Guest Post | How to make a DIY Charcoal Peel-off Mask

There’s a link between Kim Kardashian, Shailene Woodley, Gwyneth Paltrow, black ice cream and black lemonade.

And it’s Activated Charcoal -- as a part of a modern healthy lifestyle beauty regimen.

The ancient Egyptians have been utilizing that all natural superhero for centuries. It was also a mainstay for Chinese physicians in many medical and healing practices.

It wasn’t before 1831 when a professor from the French Academy of Medicine starts experimenting with that particular element.

What Makes Activated Charcoal Superb?

1 - One of a kind deep cleansing

And it doesn’t accumulate in the organism! While other compounds might get into the blood flow, activated charcoal stays on the surface.

It absorbs nasty impurities without breaking under the natural protective barrier of the skin. You can imagine it like a sponge of tiny magnets, sticking to toxins and then pulling them away.

2 - It’s a creative multitasker.

With consistent use, it can help whiten the smile or decrease unpleasant odor on the armpits. To enjoy a baby-soft skin, we can even do a whole body charcoal procedure.

Using a professional charcoal peel off mask helps remove tiny hairs simultaneously. And so the surface of the skin gets impeccable.

But what I want to tell you is … you can actually make a charcoal mask by yourself. Read on!

My Secret Tips on How to Make the Most of DIY Charcoal Masks:

1 - Find the right timing

Apply the mask before going to bed, and so all the healthy ingredients will interact with less environmental pollutants and makeup.

Homemade cosmetics are very sensitive to light, oxygen and other compounds. But when we sleep, we are away from many of the skin irritants.

Thus, we can ripe all the benefits of our beauty sleep to the maximum.

2 - Prepare the skin carefully

Heat it up to open up the pores! If you don’t have a steamer, you can make a steam bath or put warm tea bags all over the face for a few minutes.

The latter helps deliver essential antioxidants as well. The warm waves tend to relax the skin. And next, these aid in losing the sebum which is built in the pores.

My Favorite Recipes for All Natural, Glue-free Charcoal Peel-off Masks:

1 - Activated Charcoal, Bentonite Clay, and Gelatin

• ½ teaspoon bentonite clay

• 1 teaspoon Activated charcoal

• 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin

• 2 tablespoons distilled water or rose water

Mix the ingredients in a wooden bowl or glass jar. Heat up the water until it’s boiling and add it to the concoction.

Wood and glass are the best materials to use when working with home-made treats. They don’t let harmful elements and chemicals leach into your cosmetics. These are non-reactive with other acids to release the full potential of our mixtures.

Keep stirring energetically until the mixture becomes smooth, with no clumps. You can use a bamboo skewer or wooden spoon.

Check the temperature of the mask to make sure you don’t get burn. Afterwards, use a brush for a more smooth application. Make light and even strokes to disperse it perfectly.

Activated charcoal tends to get a little messy, so it is a good idea to cover your clothes and do the procedure in the bathroom.

Keep layering the mask until it becomes thick enough. Don’t forget to avoid the area near the eyes and eyebrows or you can pull out some hairs along the way.

The peeling might get too painful, but this mask is fully water-soluble so that you can wash it off with warm water. This won’t help you make the most to address the blackheads well, though.

Wait until the mask is completely dry and you can feel a tightening on the face. Start pulling from the bottom to the top. Rinse with cold water and apply a few drops of your favorite essential oil.

Tea tree can benefit those fighting with acne, Rosehip Oil helps tone down redness, Lavender Oil calms the skin, and Grape-seed Oil improves firmness.

2 - Another almost effortless homemade mask that takes only:

• 1 tablespoon activated charcoal

• 1 egg white

Mix well and apply on the face with a brush. Let it become stiff and peel! If you wish to diversify this model into a nutritious bomb, you can add half a banana or half an avocado.

Mind that by doing so, you won’t get the peeling effect, but you can feed the skin with vitamins. Now that’s a sweet way to enjoy a radiant complexion!

All we need is one egg and half a banana/avocado, mashed in a bowl. Then we add one tablespoon of activated charcoal, stir well and apply on the face.

We can also spread the mask down the neck and decolletage. You can leave it for 15 to 30 minutes, rinse with warm, then cold water and repeat the procedure for up to twice a week.

Whatever your skin type, using a suitable moisturizer after activated charcoal is a must.

The more compatible is a moisturizer to your skin, the better it will react and assist the benefits of activated charcoal.

I love Korean moisturizers for their formulations, boasting with extraordinary botanical extracts and lacking harsh chemicals for a gentle touch.

I believe in a unique kind of magic - and it isn’t black or white because it is the magic of nature. We live in times when free knowledge is only a click away and isn’t that incredible?

But my favorite part is that we can learn and share with each other all the useful tips and tricks to make informed choices so much easier.

Beauty is a light that we spread when we are feeling comfortable in our skin. So put a smile on your face and enjoy that journey we call life.

Author Bio

This is a guest post by Leanne - a passionate beauty blogger at Support Your Beauty. She dedicates her time to studying and trying out all the latest beauty tricks and tips to help people feel confident with their looks. She has a passion for traveling and continuously expanding her knowledge, and describes happiness as putting a smile on people’s face.