When you hear the word “charcoal,” skincare is probably not the first use to come to mind. Charcoal may have a million and one uses, but one you probably didn’t know about before is its utility as a detoxifier. For centuries, the Japanese have been harnessing charcoal’s unique purifying powers to make soaps and shampoos, and finally, the West has begun to catch on to this surprisingly effective beauty secret.
A special Japanese charcoal known as “binchō-tan” comes from the wood of oak trees, steamed at very low temperatures for much longer than regular charcoal. The result of the process is a product with a long list of health benefits. Specifically, this charcoal has proven its value in facial cleansers.
Binchō-tan has a unique ability to attract, absorb and encapsulate harmful substances to its surface – this is because its micro-cavity walls make it absorbent. It also has exfoliating and antibiotic properties; binchō-tan can stimulate circulation and also be a powerful deterrent against acne. As a solid form of carbon, binchō-tan also balances all the forms of carbon gas released into our atmosphere every day – so when you use charcoal soap to wash your face, you’re not just cleansing your skin, you’re helping keep the environment cleaner as well!
When you think about the amount of contaminants we’re exposed to on a daily basis, binchō-tan seems even more relevant than when it was invented some four hundred years ago. Fertilizers pollute our tap water, gas fumes pollute the air we breathe, and even the beauty products we often use contain chemicals that end up trapped in our bodies. Luckily, binchō-tan works naturally to purify air, water, and of course, the body.
So do you have to go all the way to Japan to take advantage of binchō-tan’s curative properties? Thankfully, no – Japanese charcoal soaps are available online:
Regardless of how you choose to take advantage of Japanese charcoal, you’ll find that the majority of charcoal beauty products are available at very low prices – this might be the most effective, inexpensive way to cultivate the perfect complexion you’ve ever found!
Other products with charcoal: Collective Wellbeing Charcoal Body Wash, 11.5 Ounce
