest in a good charcoal face mask. Treat your skin well, and continue loving yourself.
You can use any of your choices.
Thank you once again for hanging around my blog.
I’ll see you soon with a new topic.
Until then,
Stay well and keep loving yourself.
