Charcoal beauty products are very popular at the moment. These charcoal-based products will give you flawless skin.
Even if you always head straight to the makeup aisle to check out all of the contouring products and look-at-me lipsticks, you have probably noticed all of those black charcoal products in the skincare aisle. They might look like the coal you hope you never get in your Christmas stocking, but you will definitely want to try them. Activated charcoal helps to remove all of the dirt in your pores and leaves you with a clearer, glowing complexion. If a charcoal-based product does that, does it really matter that it looks a bit odd? Nope.
(Related: 12 Tried-And-True Face Cleansers That Won’t Irritate Your Sensitive Skin)
Here are 13 charcoal beauty products you should be stocking in your bathroom:
1. Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask ($17, Origins)
If your pores could use a thorough cleaning, try this mask. Not only does it contain the new must-have beauty ingredient, charcoal, but it also has White China clay to clear out those pores.
2. Deep Cleansing Charcoal Pore Strips ($6.39, Bioré)
Even your favorite Bioré strips now come in a charcoal version. They help reduce oil, shine, and impurities. Plus, they’re just as fun to rip off as the regular ones.
3. Konjac Cleansing Sponge With Bamboo Charcoal ($15, boscia)
I know that this does look a bit like some terrifying thing you would find in your drain, but this dermatologist-tested sponge is really meant for your face. Apply your cleanser to the sponge and rub it in. The sponge helps to minimize the appearance of enlarged pores and it gets rid of icky pimple-causing bacteria.
4. Detox It Out: Charcoal Swabs ($3, Sephora)
If you didn’t know we were doing a charcoal product roundup, you might think that is just a black Q-tip. Surprise! It’s not. This 30-pack of charcoal swabs comes in handy for a variety of uses including applying makeup, fixing mistakes, and completely removing them.
5. Gender Bender Charcoal Bar ($9, Perfectly Posh)
Fun fact: Activated charcoal powder, silt, and carbon absorb over 1000 times their weight in offensive pollution and free radicals, which means this charcoal and shea butter bar will get your skin, really, really clean.
Pore Minimalist Black Charcoal Sheet Mask ($35, Dr. Jart+)
If you’re not converted to Korean skincare and sheet masks, you can test out all of the latest beauty trends with this black charcoal sheet mask. The one-time-use masks help clear up blemishes and give you that I-just-had-a-facial glow.
7. Pore Refining Solutions Charcoal Mask ($25, Clinique)
Charcoal masks work for most skin types, but oily-skinned ladies will be pleased to know that this charcoal mask is great at absorbing excess oil while detoxifying your skin.
8. Clear Skin Activated Charcoal Bar Soap ($4.99, Yes To Tomatoes)
Get rid of impurities and every last speck of dirt with this cruelty-free bar. It may be difficult to get your head around the fact it looks like a brick from a house, but just try it on your face.
9. Supermud Clearing Treatment ($69, GlamGlow)
Don’t let the name fool you, this isn’t just a jar of mud. It has K-17 Clay and Activated-X Charcoal, plus a bunch of other hero ingredients that purify your skin and target breakouts, razor bumps, and discoloration.
10. Feeling Beautiful Charcoal & Black Sugar Polishing Mask ($3.00 Freeman)
Black sugar is a beauty ingredient too. This versatile product works as both a mask and a scrub, but it doesn’t dry out your skin. It’s suitable for all skin types and you can get it and still get back change from a $5 bill.
11. Dark Angels Cleanser ($12.95, Lush)
It may not look like the most inviting thing to put on your face, but when you see the results, you will want to smear this soothing black sugar and charcoal cleanser all over your entire body.
12. Charcoal Vegetable Body Sponge ($6, Earth Therapeutics)
Why should your face get all of the pampering? Scrub away dead skin with this vegetable and charcoal sponge.
13. Charcoal Detox Deep Pore Gel Cleanser ($23, Michael Todd)
You don’t have to give up your fave gel cleanser for a charcoal beauty product. This antioxidant-rich cleanser gets rid of all your makeup, dirty and leaves you with squeaky clean pores.