Activated charcoal: the ultimate remedy for dull skin

What is Activated Charcoal, and why is it so effective in skin care? This powerful detoxifying ingredient is much more than it seems. Unlike the Charcoal typically found in a grill, Activated Charcoal is a carbonized, mineral-rich material that can adsorb more than 1,000 times its weight in positively-charged compounds.

Yes, you read that right: ADsorb! Unlike absorption, which is the entering of one substance by another, adsorption occurs when one substance adheres to the surface of another (think magnets). Charcoal is negatively-charged, so it attracts positively-charged compounds – such as deep-dwelling dirt and oil in the skin – to its surface..

Activated Charcoal, also called Activated Carbon, comes in many forms specific to many different uses. Dermalogica uses Activated Binchotan Charcoal, a special high-quality Charcoal made from Japanese Ubame Oak wood. This type of Charcoal is "activated" by an age-old process of extreme heating and rapid cooling, which yields millions of microscopic pores that are ideal for adsorbing impurities from the skin.

In hospital emergency rooms, food-grade Activated Charcoal is used to remove excess oil and impurities. Activated Charcoal is also used in regular household appliances, such as water filters, to remove or reduce chlorine, sediment, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), taste and odor from tap water.

Try Dermalogica's Daily Superfoliant resurfacing, anti-pollution powder exfoliant. This highly-active resurfacer delivers your smoothest skin ever, and helps fight environmental triggers known to accelerate skin aging.