One of my favorite natural beauty ingredients is charcoal.  It's inexpensive, and it is so, so wonderful for your skin.  I love using it for a DIY charcoal face mask because it unclogs pores like nothing else can.  Activated charcoal draws dirt, chemicals, bacteria, and other icky gunk to the surface of your skin.  If you remember skin care 101, these are the things that get in to your pores and cause pimples and blackheads.  Using a charcoal mask once a week can do wonders to improve your complexion, even fighting those stubborn blackheads on your nose.   Since charcoal pulls debris from your pores, it can actually make pores look smaller.  Since charcoal can also help speed up the healing process, it can also help heal existing blemishes.  Considering this natural product can both treat and prevent acne, it's no wonder it's found in so many beauty products!

DIY Charcoal Face Mask Recipe

Charcoal works because it has millions of small spores, which is where it traps chemicals, dirt, oil, and toxins.  Charcoal has a negative charge, but toxins have a positive charge.  The nasty stuff that's in your pores is attracted to and absorbed by the charcoal, so when you rinse it off, the nasty stuff goes away too.  This recipe also uses bentonite clay, which works in a similar way to charcoal to pull the nasty stuff out of your skin.  

Charcoal can stain countertops and grout.  Wear an old shirt and use an old towel to protect surfaces.

What You Need

• 1 tablespoon activated charcoal powder
• 1/2 teaspoon bentonite clay
• Rose water or tap water

Directions

This isn't a recipe that uses exact measurements for the liquid.  Mix the charcoal and the bentonite clay together in a bowl.  Be sure to use a plastic bowl and wooden or plastic spoon; don't use metal because it can take away the charge from the clay and the charcoal.  Then add either rose water or tap water to make a thick paste.  

Spread on your face with your fingers or a brush and let sit for 15 minutes.  This mask will tighten, and you'll feel like your face has petrified.  This is normal.  

Once it's dried, rinse very well.  This mask can seem like it takes forever to rinse off, so I usually apply it before I get in the shower.  The constant flow of warm water really helps loosen the mask, but it will still take a few minutes of rinsing.  

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