Activated charcoal was first used in a human context to treat cases of poisoning. Activated charcoal is special that way as in it has the essential property of being able to attract and absorb toxins. This property along with the inability of the body to absorb charcoal meant that the poison would be absorbed by the charcoal and would leave the body via faeces.
Over time this detoxifying property of charcoal was noticed by those in the wellness and beauty industry and today activated charcoal is a very popular ingredient in beauty products. Activated Charcoal is created when a carbon rich natural item like wood or sawdust is heated to high temperatures. This creates a form of black dusty carbon which has holes at a molecular level which increases its surface area significantly. The nontoxic and non-reactive nature of activated charcoal makes it very conducive for human usage.
In recent years activated charcoal has become the magical ingredient in almost every beauty item. Let’s take a look at a couple of them.
Rubefacients – I use the word freely here to connote anything that gets used externally on the skin. Charcoal soaps, creams, face and body washes, charcoal face wash tablets etc would all fall into this category.
Activated charcoal as an ingredient in rubefacients has had tremendous success. Charcoal by its own natural property pulls toxins, dirt, grime and excess oils from the pores. Then when the same gets washed out, Voila! You have clean skin!
All form factors such as soap, cream etc work in a similar fashion. The beauty industry is also innovating with charcoal facewash tabs. This is essentially a capsule that can be mixed with any normal face wash that you may be using. This form factor ensures that activated charcoal can be introduced into your beauty regime without disrupting your existing practises. Its generally a good idea to wash the face once with a basic cleanser to get rid of the surface grime and oil. Then apply the charcoal-based product so that it can access the pores and cleanse them. Depending on the nature of your skin you may or may not want to end with a moisturiser. Activated charcoal can also be used in bathtubs. This will ensure your whole body just shines!
Activated charcoal is also used for products related to internal usage. Apart from the earlier mentioned detox treatment, activated charcoal is an excellent tooth powder. In south India, it is called ‘Umikeri’. It’s made of Saw dust which is super-heated to create activated charcoal. This charcoal is then treated with medicinal herbs and ingredients such as Camphor, Cardamom and Clove for flavour. It’s an aromatic experience to brush with Umikeri. This will ensure a remedy for most dental problems. Accoutrements like bamboo charcoal tooth brush go a long way in adding to the value to using Umikeri as dental powder.
At Giftomojo we ensure that our wellness and Ayurvedic products have the highest amount of active ingredients in them. Compared to most of the brands in the market which barely have 4-5 percent of the actual active ingredient, we actually have close to 50% in most cases.
Our products are manufactured at the very source where the ancient arts originate. From our Charcoal Soap, To Facewash, to our Charcoal beauty capsules to our Umikeri and Tooth Brush combo. Giftomojo has it all to cater to your customised beauty and dental hygiene regime.
