Black is the New Clean

If you're like me, you hop from one skin product to another. It's not for lack of the previous products not working, I just like to try new things. And every time I'm in the market for something new, I see one product (or thirty) with some form of charcoal in it. The trend popped up on a much smaller scale around the beginning of 2013, with the now famous konjac sponge gaining a lot of popularity. Ever since then, you can find any and every face product with charcoal in it. Here's the thing, though. Charcoal is actually one of those things that can back up it's own hype. Charcoal is something I like to call "hella." It's great. Find out more, below!

 

 

 

Black is the New Clean by lamodemoderne

 

  

Why is charcoal the new "it" baby? Well, it's basically a detox juice for you skin, think of it that way. When you take in a detox drink, what's in the drink sops up all the sludge in your body like a magnet, right? Same deal here. Charcoal attracts toxins and dirt to it like a hoover. It also absorbs oils better than just about any other natural product on the market. You can put it on your face, your hair, your body; you can even drink it. Not kidding.   

My favorite way to use it is to cleanse my skin. I have really weird skin, you guys. It's oily but it's really, really dry. If I don't stay on top if it, it gets flaky and then it gets break outs. I told you, it makes zero sense. I started using charcoal products about 3 months ago, and I have noticed an insane amount of difference.

 Around three months ago, I decided to jump onto the konjac sponge bandwagon with the Boscia Konjac Charcoal Sponge. I loved it. I switched quite recently to the Konjac Sponge from TheHut. It's equally as great and a bit cheaper, too! The great thing I find about the sponge, is that it's a great way to get the benefits of charcoal on a more chill scale. 

If you've got dry skin, not all charcoal products are going to work for you. A lot of them might dry you out, actually. But a sponge will make your skin glow, gently exfoliate, and help whatever cleanser you use to pull the dirt from your pores gently. If you're not too sure about charcoal in general, start right here with a sponge. 

Scrubs and cleansers are my very favorite way to use charcoal on my skin. My oily combo skin just adores the charcoal and reacts really well to it. I have a chronic redness problem. Some of it is just hyper-pigmentation and I cover it up with my favorite Dermablend foundation. But, a lot of the redness on my cheeks is from irritation. It doesn't itch or burn, but it's there. Charcoal cleansers and scrubs make the most amount of skin deep difference.

My all time favorite charcoal cleanser is the Dark Angels cleanser from LushUSA. It's got natural, skin-loving, feel good ingredients, and my skin just adores it. If you're on the drier side, I would steer clear, though. This is for oil slicks, like me. But damn does it do a good job. It also smells great ad every time I use it, my skin is much brighter. Always a plus. I use this twice a week because it is so intense. 

My everyday charcoal cleanser is this wonderful Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser. It keeps my redness at bay, cools my often very warm skin, and makes my skin feel incredibly clean. You guys know I wear makeup daily. When I use this cleanser I know there's not a trace left. Smells great and makes my skin look so healthy. If you're a bit drier, I recommend this one for you rather than the Lush cleanser. Your skin won't feel as tight, by far. 

 

 If you love a good mask like I do, the Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask is for you. While this product is marketed more towards people with acne prone skin, which my skin is not, I think it's good for all sin types, as long as you're not using it everyday. You shouldn't really be using masks every day, regardless, heads up. This is my favorite mask next to GlamGlow, and that's saying something. It's a great texture, comfortable to wear, and when you remove it, your skin feels really soft and glowing. My redness disappears when I use this and all my oil is gone and forgotten. 

My other two honorable mentions, the Biore Charcoal Pore Strips and the Freeman's Charcoal Polishing Mask are runner ups because while I love them for what they do, I very rarely use them. As of right now, my skin is pretty much under control. There was a time when that was not the case. One day, when I finally make my skin routine post, you'll see what I'm talking about. When I first started taking care of my skin, it was in really bad shape, I use these two products when I get a random streak of bad skin or, if I get some sort of terrible reaction to something. Or eat too much oil. Not going to lie. Anyway, the strips are amazing. When I get an influx of oil that I can't control with my normal routine, I get a ton of black heads around my nose. These strips clear them up after two uses. The polishing mask is more of a scrub. The directions call to leave it on, but I never do. This is for when my dryness is just out of control and I can't deal with the flakiness. Also, I will use this scrub the night before an audition or a big event. 

Charcoal is great for dry skin, oily skin, combo skin, and acne prone skin. Basically, if you've got skin, you really shouldn't be afraid of this stuff. It's all about finding what works better for your skin. Trial and error, yes. But the payoff is so worth it! 

My skincare routine post is coming and so is my post all about my journey with my skin. Hope you guys found this post helpful! Have you guys tried any charcoal products recently that you like? Want to know my charcoal recommendation for your skin type? Drop me a comment down below or tweet me!