Charcoal (or activated charcoal) has found its way into various skincare and dental products, and lately, even hair products. Essentially, it’s the trendy ingredient sneaking itself into products without you even realizing.
Over the past year, I’ve added products with charcoal in them into my own routine without even meaning to:

Toothpaste

While it may seem counterproductive, adding charcoal to your dental care actually helps give a whiter smile. When activated charcoal is added to toothpaste, detoxifying ingredient binds itself to the plaque and grime, getting rid of all the stains and revealing cleaner, whiter teeth. You can either use charcoal tooth powder alone prior to brushing, or even mix it with your toothpaste.
Try: inVitamin Pure & Powerful All Natural Activated Charcoal Tooth & Gum Powder

Makeup Remover

Ever since I learned about it, I’ve been proactive about double cleansing, or the act of removing makeup first before washing your face. A few months ago, my high school best friend Amie gifted me a charcoal makeup remover which I needed as my tub of trusty cold cream cleanser was running low. Intimidated, I went online to see just how charcoal gets rid of makeup. Turns out, the product I received lived up to its name – it melts makeup including stubborn, waterproof mascara.
Try: Boscia Charcoal Makeup Melter Cleansing Oil Balm

Facial Wash

Probably one of the first charcoal-themed things I tried, the local Pond’s released a facial foam with activated charcoal maybe two years ago. It worked well for my face, since I do have an oily and acne-prone complexion. As part of a cleanser, activated charcoal pulls out excess oil and even helps treat acne. This dark facial foam is a little more texturized than your regular facial wash, which makes sense – it has an exfoliating effect as well.
Try: Pond’s Pure White Pollution Out + Purity Facial Foam with Activated Carbon Charcoal

Beauty Oil

I’ve only recently dived into the amazing world of face oils (sometimes called “beauty oils”), and one of the first ones I ever bought was a bamboo charcoal-filled one recommended for my skin type. Along with its own detoxifying properties, the face oil has a combined arsenal of cucumber, turmeric, watermelon seed, and even salicylic acid and tee tree: a concoction deadly to oily skin problems.
Try: Fourth Ray Beauty After Hours Detox Face Oil

(Dry) Shampoo

As someone who has been dyeing her hair for nearly 15 years, dry shampoo has been my go-to for days when I need a quick pick-me-up for my hair, am pressed for time, or am in need of vavavoom volume. Briogeo’s Scalp Revival line has been such an amazing thing to try. I had a trial size of their Charcoal + Coconut Oil Micro-Exfoliating Shampoo back in December, which I learned helps get rid of toxins. After, I ended up buying their dry shampoo a few months later, which not only cleanses, but also adds texture and volume.
Try: Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Biotin Dry Shampoo

Clearly, charcoal is worth a shot. It’s not for everyone, but if you ever feel like you need a bit of extra detox, you now know what active ingredient to look for.