Charcoal

Activated charcoal is often used to clean water of pollutants like heavy metals, insecticides, and herbicides. It’s also commonly used in emergency rooms to prevent the gut from absorbing ingested drugs and poisons into the bloodstream. The poisons bind to activated charcoal and are swept out of the body.

Benefits:

• remove dirt and other impurities from the skin’s pores

• “detox” or “purify” skin when used as a soap or facial cleanser

• help clear up acne

Activated charcoal soap is made by processing a high-carbon material at a high temperature and then “activating” it with hot air or steam. Its large surface area allows it to absorb toxins, which is why activated charcoal in soap theoretically binds to dirt and oil on the skin and helps clear out pores.

Silberman J, et al. (2020). Activated charcoal. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482294/