Activated Charcoal for clear skin and whiter teeth

I've been having lots of fun sharing my rediscoveries with you. First I was reintroduced to Aveda's amazing liquid exfoliant, then I was reunited with MSM lotion. Now it seems like I have reconnected with yet another old friend.

As you may know, I'm a big fan of clay masks.  They have been instrumental in this journey to clear, flawless skin. If I could, I'd use a gentle, natural clay mask daily to keep my skin issues at bay.  So you can imagine my elation upon stumbling upon an all natural purifier that promotes healthy skin.

I'm quickly running out of Glam Glow clearing mud and I need to reorder.  Today I realized that one of Glam Glow's secrets is the addition of activated charcoal to the lineup.  This makes perfect sense!  Charcoal has tremendous detoxing and clearing properties.  We used it in my filters back when I had fish tanks.  These tiny little black particles have the ability to absorb several hundred times it's weight in impurities and toxins.

After learning about activated charcoal, I decided to get it in raw form and using commercial products available.  I like having the option of both because I can create my own home made masks on beauty ritual days or grab something ready made for when time is limited.  Charcoal can also be applied directly to breakouts and blemishes as a natural remedy.  Natural acne treatments are a lifesaver for me because traditional products like benzoyl peroxide did nothing for my breakouts.

charcoal powder, Origins Mask & Glam Glow clearing mud

If all this wasn't amazing enough, I then found out this wonderful black powder can also help whiten teeth.  Yes!  Apparently, the same method could be used to "purify" and whiten by drawing impurities from your teeth.  What you do is apply a little charcoal on a tooth brush and brush your teeth like normal (tooth paste not needed).  While you're brushing, your mouth looks horrific as it's covered in the black powder.  But, the good news is that it rinses off easily and you are left with naturally whiter teeth over time.  The same super-absorption power that draws toxins from the skin will also do the same for your teeth.

Activated charcoal is the perfect addition to your beauty routine.  If you want to start using it in raw form, you should know that the powder is really fine and can make a mess if you don't handle it properly. I like to use it in a place where I can clean up quickly (like a bathroom or kitchen sink).  I used to do this regularly but then stopped.  I'm in the process of creating a "beauty day routine" and you can bet your bottom dollar that charcoal brushing will be a part of it.   My plan is to use it on my teeth several times a week for the first 1-2 weeks or so, then go down to once or twice a week.

You can also take this charcoal internally as a supplement for digestion improvement but I haven't had any experience with that yet.  Apparently, the body can not digest activated charcoal so it travels through the body collecting toxins as it travels.  In the hospital system, they use medical grade charcoal to treat patients who have chemical overdoses as a way of moving the toxins out of the blood stream.  Activated charcoal is the bomb! So glad I found it again.

P.S.   Please don't use cooking charcoal because it isn't food grade, which is not the same as the activated version.

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