7 Uses for Activated Charcoal

If you’ve been on the internet in recent years, chances are you’ve heard of all the uses for activated charcoal and everything it can do for your health, beauty and home. However, it might come off as a bit confusing at first glance. How many ways can you use activated charcoal exactly? Even though there are so many different options available, you might find a favorite or two that you latch onto, or you might totally run the gamut. Here are a few different ways that you can use activated charcoal.

1. Teeth Whitening

This is one of the most popular options for using activated charcoal, mostly because it’s proven time and time again, year after year, that it absolutely works. There are a few ways to use activated charcoal as a teeth whitening tool, and each of them have their own advantages — but they all definitely work. While many people brush directly with the activated charcoal powder, some people would rather find an activated charcoal toothpaste that does everything in one. You can even mix the powder with coconut oil, which also has teeth whitening properties. 

2. Skincare

Activated charcoal actually has a lot of history with skincare. While some people believe in activated charcoal for skin lightening, it has a variety of other properties that can add to the health and wellness of your skin. Yes, regular charcoal use can help to reduce discoloration and scarring by easing the inflammation and getting rid of dead skin cells, and this is true because it’s a natural physical exfoliant that isn’t strong enough to damage the moisture barrier. Additionally, activated charcoal can help to cleanse and shrink pores, retain natural moisture and soothe acne inflammation. Really, it’s a one-stop shop for a variety of skin concerns. 

3. Deodorant

Did you know that activated charcoal is often used in deodorant to absorb moisture, bacteria and toxins. While you can’t use plain activated charcoal as a deodorant on its own, you might see it on the ingredient list for many natural deodorants. Since it’s highly porous, it can absorb impurities and toxins, setting you up for a much fresher day.

4. Wound Care

You might need to be a little more careful with this one, but there is evidence to suggest that activated charcoal can help with disinfecting wounds and injuries when done correctly. Specifically, it can adsorb and neutralize the bacterial toxins locally released and reduce the inappropriate high level of cytokines in wound exudate of chronic wounds, helping them to heal faster. This is why there are certain wound care essentials available with activated charcoal infused into them such as bandages and wound dressings. However, you should be careful to avoid using activated charcoal in place of other antibacterial agents, especially if your doctor or medical professional advises you otherwise. 

5. Water Cleansing

Another one of the uses of activated charcoal that you might want to think about carefully is its ability to cleanse and filter water. Since activated charcoal can absorb toxins and remove contaminants and impurities, there are plenty of water filtration systems and even portable filters that use activated charcoal to filter impurities. However, make sure that you check the details of the specific filter you’re purchasing if you want to go this route, as cleansing water is an important part of keeping you hydrated and healthy.

6. Digestive System

Now for those little capsules that everyone has been talking about. Can you actually ingest activated charcoal? And what does it do when you do? Well, they essentially help to detox your whole system and improve your entire digestive function. Although there aren’t a ton of studies on this, there is sufficient evidence to encourage those who are experiencing things like diarrhea, an upset stomach or even nausea to give these little pills a try. 

7. Hangover Cures

This one is another that might make some skeptical, but some people swear by it. This makes a bit of sense, considering the digestive detox activated charcoal can offer. If you’re experiencing a hangover, you might do well to pop a supplement with activated charcoal in it. As long as you drink plenty of fluids and stay hydrated, activated charcoal might just act as a helper to make the headache and upset stomach disappear a little faster than usual.

Uses for Activated Charcoal

There really is almost nothing this mineral can’t do. From skincare to teeth whitening and even curing a pesky hangover, activated charcoal really has a lot to offer. No matter your choice use for this mineral, you might just keep discovering more and more uses. How do you like to use activated charcoal?