Why Activated Charcoal is the Next Coconut Oil
In the beauty world, the term Holy Grail refers to a product that has become indispensable in a person’s routine; it is the ultimate in its category— a product a person just can’t live without. In the natural beauty world, coconut oil has long been considered a holy grail item for its myriad benefits and uses though in recent years, its popularity has become even more mainstream and is now a beloved beauty staple on a mass scale. There is a popular meme “I got 99 problems and coconut solved all of them”.
Lately, there’s been a “new” kid on the block and one that’s just as incredibly useful as coconut oil— activated charcoal. Of course activated charcoal as a health and beauty product is not really new at all. The Ancient Egyptians were using it way back in 1500 B.C. to absorb the smells that came from open wounds and to heal intestinal issues!
But lately, activated charcoal has been gaining in popularity in modern times as so many people are catching on to the dangers of chemical and toxin-filled beauty products. It has an incredible number of uses for both emergency and everyday ailments as well as for lots of health and beauty concerns. Yes, activated charcoal is the next coconut oil and we have six reasons to explain why.
But first – what is activated charcoal and how does it work? Activated charcoal is regular charcoal being heated in the presence of gas; the gas and heat work together to create tiny pores inside the charcoal that help trap and neutralize toxins. It has a Category 1, Safe and Effective rating from the FDA for acute poisoning and can be bought over the counter in both powder and pill form.
Six Beneficial Ways to Use Activated Charcoal
Detoxing
Using activated charcoal for a general detox is a safe and gentle way to help your body rid itself of environmental and food-based toxins that have been building up inside your digestive tract over time. There are many special activated charcoal plans, juices and shakes on the market that you can buy but detoxing with activated charcoal is really quite simple.
Just take 2-3 doses of 30 grams of activated charcoal twice a week. You can either take it in pill form or use the powder to mix it with a juice or tea. Be sure to avoid unhealthy food and beverage on the days you take the charcoal so it can properly cleanse your system!
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Food poisoning/hangover remedy
If you’re in more immediate need of serious relief either from a bout of mild food poisoning or overindulgence in wine, try taking an activated charcoal pill. The detoxifying effects will help ease your discomfort from food poisoning quickly and safely.
As for the hangover, while activated charcoal can’t cleanse your body of the alcohol directly, it can help neutralize the sulfates, sugars, and other chemicals found in common mixers that are causing you so much misery!
Gas/Bloating
Doctors in the Dark Ages are known to have used activated charcoal to treat their patients with a variety of indigestion issues. The gas build-up many of us experience after eating certain foods can be easily remedied with an activated charcoal pill! It’s a cheaper and safer alternative than many of the manufactured digestive drugs.
Skincare
Use activated charcoal to help keep your skin smooth, hydrated and blackhead-free. An activated charcoal face mask will help pull the toxins, dirt and build-up from your pores so that your skin has a fresh, airbrushed appearance every day!
To make the mask, just mix equal parts activated charcoal powder, aloe vera gel (for the skin-soothing benefits) and tea tree oil (for the anti-bacterial properties) and water in a bowl and combine until the mixture is a paste-like consistency. Spread over your face and let sit for about 30 minutes before rinsing with warm water.
Teeth Whitening
Activated charcoal is one of the most effective ways to whiten your teeth naturally. Those toxin-banishing pores in the charcoal help gently neutralize and lift surface stains on your teeth without pulling off the necessary enamel as many more abrasive teeth whitening products would.
To use, simply mix a 1/2 tablespoon of powdered activated charcoal with a 1/2 teaspoon of water, mix well and spread over your teeth. Let sit for 3-7 minutes and rinse.
Water filtration
The detoxifying benefits of activated charcoal for your skin and teeth also work when it comes to purifying your water. Pesticides, waste and other unwanted chemicals and toxins in your regular drinking water are zapped from the h20 after being filtered through activated charcoal. There are a number of affordable and easy-to-use activated charcoal water filtration systems on the market for you to use to help keep your family’s drinking water safe.
So, thinking about all the uses of coconut oil combined with all the benefits of activated charcoal, it seems like many of the expensive, chemical-laden products in your medicine cabinet are pretty unnecessary, right? Used together, they’re a pretty dynamic duo of natural beauty products! Hopefully this list has inspired you to try it for yourself!
