Deeply clean skin is every woman's desired goal. Cleopatra used activated charcoal to maintain her incomparable beauty. Face masks are a treat for the skin, and there are thousands of different types. They make your skin supple and free it from impurities. But what does charcoal have to do with it?
Masks containing this ingredient in particular draw out the unwanted toxins that cause pimples, blackheads, and impurities from the skin. This prevents pimples and blemishes from appearing in the first place.
Where does activated carbon come from?
Activated carbon consists of 90% carbon. Biochar, such as wood charcoal, is often used for this purpose. However, charcoal made from coconut shells is also frequently used. However, this charcoal still needs to be activated. The activation process involves high temperatures, up to 900°C. Activation creates the porous, sponge-like structure and the attractive properties of the activated carbon.
How does activated charcoal work?
Activated charcoal has adsorptive properties, which is why it attracts toxins. It is also structured like a sponge and therefore has an enormous internal surface area. To illustrate: The internal surface area of just 4 grams of activated charcoal is about the size of a football field. Thus, even a small amount of activated charcoal can bind a large number of toxins.
Due to these properties, activated charcoal has always been highly valued in medicine. Until now, it was mostly used to bind toxins in the stomach, for example, when children have swallowed toxic liquids. Activated charcoal filters are also a common means of purifying the air. And for a few years now, activated charcoal has also been used to detoxify the skin.