Someone Put Grill Charcoal on Their Face!
Discover the science behind activated charcoal's purifying power. Learn how adsorption works at the molecular level to deep clean pores, remove toxins, and balance oily skin without stripping your natural moisture barrier.
Should you put charcoal on your face, and does it detox skin? First, never use grill or barbecue charcoal on your skin: it is a cooking fuel, not a cosmetic, and can contain binders and accelerants. Cosmetic-grade activated charcoal is a different, purified material, and even that does not detox your skin. Here is what it honestly does.
At Opuliss, we use charcoal for what it really does, and we do not claim it pulls toxins from your skin.
Is grill charcoal skincare?
Barbecue and grill charcoal (briquettes, lump charcoal, anything lighter-treated) is made for heat, not skin, and can carry binders and fuel additives. It has no place in a routine. The charcoal in cleansers and masks is cosmetic-grade activated charcoal, processed and purified for topical use.
What does activated charcoal actually do?
Activated charcoal is carbon processed to be extremely porous. In a rinse-off product that porous surface binds, or adsorbs, oil and debris it touches on the skin's surface, which then rinse away. It is a physical surface effect, nothing more.
Does charcoal detox the skin?
There is no route by which a rinse-off product sitting on the surface can pull toxins from inside the skin. A peer-reviewed dermatology review concluded that while activated charcoal is generally safe, clinical evidence does not support the acne, exfoliating, or anti-aging claims often made for it.1 We do not make them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use grill or barbecue charcoal on your face? +
No. Barbecue and grill charcoal is made for heat, not skin, and can carry binders and fuel additives, so it has no place in a routine. The charcoal in cleansers and masks is cosmetic-grade activated charcoal, processed and purified for topical use.
Does activated charcoal pull toxins from your skin? +
No. There is no route by which a rinse-off product sitting on the surface can pull toxins from inside the skin.
What does activated charcoal do in a cleanser? +
In a rinse-off product its porous surface binds, or adsorbs, oil and debris it touches on the skin's surface, which then rinse away. It is a physical surface effect, nothing more.
References
- Sanchez N, Fayne R, Burroway B. Charcoal: an ancient material with a new face. Clin Dermatol. 2020;38(2):262-264. PMID 32513407. doi.org/10.1016/j.clindermatol.2019.07.025
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