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What Great Grandma Ate / Skin Care / Activated Charcoal for Beautiful Skin + Homemade Charcoal Clay Mask

Activated Charcoal for Beautiful Skin + Homemade Charcoal Clay Mask

Last Updated on July 9, 2021 by Jean Choi

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Homemade DIY Activated Charcoal Clay Mask Skin Care

Activated charcoal is so beneficial and detoxifying for your skin. Find out how to make your own homemade charcoal clay mask using simple ingredients!

activated charcoal skin

I love activated charcoal! You’ve probably heard of it before for its effective medicinal uses of absorbing toxins or poisons out of the body. Because of its super absorbency power, activated charcoal acts like a magnet inside the body to attach to chemicals so they can be excreted out of the body.

This is also true when it is used externally, which is why activated charcoal is so great for detoxifying and cleansing the skin. Used on the skin, activated charcoal attaches to dirt and oil and cleans out the pores of its impurities so you end up with clean and beautiful skin. 

One thing to mention about activated charcoal is that using it too much can dry out the skin. Because it cleans out the oils from the pores, it can also reduce the moisture you need to keep your skin healthy. This is why you need to be careful so you don’t use it too often. However, when you incorporate it in into your skin care routine sparingly, you’ll begin to see some wonderful changes to your skin like I did.

Benefits of Activated Charcoal for Skin

  • Reduces acne
  • Treats oily skin
  • Decreases blackheads
  • Deep cleans your skin
  • Soothes cuts, insect bites, and skin irritations
  • Evens out skin tone

How to Use Activated Charcoal

1. USE A CHARCOAL CLEANSING BAR SOAP. As I mentioned before, using charcoal too often can dry out your skin. This is why you need to find a high quality soap with a special formula that also contains moisturizing oils.pdp_charcoalcleansingbar_selling-shot_528_613This is my favorite charcoal bar soap which has done wonders for my acne. I only use it about 3 times a week while still oil cleansing the rest of the time, and it’s still so effective in clearing up my face and occasional back acne. Depending on how your skin feels, you can use it as often as everyday, twice a day. Unfortunately, they sell out pretty fast so if you can’t access that link, please subscribe here so you can be informed immediately via email when it’s back in stock!

2. DEEP CLEAN WITH A CHARCOAL CLAY MASK. I only use charcoal mask twice a week, and I actually look forward to the days I do them because I’m obsessed with the way it makes my skin feel afterwards. It’s such a simple routine that yields really great results. My skin looks so much better, clearer, with reduced pore sizes and blackheads.

Just a note: your skin may feel dry and look red right after you use the mask, so follow up with a high quality moisturizer. The redness should go away after a few hours so I like to use the mask at night before I go to bed so I can wake up to improved skin tone and quality.

You can see my DIY method of using charcoal clay mask below, but if you don’t want to make your own, I highly recommend this Purifying Charcoal Mask. It’s top-notch quality with its mineral-rich mix of kaolin clay and charcoal, and you can feel a huge difference in your skin from just 1 use.

Are you convinced yet that you need to start including activated charcoal into your skin care routine? If not, give this homemade charcoal clay mask a try and I bet you’ll absolutely love it!


activated charcoal skin

activated charcoal skin

activated charcoal skin

Homemade Charcoal Clay Mask Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/2 tsp bentonite clay
  • 1/4 tsp activated charcoal powder
  • 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar* raw, unfiltered

Instructions

  1. Wash your face as usual and dry it thoroughly with a towel.
  2. Using a plastic or glass container** and measuring spoons, combine all ingredients and mix until a paste is formed. Add more apple cider or water if the mixture is too thick to spread.
  3. Apply and spread the charcoal clay mask on your face in a thin layer, avoiding your eyes and your mouth.
  4. Leave on for 15-20 minutes until the mask dries.
  5. Wash with warm water and follow up with your favorite moisturizer.
  6. Use every 3-7 days, depending on how your skin feels.

Notes

*If you hate the smell of apple cider vinegar, you can just use plain water for this recipe.

**When using bentonite clay and activated charcoal, use glass, ceramic, or plastic with your utensils and containers. They both lose their effectiveness when they come in contact with metal.

What Great Grandma Ate / Jean Choi is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
 
Regarding other affiliate links and affiliate relationships: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. Thank you for your support and understanding.

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By Jean Choi | June 16, 2016

Comments

  1. Kiki says

    May 31, 2017 at 10:04 am

    This recipe is cool but I do have one question…Are you able to store it to do the mask again another day or do you have to make it each time you do it fresh??

    • Jean Choi says

      May 31, 2017 at 10:25 am

      I never tried to store it because it’s so easy to make each time. You can maybe try making a small batch and test to see how long you can store it. I think you’ll be okay storing it, especially if you keep it in the fridge. Make sure it doesn’t touch any kind of metal though because it’ll lose its effectiveness.

  2. Abi says

    July 28, 2017 at 9:34 pm

    Do I have to have Bentonite clay?

    • Jean Choi says

      July 29, 2017 at 9:45 am

      You don’t have to, but the consistency of the mask will be watery. It won’t stay on your face like it would a thicker paste texture. You can try mixing with aloe gel if you don’t have betonite clay and that might help.

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Hi, I’m Jean!

headshot of Jean Choi - blogger of What Great Grandma Ate

I’m a food lover and recipe developer living in Southern California. I love to share simple and approachable gluten-free recipes that are healthy but never sacrifice on flavor. I hope I can help you feel confident in the kitchen and inspire you to try out some new-to-you dishes!

More About Jean

Recipe Key

  • 3030 Min or Less
  • AIPAIP
  • EFEgg Free
  • LCLow Carb
  • NFNut Free
  • PPaleo
  • VVegan
  • W3Whole 30

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