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Activated Charcoal sounds like an odd ingredient at first to use on your skin, if anyone has ever had a bonfire on the beach you will know the smoky smell left in your hair and clothes and will probably associate charcoal with that, Activated Charcoal differs quite a bit, there is a process it is put through (see below if you really want to nerd out) which makes it ready for use in medicine, beauty and lifestyle products. It loses any “smoky” smell, becomes a really fine powder with a whole lot of other benefits, common uses today are to filter water, filter air and treat certain poisonings in hospitals! Keep reading to find out the incredible way it helps with skin problems and why we use it as the hero ingredient in our Good Vibes Only Detox Mask

Zen Activated Charcoal

How Activated Charcoal is made?

To make Activated Charcoal, the common process is to steam-activate the different types of common charcoal. The coal is heated, and then activated by putting it in a furnace at very high temperatures, normally between 600– 1,200 Degrees Celsius. This is done with steam and in the absence of any oxygen.

During the process all unstable compounds are eradicated, while layers of carbon atoms are stripped off creating a network of carbon pores.

What does that mean?

The Activated Charcoal is now so fine and porous that it can act like a magnet to capture and trap toxins and chemicals by adhering them to itself, pretty cool!

How Activated Charcoal Benefits your Skin


The best activated charcoal for skin comes from specific types of wood, and has a few names,

As well as the extensive documented use, Bamboo also has a remarkable microstructure especially known for it’s high absorptive capacity once carbonized. It is commonly said that the surface area of bamboo charcoal pores is 2~3 two times that of other wood charcoals.

Thus making it even more effective after going through the activation process, bamboo is also sustainable, and can benefit protecting the environment from pollutant residue, Win-win.


Try our Good Vibes Only Detox Mask now to get your deep pore cleanse and charcoal detox!