Charcoal soap is no more a secret these days. Activated charcoal soap is one of the recipes that can change your skincare game. Charcoal is one of the fantastic ingredients that you can use on your skin. It helps in removing dirt from your skin. It helps unclog pores and removes excess oil from the skin, and leaves your skin fresh and clean. Charcoal soap is best for oily skin types. It is considered as a deep pore cleanser and also helps reduce blemishes and spots on your skin.
Activated charcoal is being used in many different bath and body products today, like in facial masks, bath bombs, etc., mainly because of its impurities extraction property. Many people have made it an integral part of their skin cleansing routine. It is also being used in cosmetics [1].
The charcoal soap available in the market contains some sort of chemicals and toxins. If you want to avoid these chemicals and toxins and cut them down on your skin and body health, try DIY. You can make charcoal soap at home using all-natural ingredients. The activated charcoal cold-process soap recipe is very simple and convenient to make. It can save you a lot of money. Read below for the complete guide to know about DIY charcoal soap bar recipes, and learn how to make charcoal soap.
Ingredients Used To Make Charcoal Soap | Charcoal Soap Ingredients
Following is the charcoal tea tree soap recipe:
1. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is an important ingredient that is used as a foundational ingredient in many handmade soap recipes. It is a powerful ingredient that can cleanse your skin deeply, provide necessary moisturization, and treat different skin issues, like acne.
2. Olive Oil
This is an important oil that is gentle on the skin and also nourishes deeply. Olive oil suits all skin types of people.
3. Castor Oil
Castor oil is a highly moisturizing oil. It absorbs quickly into the skin. It suits every skin type, including sensitive skin type people. Castor oil helps in achieving clear skin. Castor oil creates big bubbles.
4. Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal is achieved when it goes through a high-temperature steam process which increases the surface area of the charcoal. This "activated" charcoal has the ability to absorb and filter, and this is the reason it helps clear skin. It acts like a magnet that attracts dirt and other impurities from the skin and removes them to give you a fresh, clean look. Activated charcoal also helps in reducing pore size.[2]
5. Lye
Lye is one of the most important ingredients that play a significant role in the soap making process. Lye is the ingredient that helps in converting fats and oils into soap. Lye is an important ingredient as soap is made with lye.
6. Tea Tree Essential Oil
Adding essential oil is an option. But if you wish to add essential oils, then tea tree oil is one of the best essential oils that one can use in a charcoal soap recipe. Charcoal and tea tree oil is the best combination to give you that clear and fresh skin.
Making charcoal soap with essential oils increases the benefits of the soap. It also adds extra fragrance to the soap. You can also use other essential oils like peppermint essential oil, lavender essential oil, chamomile oil, etc.
How To Make Charcoal Soap At Home? | DIY Activated Charcoal Soap Recipe
An easy DIY charcoal recipe has been shared below. To make activated charcoal soap, follow the below instructions to make your own activated charcoal soap at home.
# Recipe 1
Ingredients
- 6 oz olive oil
- 4 oz palm oil
- 8 oz castor oil
- 14 oz coconut oil
- 1 tbsp activated charcoal powder
- Lye 4.70 oz
- Liquid 10.51 oz
Tools
- Gloves
- Soap mold
- Digital scale
- Safety goggles
Instructions
- With the help of a digital scale, measure the water and pour it into a heat-resistant container.
- Add lye to the water and stir continuously until dissolved. The chemical reaction between these two products will make the products heat quickly. Let the mixture cool for about 120-130° F.
- Melt and pour soap base. Take a saucepan and melt coconut and palm oil on a medium flame. Once it is melted, let it cool for some time.
- Add all the oils to your melted soap in a metal mixing bowl.
- Pour lye water, oils, and melted fat into the mixing bowl and mix with the help of an immersion blender.
- Add lye water in small quantities and mix it until a trace can be seen.
- Now add the activated charcoal and mix.
- Add this mixture to molds and let it dry for 1 to 3 days. You can use any mold of different shapes and sizes.
- After this, you can cut the soap into bars and let it dry for 5 to 6 weeks to fully cure.
- Your charcoal soap is ready to use.
# Recipe 2
Ingredients
- 1.8 oz castor oil
- 14.4 oz olive oil
- 9 oz coconut oil
- 9 oz Palm oil
- 1.8 oz Tamanu oil
- 5.1 oz Sodium hydroxide Lye
- 10.1 oz distilled water
- 1.7 oz tea tree essential oil
- 2 tablespoons of activated charcoal
- 2 teaspoons of sodium lactate (Optional)
Instructions
- Add lye to water slowly and keep on stirring continuously until completely dissolved. The liquid will become completely clear. Keep it aside to cool.
- Melt castor oil, coconut oil, olive oil, palm oil, and tamanu oil
- Once the lye water and the oils are cooled (around 130 degrees or below), add oils to the soap and then blend it until there is a thin trace.
- If you want to make the bars harder, then you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. (1 tsp of sodium lactate per pound of soap).
- Add the charcoal to the soap to the mixture and stir continuously to get a smooth consistency without any charcoal lumps.
- Add tea tree essential oil, and with the help of a stick, mix the batter until the essential oil is completely mixed.
- When the soap reflects a medium trace, pour the batter into the cavities of the mold. Tap the mold to even out the soap. It will help in getting rid of bubbles.
- Let the soap dry for 2 to 3 days. Then let it cure for 4 to 6 weeks before using it. This recipe makes around 12 bars of soap.
* Note: Always remember to make the soap in a well-ventilated area.
How To Use Homemade Charcoal Bar Soap?
Using charcoal soap highly depends on the skin type you have.
Normal skin: If you have normal skin, then it is advised that you can use it as a cleanser twice or thrice a week.
Oily skin: If you have oily skin, then you can use it as a daily cleanser.
Dry skin: It helps draw out excess oil and other impurities from the skin. This makes the skin dry. So, it is suggested that if you have dry skin, then use this soap once a week. For dry skin, people should instead use moisturizing soap on a daily basis.
The above recipe of activated charcoal soap is very effective as it is gentle on the skin. Also, it contains coconut oil and olive oil, which increases the cleansing capacity of charcoal.
Always take a patch test on a small area before applying it to the skin to see if it suits your skin type.
What Are The Benefits Of Activated Charcoal Soap?
1. Cleanses Skin
Activated charcoal soap is a great option if you wish to have clear skin. It helps remove excess oil from your skin and also removes dirt and impurities. Activated charcoal soap helps in managing sebum production on the skin.
2. Tightens Pores
Activated charcoal unclogs pores and helps tighten pores. It improves the texture of the skin.
3. Anti-aging
One of the benefits of activated charcoal is that it helps reduce signs of aging, like fine lines, wrinkles, etc. It also helps reduce blemishes and even out skin tone.
4. Great Exfoliator
Activated charcoal is popular for its cleansing properties. It helps in removing unsightly blackheads and hence makes your skin clear. It acts as a gentle cleanser that can be used daily as a cleanser, or you can also use it weekly for exfoliating your skin deeply and removing skin impurities.
Can Charcoal Soap Help In Lightening Skin?
The main benefit of using charcoal soap is that it makes your skin clearer and brighter when included in your skincare routine. Therefore, there is little evidence related to the activated charcoal skin-lightening properties.
Charcoal clears the skin, and this helps reveal the true natural color that you have. This does not mean that it will lighten your skin tone. But your skin will look bright by using activated charcoal in your skincare.
