The first time I heard about people using charcoal on their faces, I thought they were crazy-sauce. To me, charcoal was something found in a mine, dug by dwarfs (okay, this part is just from Disney), and used to heat homes. Why would you go and put it on your face? Turns out, I had a lot to learn.

The charcoal being used in grills at BBQs or in your furnace in the winter is not the same as the charcoal being used to clean your face at night or pump your stomach in the ER if you’ve been poisoned. The latter is called activated charcoal and it’s used for one big reason: things bind to it. This makes it really useful for when you’re trying to get something bad out of your system (in medical cases: poison), or just get a deep clean on your face (ie: removing everyday dirt and grime).

Charcoal has a ton of benefits when used on your skin. Here are some of my favorites:

The benefits of charcoal for your skin

1. Reduce pore size

Pores appear bigger when they are filled with oil and dirt. Remove the oil and dirt, and voila, smaller looking pores!

2. Treat acne

Charcoal gently exfoliates as it removes dirt and oil which is helpful when it comes to acne. It also balances your skin by removing excess oils which can cause unwanted pimples and blackheads.

3. Deep clean your skin

Charcoal not only cleans the surface level of your skin, but it goes deep down to bind to dirt and toxins. When you wash the charcoal off your face, you’re washing all that away!

My favorite charcoal products to use are this everyday purifying charcoal soap bar and once-a-week charcoal deep cleaning mask. They’re from Beautycounter, a brand I love that is committed to making safe skincare products that are good for both you and your skin! The US beauty industry has been virtually unregulated since the 1930’s so I love that there’s a company committed to consumer safety. Read more about the 1,500 ingredients Beautycounter will never use in their products here. It’s scary to think those 1,500 ingredients are widely used in other skincare and cosmetic products on our store shelves!

Special offer:

For anyone who spends $55 or more at Beautycounter between now and the end of September (you have three days left to take advantage of this offer!), I’ll buy you a charcoal bar, lip gloss, or mascara. Totally free! I use and love all three of these products and cannot recommend them enough. I know once you try them you’ll love them too!

Questions of the Day: Have you ever used charcoal on your skin before? Does it sound like something you’d be interested in? Are safe skincare products important to you? What item from Beautycounter do you most want to try?