6 Best Charcoal Skin Care Products Everyday Health MenuNewslettersSearch Beauty Toolbox Best Charcoal Skin Care Products for Clearer Skin These six masks, soaps, and scrubs can help clarify and rejuvenate your skin. By Katherine LouieReviewed: August 3, 2018Fact-CheckedThese charcoal skin care products can help keep free radicals and impurities at bay. Ali Harper/StocksyAll products and services featured here are chosen for their potential to inspire and enable your wellness. Everyday Health may earn an affiliate commission on items you purchase. To keep your complexion in tip-top shape, it’s important to use products that nourish your skin while minimizing the damage caused by free radicals (molecules that cause skin damage and aging) in the environment. While there’s an abundance of products on the market that promise to improve your skin, charcoal face products have a unique advantage because they claim to naturally draw the impurities from your skin like a sponge. But the proposed benefits of activated charcoal aren’t new. “Activated charcoal has been used in hospital emergency rooms for decades to treat alcohol poisoning and overdoses. The charcoal draws the harmful toxins from the body so the body doesn't absorb them,” says Michele Green, MD, a dermatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. “Charcoal works the same way when used as a face mask.” Although most charcoal skin care products are used to treat oily or acne-prone skin, activated charcoal may also be used to help treat cellulite and body odor. “Because charcoal draws out impurities like dirt and oil, it’s a natural way to clean and clear your skin,” says Debra Jaliman, MD, a dermatologist with a private practice in New York City. Here are our picks for the best charcoal face masks and skin care. As a warning, even the best charcoal skin care products should not be used with retinols, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, or benzoyl peroxide. BIORÉ Self-Heating One Minute Mask This charcoal mask is great for those on the go, and it’s gentle enough to use once or twice a week. To use, apply the mask to a wet face (it’s activated by water) and gently massage your face for one minute — the mask will naturally heat up as you continue to massage. After one minute has passed, rinse thoroughly. “It’s made with natural charcoal to deep-clean pores, plus kaolin and menthol,” says Dr. Jaliman. The kaolin helps to exfoliate and absorb excess oil while the menthol reduces redness and increases circulation. See price on Walmart Julep Konjac Cleansing Sponge This super-gentle exfoliating sponge is made from all-natural Konjac Root and enriched with charcoal powder to help detoxify and clarify the skin. You can use it morning or night, and it’s designed for all skin types. See price on Nordstrom ORIGINS Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask If you regularly deal with dullness, uneven texture, enlarged pores, and oiliness, you may find some relief with this ultra-purifying mask. “This mask helps to get rid of environmental toxins and dirt that can clog pores and make the skin look dull,” says Jaliman. Additionally, the charcoal helps to absorb excess oil and prevent future breakouts from forming. Use one to two times per week for the most noticeable results. See price on Jet.com Yes to Tomatoes Activated Charcoal Bar Soap This bar soap for face and body is one of the best charcoal skin products that you can buy online right now. It may help naturally remove and absorbs impurities from the skin, and it will leave your skin feeling clean and hydrated (unlike most bar soaps). Bonus: it’s available at most drugstores. See price on Walmart Boscia Luminizing Black Charcoal Mask Boscia’s peel-off mask is a Sephora best-seller for a reason. “It contains both black and white activated charcoal, so your skin will be super clean,” says Dr. Green. Boscia is one of the world’s first botanically based skin care lines, so all of their products contain a healthy dose of botanicals — and this face mask is no exception. In addition to activated charcoal, it contains jojoba, honeysuckle flower extract, rosemary leaf oil, eucalyptus leaf oil, and willowherb. Jojoba in particular may help with inflammation, suggests a December 2013 review in the Journal of the Italian Society of Dermatology and Sexually Transmitted Diseases. See price on Sephora Brooklyn Botany Activated Charcoal Scrub You can use Brooklyn Botany’s Activated Charcoal Scrub on both your face and your body. In addition to activated charcoal, it uses Dead Sea salt and essential oils to exfoliate, moisturize, and rejuvenate. It can also be used to eliminate skin itchiness and odor on your underarms, your feet, and your scalp. See price on Amazon NEWSLETTERS Sign up for our Healthy Skin Newsletter SubscribeBy subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The Latest in Beauty Toolbox Do LED Light Masks Really Work LED light therapy devices, including masks, have the potential to give you smoother, clearer skin. Read this before trying the skin-care trend.By Jessica MigalaNovember 19, 2021 Which Serum Is Right for Your Skin Concern If you don’t have a serum in your arsenal, here’s how one can help lessen lines, banish breakouts, and erase dark spots.By Jessica MigalaMay 15, 2020 Smart Health I Tried the Ziip Microcurrent Device for Acne — and It Worked Kind Of By Tiarra MukherjeeMarch 25, 2020 The Truth About 7 Home Skin-Care Devices That Claim to Give You Glowing SkinDIY skin care is convenient, but whether pricey tools are worth your time and money is up for debate.By Tiarra MukherjeeMarch 24, 2020 Pimple Patches What They Are How They Work and the Best BrandsBy Jessica MigalaNovember 4, 2019 What Are Jade Rollers and Do They Work Fans use jade rollers in hopes of smoothing their skin, revving radiance, and more — but research doesn’t prove they’re legit. Here’s what dermatologists...By Jessica MigalaOctober 9, 2019 7 Best Face Masks for Every Skin ConcernBrighten skin, smooth lines, boost hydration, and more with these dermatologist-approved ingredients and products.By Jessica MigalaOctober 2, 2019 I Put Snail Slime on My Face for 1 Month Here Are the ResultsBy Tiarra MukherjeeAugust 7, 2019 Best Soothing Creams and Moisturizers to Help Tame EczemaYou can help hydrate your skin and ease eczema symptoms with these calming lotions and moisturizers.By Anne L. FritzSeptember 5, 2018 The Best Natural and Essential Oils to Help Soothe Eczema-Prone SkinWant to go natural? With your dermatologist's okay, these nourishing oils may be an appropriate addition to your eczema treatment regimen.By Katherine LouieSeptember 5, 2018 See AllMORE IN 10 Rules for Washing Your Face Dermatologist Dos and Don ts Sunscreen Glossary Decoding Every SPF Term You Need to Know Essential Oils and Cancer