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If there is one thing that both modern and old medicinal literature agree upon, it’s the use of activated charcoal for many medical purposes. Nowadays, the application has increased to beauty and home products as well.
Looking back at the olden days, if anyone got poisoned or had ingested some toxins, they would be made to eat some charcoal to rid them of the problems. Now, there might be some reservations about the safety of this process, but the general idea was correct. Charcoal, or rather activated charcoal, have an inherent property called adsorption.
Not to be confused with absorption, adsorption causes the attraction of anything it came in contact with on its surface. Therefore, if you make it touch the toxins and poison, they would stick to the charcoal and be expelled by the body as it naturally expels the charcoal.
Though this was particularly useful in case someone ate something poisonous or had gastric issues, nowadays it is used in toothpaste, face mask, beauty products, to clean the face etcetera, all because of adsorption. A detailed description of the uses of activated charcoal has been given below.
What is Activated charcoal?
To be clear, activated charcoal is not the same as the normal charcoal which you use in your grill or to cook. Instead, it is made of certain substances like bamboo, coconut shell, and wood. These are burnt in an anaerobic environment, that is, in the absence of oxygen.
The lack of oxygen creates a char. Heating the char to very high temperature is the next step, followed by exposure to certain types of gases.
This causes the characteristic porosities to be incorporated on the charcoal, and now it can be called as an activated one.
Contrary to normal charcoal, it is tasteless and odorless and has non-toxic property. Its effectiveness is due to the porous nature which adsorbs whatever impurities it encounters.
Activated Charcoal Benefits
Listed below are few of the ways in which you can use activated charcoal.
As a Teeth Whitener
As improbable as it may sound, something as black as Activated Charcoal can be used to get sparkly white teeth.
When applied on the surface of the tooth, it removes deposits and dirt from it along with an accumulated plaque.
This leads to the transition from yellow to white teeth. It even removes the harmful microorganisms and reduces the chances of getting tooth decay and gum disease.
It is common to have activated charcoal in your toothpaste and sometimes, even on your toothbrush and it is quite an effective whitener.
As a Face Mask
Face masks are one of the most commonly used facial and beauty products that are used.
In addition to odorants and skin softeners, activated charcoal is also incorporated into it to remove impurities and dirt from the face and cleanse the pores. This lets your skin to breathe more freely and feel smoother to touch.
To get the best product you can check out charcoalfacemaskmagic.org and get some for yourself.
As a Face Cleanser
It works similar to a face mask by principle, differing in the method of application. They may be in the form of creams and pastes. Once applied and allowed to dry, they can be peeled off to reveal healthier and smoother skin.
As a Shampoo
Activated Charcoal has also found entry into the shampoo section and most products seem to contain them.
A little amount can be added to the shampoo and applied on hair. When it is washed away, all the dirt and impurities will go with it.
Activated charcoal can also be used on bald heads.
Activated Charcoal for Cleaning the Air
The quality of the air you breathe is of utmost importance. Most of the time it will be loaded with pollutants and other obnoxious substances which will not only make it impure, but also give a damp odor.
Keeping activated charcoal in one corner will absorb all these impurities and will act as a natural room freshener. They definitely work better than those negative ion salt lamps.
Many popular air filters on the market include filters which contain activated charcoal for this very purpose.
Purify Water with Activated Charcoal
Just like air, water will also be full of impurities and harmful substances. Add activated charcoal to it, and you will notice the water becoming clearer and will also be safer to drink.
Particularly recommended in houses with small babies as they are prone to stomach infections due to impure water.
Many popular water filters on the market use activated charcoal filters to purify the water.
Relief for Bug Bites
If a bee or a wasp or any mildly poisonous bug has bitten you, make a thick paste, like a salve, of activated charcoal and apply it in that area.
The toxins will be sucked out, and it will act as a preliminary treatment before you go ahead to more extensive ones.
Conclusion: Activated Charcoal for Better Health
The safety of activated charcoal has always come into the limelight time and again. What has been proven is the fact that if used in controlled amounts, this can definitely be used effectively for all the processes mentioned above.
Activated charcoal is safe to use and readily available.
My name is Erika Jensen and I am a health and beauty blogger. I created charcoalfacemaskmagic.org to inform my readers about the wonderful benefits of this natural, organic and vegan-friendly ingredient. You can learn more about my story and contact me there.