While washing your face every day is a must, many of us choose not to lather our hair, but instead opt for a bun that is suitable for dirty hair or a few sprays of dry shampoo to keep our hair fresh. However, if you don’t wash your hair the next day (three, four, or five days), your hair may feel a little greasy or heavy and can’t continue. To do this, we turn to cleansing shampoos, masks, scrubs and serums – especially those that contain charcoal.
Today, charcoal-containing products are everywhere on beauty shelves. But does it really work? If it works, how does it work?
What Is Charcoal?
Activated carbon is an active powder that is a by-product of carbon-containing materials. It is a fine, odorless, tasteless, and non-toxic ingredient. It is porous and negatively charged, which helps to adsorb grease, pollutants, dirt, and debris. In fact, this purifying property is why activated charcoal is sometimes used in medical settings to lavage the stomach after someone has taken a drug or poison.
The Benefits of Charcoal for Hair
While this ingredient was initially popular in charcoal skincare products, it is now found in hair and scalp care products. Especially on the scalp, where we have many more pores than the rest of the body – there are hundreds of thousands to millions in total – the sebum system is more active than the rest, so we are susceptible to everything that sticks to the hair and enters the scalp through the scalp, from smoke and pollutants to chemicals, bacteria, dirt and sludge or toxins in products or processes.
Charcoal has a variety of benefits for hair, including:
- Deep cleansing: Charcoal is often found in “detoxification” products or products designed to restore hair to its original shape. It’s good for oily, oily hair and hair covered in product residue as it helps to draw oil and trapped dead skin cells away from the scalp.
- Oil Absorption: It also absorbs excess sebum to help balance the scalp and prevent hair roots and dry hair from becoming greasy or looking heavy and flat. It also relieves the build-up of excess product on the hair roots and scalp.
- Exfoliation: Unlike a scalp salt scrub, charcoal is not an exfoliation in the traditional sense. Instead, it acts like a magnet that attracts certain elements to be sucked out and removed from the scalp, roots, and hair shaft.
- Deodorization: As Kim explains, charcoal has a deodorizing effect because it removes impurities (and sometimes smelly) from the hair.
- Anti-itching/healing: Charcoal can also relieve scalp pain or discomfort. It relieves itchy scalp and is helpful for patient groups with acne or oily seborrheic dermatitis.
- Volumizing: Charcoal can also be used as a volumizing agent! Charcoal can help with thinning, flat, or oily hair and scalp issues. It will make the hair build up and make the hair look thicker and fuller.
Activated Charcoal Vs. Charcoal
In skin care, activated charcoal replaces non-activated charcoal. Activated charcoal undergoes a gas heating process to increase its absorption properties and make it safe for topical use, while charcoal (made by burning wood in low-oxygen conditions) can be used as a source of cooking, heating, and fuel.
How to Use Charcoal for Your Hair
In general, carbon-containing products fall under the therapeutic category. They don’t need to be used every day and shouldn’t be used every day. Depending on the condition of your hair and scalp, charcoal can be used every seven to ten days, as a scrub or clarifying shampoo, in more extreme cases, sometimes weekly or twice a week, for specific treatments, or in extreme cases, when the product has a heavy build-up, excessive sweating (sometimes seen in athletes), or when environmental pollutants are more severe.
- Use it as a scrub: You can use activated charcoal powder to make your own home care products. It can also be used as a DIY hair scrub by simply mixing two tablespoons of activated charcoal powder with a base such as coconut oil, massaging it into the scalp, letting it sit for about 20 minutes, and then rinsing off.
- Make a detox shampoo: To replace scrubs faster, add some activated charcoal powder to a mild shampoo and shake well before use.
- Choose products that contain activated charcoal: Activated charcoal is what you want to use. Its structure is like a sponge; It has a bumpy surface, so toxins stick to it before they are washed away. Anyone using scalp medication should use activated charcoal, as it is inert and there are no reports of allergic reactions. This helps prevent charcoal from interfering with the absorption of the drug.
- Choose Binchotan: Binchotan attracts and sucks out impurities from the scalp, providing the best foundation for scalp health. The hair follicles are then free to focus on the hair cycle, and during the release and growth phases, the hair follicles will be cleaner, clearer, and unobstructed. (Basically, by cleansing and removing buildup from your scalp, hair will grow more easily).
Considerations for Hair Types
Charcoal is the best option for those who have difficulty balancing their scalp or scalp rashes, dandruff, or excess oil. Oily hair benefits the most, as oily hair tends to have an odor if not washed properly. Charcoal removes impurities and the smell that comes with it.
That being said, most charcoal shampoos or treatments can be used on any hair type without over-drying the scalp or strands, disrupting the natural hair texture, curl patterns, or changes in the cuticles, or affecting color-treated hair.
Charcoal-containing products can also be used as a natural alternative to medicated shampoos. Still, it’s a good idea to check the product label or ask the brand if the product is safe to use for hair coloring.
Potential Side Effects
Although rare, hair care products containing charcoal may cause allergic reactions. While charcoal itself is unlikely to cause an allergic reaction, other ingredients in the shampoo can. If you experience adverse side effects such as scalp tingling or burning, rash, redness, irritation, or peeling after using charcoal hair products, discontinue use and consult a certified dermatologist.
At Last
Activated charcoal is a fine, odorless, odorless, and non-toxic by-product of carbonaceous materials that is commonly used in skin care and hair care products such as shampoos, masks, scrubs, and serums. Its porous state and negative charge help to attract, absorb, and cleanse the scalp of buildup, pollutants, and oils, as well as plump hair and deodorize. While safe for all hair types, charcoal or the accompanying ingredients in charcoal hair care products may cause allergic reactions. If you notice any side effects on your scalp after use, such as stinging, burning, rash, redness, irritation, or peeling, consult a certified dermatologist.