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While the use of many natural substances have been prevalent since time immemorial, many
have lost their credence for reasons unknown. One such magic compound is activated charcoal,
which is now fast gaining ground in the medical and cosmetic industry once again. In order to
discover all the benefits it has to offer, one must first fully understand the substance itself, along
with how it may be used. By understanding the product fully, one can find use of the substance
anywhere and everywhere!

What is Activated Charcoal?

The very process of obtaining activated charcoal is what distinguishes it from ordinary charcoal.
While charcoal is commonly made from peat, wood, petroleum, or coconut shell, treating it with
steam under a high temperature between 950°C – 1100°C activates it into a porous form with
small-sized pores. These tiny pores are responsible for making the substance’s surface area
larger. So even though it doesn’t have a high absorption tendency, a larger surface area
ensures a larger amount of absorption to take place in the same time. This makes activated
charcoal highly absorbent – a property that comes to find not one but many uses in our daily life.

Why Activated Charcoal?

In a state of unawareness people often tend to make the mistake of considering charcoal and its
activated form to be the same. However, while ingesting the common black blocks used to warm
you up on a chilly night may be a bad idea, treating it under the right conditions produces a form
of the substance known to treat multiple ailments and aid beauty. Activated charcoal is actually
being used in the form of charcoal tablets, consumed once in a while to absorb toxins from the
body. Read further to know how.

Medicinal Uses

Due to its highly porous nature, this substance makes a great absorbent and is also considered
a great cure to poisoning. Moreover, charcoal being negatively charged, tends to attract
positively charged toxins. Ingesting a charcoal tablet in case of poisoning is a commonly
prevalent practice in many homes and hospitals across the world. These tablets ensure that all
the harmful substances in ones body are accumulated and absorbed into their surface area.
Since charcoal itself doesn’t get absorbed by the body, it is safely passed out by the human
body during routine excretion. For the same reasons, they are also used to treat other ailments
like dysentery, flatulence, etc. and thus makes for a feasible travel must-have. Apart from this,
activated charcoal is often used as an absorbent of bad cholesterol and fish odour, though such
claims are still not backed by relevant scientific data. For superior effect, it is advised to ingest a
dosage at least 1 hour before or 2-3 hours after a meal.

Other Uses

If this earthy black substance is found to be administered in every other hospital now, hearing
about an activated charcoal face wash and similar cosmetic products is no new trivia either. The
powder used in face masks and face washes tends to attract dirt, oil, and toxins from the skin’s
pores, resulting in bright skin that is healthier and cleaner. However, it is advisable to use any
product in a balance and under complete understanding of its usage. For instance, activated
charcoal toothpaste may be best used as a supplement to one’s everyday-use fluoride based
toothpaste. This will ensure whiter teeth without any damage that may otherwise be caused by
the abrasiveness of the substance. Its instanct effect is thus an ideal solution to those
spontaneous outings and feel-good days.

Used in moderation, this composite can be used in multiple spheres of life for desired effects.
So the next time you’re preparing to travel light, you know the one thing that can do the work of
ten!