Activated charcoal has long been known to have medical uses. The most well known use dates back over 100 years. In 1831, Professor Touery of the French Academy of Medicine drank a lethal dose of strychnine and lived to tell the tale. Unknown to his colleagues, he had combined the poison with activated charcoal.
Characteristics of Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal has long been used an emergency treatment for specific kinds of poisonings and drug overdoses. It has the ability to attract other substances to its surface and hold them there by adsorption. One teaspoon of activated charcoal has a surface area of more than a football field. When taken orally, activated charcoal can extract and neutralize many more times its own weight in gases, heavy metals, and toxins. No doubt this is best administered under a doctor’s supervision.
Activated Charcoal in Soap
There is an application for the use of activated charcoal in soap. It is used to effectively cleanse skin, unclog pores, and remove impurities and dead skin cells. Activated charcoal soap has been known to have positive effects on acne and at clearing up troubled skin.
I started mixing activated charcoal into my melt and pour soaps last year. It gives the soap a lovely dark color. It also works well at removing impurities from the skin. Finally, these tiny black granules act as a gentle exfoliant in each bar of soap.
Learn More!
To learn more about activated charcoal, check out these websites:
http://store.destinyboutique.com/009.html
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/activated_charcoal/article_em.htm
February 21, 2012 at 11:30 am
I’ve actually heard a lot of really great things about charcoal in relation to skin care!
February 21, 2012 at 6:32 pm
That’s great to hear! It’s a great ingredient to add to your skin care products! Thanks for the comment!
February 21, 2012 at 11:48 am
What a great idea. I have used activated charcoal tablets for food poisoning before, but I never would have thought to apply it topically. Great post!
February 21, 2012 at 6:33 pm
Yes – who would have guessed that activated charcoal has so many uses?! It works great in my soaps!
February 23, 2012 at 6:32 am
Great post with useful information! Thanks for sharing! 😀
February 28, 2012 at 7:04 am
I love this post! I use an activated charcoal mask by Origins to clean my skin and it works so well! Will def try making the soaps, where can you buy the activated charcoal?
February 28, 2012 at 6:31 pm
I buy the charcoal at Soap & More. They do lots of online sales, so check it out!
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December 7, 2012 at 6:08 am
I love this! I love to make my own soaps, too. How much activated charcoal do you use, if you don’t mind me asking?
December 7, 2012 at 11:23 am
I’ve varied the amount between about 1/2 tbsp to 1 tbsp of charcoal to one cup of soap. Too much makes it too gritty for my liking and too little is just insufficient!
December 13, 2012 at 2:56 pm
Thanks! I can’t wait to give this a try the next time the mood strikes me to make some soaps!
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