What is Activated Charcoal, and why is it so effective in skin care? This powerful detoxifying ingredient is much more than it seems. Unlike the Charcoal typically found in a grill, Activated Charcoal is a carbonised, mineral-rich material that can adsorb more than 1,000 times its weight in positively-charged compounds.
Yes, you read that right: ADsorb! Unlike absorption, which is the entering of one substance by another, adsorption occurs when one substance adheres to the surface of another (think magnets). Charcoal is negatively-charged, so it attracts positively-charged compounds – such as deep-dwelling dirt and oil in the skin – to its surface.
Activated Charcoal, also called Activated Carbon, comes in many forms specific to many different uses. Dermalogica uses Activated Binchotan Charcoal, a special high-quality Charcoal made from Japanese Ubame Oak wood. This type of Charcoal is "activated" by an age-old process of extreme heating and rapid cooling, which yields millions of microscopic pores that are ideal for adsorbing impurities from the skin.
In hospital emergency rooms, food-grade Activated Charcoal is used to adsorb poisons from the body. Activated Charcoal is also used in regular household appliances, such as water filters, to remove or reduce chlorine, sediment, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), taste and odor from tap water.
We use Activated Binchotan Charcoal in our Daily Superfoliant and Active Clay Cleanser.
Daily Superfoliant is a highly-active resurfacer, delivering your smoothest skin whilst helping to fight environmental triggers that are known to accelerate skin ageing. Activating upon contact with water, it purifies the skin and absorbs toxins from deep within pores. It also contains skin-smoothing AHAs, Niacinamide, Red Algae and Tara Fruit Extract to guard against the effects of pollution.
Our Active Clay Cleanser is a dual-action mineral-rich Kaolin Clay and Charcol formula that cleanses and purifies the skin. It balances the skin by absorbing impurities, remove excess oils and promotes a healthy microbiome. Skin is left smooth, refined and revitalised.
Is your oily skin getting you down? Discover our collection of products designed to purify and remove excess sebum without drying out the skin.
Want to learn more about which skin care products are right for you? Get Face Mapped today with your local Profressional Skin Therapist for a personalised skin analysis or chat to our Digital Skin Expert online now.