Do you have oily or combination skin? You may want to consider incorporating charcoal into your skin care regimen.
Sure, charcoal is totally on trend right now and may seem like a fad, but it's for good reason. Charcoal absorbs oil and draws out toxins and bacteria from the skin.
Those of us with this skin type know that excess oil leads to clogged pores, which leads to blemishes. Bacteria, transferred by way of constantly touching your face or even tampering with those blemishes, only leads to more blemishes. It's a vicious cycle my friends.
I decided to give a few charcoal products a try (and my teen son's were also game to clear up their acne.)
These are the current charcoal skin care products in my shower right now:
Michael Todd Charcoal Detox Cleanser: With a black, semi gel-like consistency, this cleanser comes in a pretty large bottle with a pump. I didn't notice a fragrance to it, but what was noticeable was how amazing my skin looked after using this for a few months. Even my oldest son, who is always broken out with acne all over his forehead, had a large decrease since using this cleanser.
Aside from activated charcoal, this cleanser also contains aloe, which will help soothe acne flare-ups; tea tree oil, an anti-bacterial; and sugar cane, maple and bilberry extract for retexturizing the skin.
Michael Todd Jojoba Charcoal Facial Scrub: This gritty, black facial scrub doesn't really have a smell to it. It's not greasy at all and the texture is like a paste. This activated charcoal facial scrub uses jojoba wax beads to exfoliate, which are gentler on skin and won't scrape it up (like say a scrub with apricot kernels would.) So while you slough off the dead skin, the charcoal is taking care of the excess oil and bacteria. This scrub also contains tea tree oil like the detox cleanser. (The tube pictured is trial size; the full size is much bigger.)
LATHER Charcoal and Tea Tree Cleansing Bar: When is the last time you had a black bar of soap in your shower? My kids were perplexed when they saw it. You can smell the tea tree oil in this soap, but it's not overwhelming. Keep the bar away from water when not in use, and it will last a ridiculously long time. I've been using it for about 2 months now and it looks like I've barely touched it. Simply rub the bar in your palms and then massage onto your face and then rinse.
LATHER Charcoal Konjac Sponge: Get one of these STAT. I've never used a konjac sponge prior to this, so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. It looks like a pumice stone - even feels like one when you take it out of the package. However, the moment water touched it, it immediately became this silky sponge. You can use it alone or with a cleanser. When I pair it with my Michael Todd Detox Cleanser, it makes it lather (so use only a small amount.) When you're done, keep it out of water. It'll dry back to it's hard, pumice-like state. It is literally amazing and I love it.
Obviously I don't use these products all at once, but I do consistently alternate them daily to keep my skin blemish-free.
Have you tried any of these products? I'd love to hear from you!
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As much as travelling is one of my favourite things in life, often the change in climate and environment is not always that much fun for my skin.
Sometimes our skin needs a quick fix to get it back on track. For me, removing impurities and controlling shine is key, especially in humid climates. nügg has just released these fantastic pocket-sized face mask pods that are small enough to fit in your hand luggage, so they are very travel-friendly!
No matter how many trips I've done, I always seem to bring everything except the kitchen sink with me and have a constant battle with the lid of my suitcase and the zip. (Sound familiar??) So, as you can imagine, any space-saving beauty product has me rejoicing.
These face mask pods come in different targeted treatments. I recently tried the Black Charcoal Skin Detox face mask. This mask has a calming effect on the skin due to the soothing oatmeal; keep impurities at bay due to the tea tree oil and controls shine without drying out the skin.
I was impressed with how much goodness is packed into each one of these tiny pods. Ten minutes is all you need to have fresh, clean and soft skin, so it's perfect if you're short of time and your skin needs a quick pick-me-up.
The mask has a gel-like consistency and the smell is divine - it smells as if you are at a spa having a facial. What’s best, is that it’s made from 97% natural ingredients so your skin is being fed with only the best! There are no parabens, synthetic fragrances or colours.
nügg face masks are available in different combinations depending on your skin type and are available to buy in Beauty Mart, Selfridges, Selfridges.com, Fenwick’s, Beauty Bay and soon to launch in John Lewis. In the US, you can purchase them on Amazon.
Have you tried them yet yourself?
Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too!
