Activated Charcoal For Acne Treatment

             

I know it sounds weird hearing that charcoal can be used to treat acne, but I'm not talking about the everyday charcoal used for grilling, lol. It is the substance used in gas masks and also in treating water, to purify it.

Let's get scientific for a bit. Activated charcoal is carbon, basically. The carbon is activated when it is heated up with a gas that causes it to expand and become extremely porous, increasing the surface area. This results in adsorption (yes adsorption, not absorption). Adsorption is when electrical attraction pulls molecules, atoms and ions towards its surface and sticks to it. Don't worry, I'll get to the point soon, lol.

Toxins are attracted to activated charcoal like moths to a flame! It can adsorb thousand times its own weight. Medicinally, activated charcoal is used to remove poisonous substances from the body, such as snake venom, food poisoning, chemicals, an overdose of pharmaceutical drugs, pesticides, etc. So next time you feel you've ingested something poisonous, pop a capsule of activated into your mouth. It's best effective if taken within an hour of ingesting the poisonous substance.

So anyway, back to how you can treat acne with activated charcoal. As I mentioned earlier, toxins stick to activated charcoal because of its adsorptive nature. So when you apply the activated charcoal face mask on your face, it literally sucks out all the toxins, dirt, excess oil etc out of your skin. (Now you know why I gave that little chemistry lesson earlier).

Activated charcoal detoxifies and re-energises your skin. It unclogs your pores and expels all the dirt and debris blocking it and makes it less visible, giving your skin a smooth finish. It gives your skin a deep cleaning and leaves it fresh and revitalised.
It reduces acne inflammation and redness also reduces the swelling.

Activated charcoal can also be used to treat insect bites, bee stings, poison ivy rashes,  scrapes, cuts and minor infections. It helps to relieve the symptoms and speeds up healing.

Activated charcoal face mask:

- Pop open 1 or 2 activated charcoal capsules (if you're using the capsule form) into a small bowl, add a little bit of water, just enough to make a thick paste and apply all over your face.

- Leave it on to work, for about 15 - 20 minutes and then wash off with warm water. Dry your face and apply face toner and moisturiser.

- You can also add a drop of rose water or aloe vera gel or tea tree oil to the mixture, but it's entirely optional, water alone can do the job.

- To get the maximum benefits from this face mask, it's best to steam your face first, to open up your pores, before applying the face mask.

       Use this mask sparingly, maybe once or twice a week, as it will over-dry your face if used excessively.
Activated charcoal can also be used to whiten your teeth if you brush with it regularly.

You can buy Activated Charcoal capsule or powder from a pharmacy or supermarket.