Products with activated charcoal are not entirely new, but it seems lately in 2017 I've seen the ingredient almost everywhere! Before, I had only ever seen it in one extremely expensive body scrub, but now there are charcoal versions of every type of beauty product available. It's so common everywhere now you can even find charcoal products at Walmart for low affordable prices, so it feels like you're getting a quality product for a decent price.
So what's the deal with charcoal? Is it actually good for you? I've seen it in everything from soap bars, to face masks, to makeup wipes, to toothpaste! It seems crazy to use black powder to clean things, but it actually has the ability to draw out all the bacteria and impurities on your face to absorb them because it can absorb up to 200 times its weight, so it's definitely a deep cleanser.
So naturally, being the type of person to have major FOMO (fear of missing out), I tried out a bunch of these products! I was particularly interested in the face products because I have naturally large pores (damn my genetics), and contrary to what the beauty industry tries to sell you - you cannot actually make your pores smaller, you can only make them appear to be smaller. And the first step in doing that is making sure they're not clogged with dirt or bacteria!
Biore actually has a lot of different charcoal products: scrubs, masks, charcoal bars, pore strips, etc. I've tried their charcoal nose strips and I think they work just a little bit better than regular nose strips. And then they have different types of charcoal cleansers, one for acne and one for deep cleaning. While I'm still trying to fight my (rudely belated) acne, I already have an acne cleanser so I didn't want to use a second type and irritate or dry out my skin, so I opted for the regular deep cleanser instead.
I love this product so much! It foams up and spreads really well so a little goes a long way. It doesn't smell too good, to be honest, but it's not horrible smelling either. It tingles and really makes me feel like it's deep cleaning my face and then I use an exfoliating scrubbing brush to really get the product deep in my pores to trap the bacteria. Afterward I really do notice a difference in my face. It's so much softer and smoother and it washes away any dead skin or impurities. I would give this a 10/10!
Okay, I love Yes To. This is my go to brand for any type of face masks and facial wipes. I've tried so many other types of makeup removal wipes, but none have worked best for me quite like the Yes To Soothing Cucumber Facial Wipes! They smell so clean and refreshing and they work so well on even the toughest waterproof eyeliner and mascara!
However, when I saw that they had new charcoal wipes, I was intrigued. They even have an entire charcoal section on their website with tons of charcoal products to try! I like to try new things every now and then, and I was on a charcoal kick, so I figured why not! Well, after using them, I can say that they're fine, but not my favorite. The texture is a little rougher than Yes To's normal face wipes, so I have to wipe my face a little harder and the entire process of taking off my makeup is not as smooth as its "Removes makeup with a swipe!" claim.
And although I can't deny the wipe being pitch black is really cool looking, the down side to that is I can't tell if I'm wiping off my eyeliner, mascara, or eyebrows well enough. I usually wipe my makeup off at the end of the day while I'm walking around my room doing things, getting stuff prepped for the next day or picking out my outfit, etc. but now I have to stand in front of the mirror to make sure I'm wiping off all my makeup. It doesn't sound like that big of an inconvenience, because I usually wash my face after using a makeup wipe anyway, but it does throw off my routine. Another thing to note, these wipes are also heavily scented, in my opinion. It's a sweet smell, so it doesn't smell bad, but I feel like it leaves my face feeling a little bit sticky and perfumed, so washing your face afterward is a must. I personally don't like sweet scented things, so it's not something I like, but I wouldn't consider it a "con" of this product, because some people may prefer their products to have a sweet scent!
Lastly, the thing that first kicked off my charcoal obsession - bath bombs. I was trying to put together a spa gift for a friend and I wanted a black bath bomb but they were sold out everywhere, so I found a Youtube tutorial on how to make your own. Anyone who knows me knows I'm notorious for DIYing everything, so I set out to make one of these! Let me just say, it's a lot harder than it looks and took me quite a few tries to finally get it right. As you can see above, I used a heart shaped cookie cutter to make this bath bomb. And while it looks super green, it does dissolve black. I decided to demonstrate a little piece so you can see.
The key to making these is to use activated charcoal, not just your regular charcoal used for grilling! They sell activated charcoal in a package as shown in the video, or in small capsules that you can open up to use the powder for. I wanted to use a charcoal bath bomb, not just because it's black and it looks super cool, but because exfoliating your skin with the ingredient makes your skin feel really soft! In my opinion, colorful bath bombs just exist to make the water look cool, but with this charcoal bath bomb, at least it can have a semi-purpose!
And in case you were wondering, it doesn't stain skin or bath tubs. However it may leave some residue so a second rinse through to get the last of the powder off the sides of the tub may be needed.
Some people have even gone as far as to ingest activated charcoal capsules as a sort of "cleanse" or de-tox, but I'm not brave enough to try something like that. Truthfully, there seems to be no medical evidence as to whether charcoal actually helps cleanse and purify the body like the beauty industry is claiming and capitalizing on, so I'm not too keen on ingesting it just yet.
I'll just stick to bath bombs and face masks for now. I don't like to use charcoal products every day (I find my skin gets dried out if I do the same thing to it over and over), so I like to space out my usage. I use the cleanser every time I shower, the makeup wipes every other day, and face masks after a particularly grueling week or after a trip.
Either way, putting activated charcoal on our bodies can't be worse than all the other chemicals we use to clean our faces or bodies with, and it's "natural" so there's no harm in jumping on this trend! Especially now that the products have become a lot more affordable, I'm not complaining! I'm a fan of charcoal products, they just look so much cooler than regular products! Are you?
What other trends have you noticed lately? Are you buying into the charcoal craze or do you think there's nothing special about it?
Be sure to follow the site on all social media accounts at @RedRaiderRunway. Use the hashtag #RedRaiderRunway for a chance to be seen and featured!
So what's the deal with charcoal? Is it actually good for you? I've seen it in everything from soap bars, to face masks, to makeup wipes, to toothpaste! It seems crazy to use black powder to clean things, but it actually has the ability to draw out all the bacteria and impurities on your face to absorb them because it can absorb up to 200 times its weight, so it's definitely a deep cleanser.
So naturally, being the type of person to have major FOMO (fear of missing out), I tried out a bunch of these products! I was particularly interested in the face products because I have naturally large pores (damn my genetics), and contrary to what the beauty industry tries to sell you - you cannot actually make your pores smaller, you can only make them appear to be smaller. And the first step in doing that is making sure they're not clogged with dirt or bacteria!
 |
| Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser - ~$5.50 |
I love this product so much! It foams up and spreads really well so a little goes a long way. It doesn't smell too good, to be honest, but it's not horrible smelling either. It tingles and really makes me feel like it's deep cleaning my face and then I use an exfoliating scrubbing brush to really get the product deep in my pores to trap the bacteria. Afterward I really do notice a difference in my face. It's so much softer and smoother and it washes away any dead skin or impurities. I would give this a 10/10!
Okay, I love Yes To. This is my go to brand for any type of face masks and facial wipes. I've tried so many other types of makeup removal wipes, but none have worked best for me quite like the Yes To Soothing Cucumber Facial Wipes! They smell so clean and refreshing and they work so well on even the toughest waterproof eyeliner and mascara!
However, when I saw that they had new charcoal wipes, I was intrigued. They even have an entire charcoal section on their website with tons of charcoal products to try! I like to try new things every now and then, and I was on a charcoal kick, so I figured why not! Well, after using them, I can say that they're fine, but not my favorite. The texture is a little rougher than Yes To's normal face wipes, so I have to wipe my face a little harder and the entire process of taking off my makeup is not as smooth as its "Removes makeup with a swipe!" claim.
And although I can't deny the wipe being pitch black is really cool looking, the down side to that is I can't tell if I'm wiping off my eyeliner, mascara, or eyebrows well enough. I usually wipe my makeup off at the end of the day while I'm walking around my room doing things, getting stuff prepped for the next day or picking out my outfit, etc. but now I have to stand in front of the mirror to make sure I'm wiping off all my makeup. It doesn't sound like that big of an inconvenience, because I usually wash my face after using a makeup wipe anyway, but it does throw off my routine. Another thing to note, these wipes are also heavily scented, in my opinion. It's a sweet smell, so it doesn't smell bad, but I feel like it leaves my face feeling a little bit sticky and perfumed, so washing your face afterward is a must. I personally don't like sweet scented things, so it's not something I like, but I wouldn't consider it a "con" of this product, because some people may prefer their products to have a sweet scent!
 |
| My DIYed charcoal bath bomb - ~$5 to make |
The key to making these is to use activated charcoal, not just your regular charcoal used for grilling! They sell activated charcoal in a package as shown in the video, or in small capsules that you can open up to use the powder for. I wanted to use a charcoal bath bomb, not just because it's black and it looks super cool, but because exfoliating your skin with the ingredient makes your skin feel really soft! In my opinion, colorful bath bombs just exist to make the water look cool, but with this charcoal bath bomb, at least it can have a semi-purpose!
And in case you were wondering, it doesn't stain skin or bath tubs. However it may leave some residue so a second rinse through to get the last of the powder off the sides of the tub may be needed.
Some people have even gone as far as to ingest activated charcoal capsules as a sort of "cleanse" or de-tox, but I'm not brave enough to try something like that. Truthfully, there seems to be no medical evidence as to whether charcoal actually helps cleanse and purify the body like the beauty industry is claiming and capitalizing on, so I'm not too keen on ingesting it just yet.
I'll just stick to bath bombs and face masks for now. I don't like to use charcoal products every day (I find my skin gets dried out if I do the same thing to it over and over), so I like to space out my usage. I use the cleanser every time I shower, the makeup wipes every other day, and face masks after a particularly grueling week or after a trip.
Either way, putting activated charcoal on our bodies can't be worse than all the other chemicals we use to clean our faces or bodies with, and it's "natural" so there's no harm in jumping on this trend! Especially now that the products have become a lot more affordable, I'm not complaining! I'm a fan of charcoal products, they just look so much cooler than regular products! Are you?
Be sure to follow the site on all social media accounts at @RedRaiderRunway. Use the hashtag #RedRaiderRunway for a chance to be seen and featured!
