Activated charcoal is one of the most versatile natural health and beauty products on the market. It was used by the Egyptians in 1550 BC and has started to make a massive resurgence as a consumer product in both our medicine cabinets and our beauty products.
What is Activated Charcoal?
After peat, wood, coal or petroleum is heated over a long period of time in the absence of any oxygen, regular charcoal is formed¹. Activated charcoal is the result of regular charcoal being heated in the presence of gas which produces tiny pores inside the charcoal. These pores help trap and pull chemicals and toxins out of things like your teeth, skin, water and body.
What are the Benefits of Activated Charcoal?
Activated charcoal provides myriad health and beauty benefits— oftentimes immediately after use! Since it is all natural, you don’t have to worry about poisoning your body with the added chemicals and toxins that so many health and beauty companies put into their products now.
Teeth Whitening
Perhaps the most popular use for activated charcoal is as a natural teeth whitener. All the crazy-potent adhesive qualities in those tiny pores help pull surface stains off your teeth (activated charcoal adsorbs tannins, a staining property found in coffee and wine) leaving you with a dazzling pearly white smile.
While there are many other natural teeth whitening remedies out there to try, activated charcoal is one of the most effective and safe as it is less abrasive than the rest and won’t unintentionally wear down your enamel.
My Magic Mud makes a great all-natural toothpaste. They use a natural charcoal derived from coconut shells, which makes it fun for both adults and children alike. What kiddo wouldn’t have a great time watching their mouth turn black? Even better, the toothpaste is the safest and most effective toothpaste when it comes to whitening and overall dental health. According to this study, My Magic Mud products were significantly more effective in removing stains than the American Dental Association (ADA) reference material.
Face Masks & Soaps
The conventional beauty industry has caught on to the benefits of activated charcoal and have started co-opting the natural product and turning it into face masks, soaps and shampoos full of other chemicals you don’t want on your skin.
With good reason though: the activated charcoal pores help pull the toxins and dirt out of your skin’s pores, leaving you with a smooth, blemish-free face. Just mix equal parts water and activated charcoal powder in a bowl, mix until smooth, spread over your face and let sit for 30 minutes before rinsing! You can also use activated charcoal to make homemade soap.
Water Filtration
Activated charcoal’s method for detoxing is the same for your skin as it is for water. Using an activated charcoal water filtration system will pull out the toxins (both man-made and natural) that comes out of your tap. Making your drinking water safe to consume is so important and there are lots of affordable, effective activated charcoal water filtration systems on the market to help keep you safe.
Detoxing
Whether you’re trying to recover from a night of too many cocktails or you’ve come down with a particularly nasty case of food poisoning, activated charcoal can help pull the damage-causing toxins out of your system to give your body relief— and fast!
Bloating/Digestion
Similarly, activated charcoal can help keep your digestive system regular and ease any bloating after a particularly indulgent meal. Instead of picking up any of those manufactured digestion pills at your local pharmacy, try activated charcoal pills instead. Not only are they much cheaper, they’re safer for you too!
In three separate studies activated was shown to produce positive results on a variety of intestinal disorders¹.
There are so many ways to use activated charcoal to help with any number of health and beauty-related concerns you may have! Now that you understand the basic premise of how the wonder product works, we encourage you to pick up some and test it out in your own home. There’s no doubt you’ll be impressed!
Sources:
1. Cooney, David O. Activated Charcoal: Antidote, Remedy, and Health Aid. Brushton, NY: TEACH Services, 1995. Print.
What is the best activated charcoal that you would recommend and where could I buy it?
I really like this brand (http://amzn.to/2nrSKNS)! You can purchase online 🙂