It’s well understood now that our skin is our largest organ and it absorbs toxins from everything around us. So what better way to cleanse our pores than with a charcoal face mask made with activated charcoal, aloe, honey, bentonite clay, and essential oils.
Those of you who have been around me for a while know that I always like to include some research with my recipes whenever possible. There are so many recipes, tips, and tricks that are thrown around on the internet that it can be hard to know what really does a good job and what is just being copied and perpetuated through this lovely technology we now have.
Why a Charcoal Face Mask?
Detoxifying the body has become more important than ever.
The fact is that we absorb toxins from the foods we eat, what we put on our bodies, what we breathe in through air, the water vapor in the shower, and even what we sit on since most furniture and appliances are sprayed with fire retardant chemicals as well.
We were designed to handle toxins at a normal level found within nature. Even then, we sometimes need a boost, which is where great foods come into play as great medicines.
Yet, now we are faced with an age of chemical saturation that comes from every direction we turn. Even our feminine products have certain levels of toxins!
The Body Fights Back
Our bodies will take these toxins and filter them in many ways; from the liver, kidneys, spleen, to your lymphatic system. Your lymph nodes are throughout your body. These nodes are like a cleaning factory. I first learned about them when my armpit lymph node swelled to golf ball size from the deodorant I started using as a teenager. Sometimes these systems have a difficult time keeping up and can become bogged down and even swell. This is one reason why I put together a clay deodorant recipe with bentonite clay which draws out impurities.
You have lymph nodes in your face as well: by your ears, in your throat (tonsils), under your tongue, etc. All of these work to clean your blood of toxins.
Ingreidents we consume, as well as herbs and other ingreidents we use on top of the skin, can help cleanse our system. We can give our body a boost by reducing the load on our lymphatic system and liver.
A simple way to do this is by using a detoxing charcoal face mask, espcially if you use commercial makeup, lotions, and other products on your face.
Charcaol Face Mask Key Ingredients
The Bentonite Clay
Bentonite Clay is a sedimentary volcanic ash that swells when it comes in contact with water. “Once it becomes hydrated, the electrical and molecular components of the clay rapidly change and produce an ‘electrical charge’.” It is this negative electrical charge that will bond to the positive charge of toxins, absorbing them into the clay as it releases its nutrients.
The Activated Charcoal
Activated Charcoal is charcoal that has been treated with oxygen to open up millions of tiny pores between the carbon atoms. (1) Carbon is used to absorb toxic elements that are on the surface and just under the skin through chemical attraction. Not all toxins will bond with it, but many will (including the chlorine from the water you are using).
Essential Oils
If you do not use essential oils, then they can be left out, but I do think adding a few drops adds an extra nourishing quality to your skin, depending what you struggle with.
Essential oils can reduce inflammation, redness, are antibacterial and antiviral, and overall boosting, depending on the oil and your body’s response.
Before using any of these oils, please take a few minutes to read through Essential Oil Safety guidelines. You’ll get more bang for your buck and make sure that you are doing the best for your particular skin type.
Some oils that do well with some may cause allergic reactions in others (e.g. lemongrass). Others can be more irritating (why I mention cinnamon leaf instead of cinnamon bark). What a friend can use neat may be highly irritating to you. Always dilute, and always test on your wrist before applying to the entire face.
Anti Bacterial Oils: cinnamon leaf, orange, lime, tea tree, rosemary
Anti Aging Oils: carrot seed, rose, geranium, sandalwood, frankincense, lavender, lemon
Uplifting Oils: bergamot, geranium, grapefruit, rosemary, cedarwood
Calming Oils: lavender, geranium, palma rosa, clary sage, patchouli
How to Use: You will NOT use all of the oils in each category. Instead, choose one or two and add 1-2 drops of each to your face mask.
Detoxing Face Mask Recipe
To make this recipe, start in a location that will not stain from the activated charcoal. Combine over your stainless steel kitchen sink if needed.
Combine the bentonite clay and activated charcoal in a small bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until a smooth paste is formed. Add more aloe if the mask is too thick, or more bentonite clay if it is too thin. It should be a thick consistency that you can pick up with one finger.
To Use, apply to the entire face. I like to use this before I get into the shower. Cleanup will be simple if you are washing off once in the shower. Rinse completely as soon as the clay is dry. There is no benefit to leaving it on longer.
The full recipe is below.
Charcoal Face Mask Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon bentonite clay
- 1 teaspoon activated charcoal
- 1 tablespoon raw honey
- 1 tablespoons aloe vera gel
- 5-6 drops essential oil of choice
Instructions
- Add clay and charcoal in a small glass bowl and mix well with a wooden or plastic spoon.1 tablespoon bentonite clay, 1 teaspoon activated charcoal
- Add the aloe, honey, and essential oils and mix well.1 tablespoon raw honey, 1 tablespoons aloe vera gel, 5-6 drops essential oil of choice
To Use:
- Massage onto face and neck. Charcoal can stain so keep away from clothes.
- Rinse immediately after it dries.
Notes
You can play around with the amounts to get the consistency that you love.
I sell this mask with the clays and essential oils in my shop. So if you’d like to try before you buy ingredients, then check it out. As well as my anti aging face mask.
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