You may have seen my video on how to whiten your teeth with charcoal, but did you know that its great for your skin too? With only a few simple ingredients, this charcoal face mask is quick and easy. You can get clearer skin, detox, and soften your skin with this simple DIY recipe.
How to Make a Charcoal Face Mask
You can make a beauty treatment at home that rivals expensive natural beauty brands with only a few simple ingredients:
Bentonite Clay for Cleansing
Bentonite clay comes from aged volcanic ash sediment, and is used to attract, trap and remove toxins from the body. It’s the perfect addition to a cleansing face mask, as once mixed with water it will help to remove any impurities on the skin. On its own it can be a little drying, which is one reason why I’ve included raw honey in the recipe too.
Raw Honey for Soft Skin
If you’re a regular here at Wellness Mama, then you’ll already know how big a fan I am of raw honey. It can naturally sweeten desserts, soothe a burn, and is antibacterial. It’s useful for a face mask as it softens and soothes skin, and is antibacterial for anyone suffering from acne or blemishes. You can read more recipes and info on raw honey here.
Activated Charcoal to Detoxify
And now we come to the key ingredient. Charcoal is widely used in emergency settings if internal poisoning is suspected for its ability to absorb toxins. When applied to the face, charcoal will help to absorb toxins and impurities on the skin.
Essential Oils for Skin Health
Essential oils can be a helpful addition to DIY skincare recipes and play a variety of roles. This recipe uses tea tree and lavender essential oil in particular for their ability to purify the skin. Tea tree is commonly used for acne because of its antimicrobial properties. Lavender is commonly recommended for skin health. The overall concentration is low and there’s only ½ drop of each essential oil per face mask, but it’s enough to get results.
Charcoal Face Mask Recipe
Use your natural medicine cabinet supplies to whip up a gentle but detoxifying face mask suitable for most skin types.
Charcoal Mask Ingredients
- 1 tsp bentonite clay
- 1 tsp activated charcoal powder
- 2 tsp water
- ½ tsp raw honey
- 1 drop each tea tree and lavender essential oil (optional)
Charcoal Mask Instructions
- In a small glass bowl add the water and essential oil.
- Sprinkle the bentonite clay over the top of the water mixture in the bow. Allow it to absorb for about 10 seconds before adding the rest of the ingredients. This makes the mixture easier to combine.
- Use a small rubber spatula to mash and mix everything together. The clay will want to stay lumpy, so this takes a few minutes to mix thoroughly. You’ll have enough mixture here for two face masks.
- Once your mask is mixed, apply it liberally to your face. Allow it to dry, about 10 minutes, before washing off with soap and warm water.
Note: This mask is meant to be used in one use and will not store well, as it does not contain preservatives.
Tips
- Charcoal can and will stain light-colored fabrics, and possibly your sink. Be sure to avoid getting it on your clothes, and immediately clean it off of your sink when using.
- This mask can be tough to get off, and gentle soap helps to get the rest of the charcoal off of your skin. Using a washcloth helps too, but it may permanently stain, so use an old one. A washcloth also scrubs the charcoal across the skin, which may be too irritating for some skin types.
- This charcoal face mask may be too drying for some skin types, especially after using soap to remove it. If you find your skin needs it, then apply a thin layer of oil, like sweet almond or pumpkin seed oil, or your favorite natural face lotion afterward.
What natural methods do you use to purify and detox your skin? Do you have a favorite detox face mask recipe?
I like how my face feels/looks right after I use clay, but for the next couple of mornings I get pimples. This happens every time I use Bentonite clay. Does any one have experience with or suggestions for this?
The clay is detoxing your skin.
Clay draws toxins from deep in the skin to the surface to be released. This can be in the form of pimples for some people.
Hello for the toothpaste is is ok to use peppermint extract as flavoring? Or does it need to be essential oil?
Wow…this is great. I’ve been looking for a recipe like this for a while now. I can’t wait to use it. Well, actually I’ll be using it tonight, so…lol. Is it okay to double this recipe or not? Should I do it in separate times? Just curious as to what would be best. Thanks for the recipe and future answer! 🙂
You should be able to double it without issue…
Thanks! I used it, and it worked perfectly, My skin felt amazing. And I was surprised with how well it came off in the shower, too. So thanks for this recipe! And I also have another question, which I could have just missed it when I was reading the recipe, but; how often can I use this mask? Like I was wondering if I could only use it once a month due to the charcoal? Thanks! 🙂
I use it once or twice a week without a problem… though I’d just pay attention to your skin
I have charcoal pills. Would I be able to just open them up and use that charcoal?
Yes…that’s what I do…I keep the charcoal capsules around and use them for lots of things!!
I have two beautification recipes that were given to me by my mother many years ago. The one that I am offering today utilizes only Honey your fingertips and propping your feet up.
Place a little honey in a little bowl. Then, recline on the floor (or a firm bed) and prop your feet up. Dip your fingertips (fingertips-both hands) in the little bowl of honey, and then, using your fingertips, gently press them to your face — all over your face — hope you’re not wearing glasses. Just pat your fingertips on your face. The honey will be a little sticky and then fingertips will stick more firmly and then finally they won’t stick at all. When your fingertips stop sticking, look at them -they’re covered with dead skin. Rinse your face off with plain water. You have just given yourself an exclusive and wonderful honey facial.
Wow, I love it! I’ll have to try this.
Cindy, your honey tip made all the difference my skins exfoliation. What’s your mom’s other tip:)?
I’m excited to try this! I’m with Kathleen… What’s your mother’s other secret?!
does this work with normal honey or raw honey?
I have tried to use your search tool and it has not worked says safari cannot open page
Is this happening for anyone else?
We recently made some technical changes to the website and are trying to get it fixed. So sorry for the inconvenience, it should be fixed soon!
I love mixing Dead Sea Mud with activated charcoal for a face mask. Don’t know why I never thought to add rae Honeycutt I’ll have to give that a try now. I use your charcoal and bentonite clay face soap exclusively on my face now because it’s so amazing. My favorite oil to moisturize my face with is red raspberry seed oil, are you familiar with it?
Grapeseed oil is more readily absorbed by the skin of the face and it is not expensive. My everyday face oil is this plus yang-yang and Damascus rose. Spritzing first with rose water then using oil locks in the moisture.
I generally only remove such masks with a lot of sightly-more-than-warm water, just keep rinsing until the mix comes off. Having said this, I have yet to add charcoal to this mix.
HI, THIS MAYBE A STUPID QUESTION, BUT CAN DIABETICS USE THIS?, BECAUSE IT HAS HONEY IN IT AND GET’S ABSORBED INTO THE SKIN.
It should be fine since it’s not ingested through the digestive system and it’s such a small amount. However, always check with your doctor if you have concerns…
I make a version of this myself an add yoghurt in winter or apple cider vinegar (diluted) sometimes sandalwood EO. It is a skin game changer.
Excited to try this recipe! Wondering if you think you can replace the bentonite clay with diatomaceous earth.
thx!
Kim
I haven’t tried, but if you do, let me know how it turns out!
I just tried this mask last night! All I can say is that my skin feels AMAZING! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi dear,
I am from india so my skin type is dry and wheatish, so is it okay to use this face mask twice a week?
I replaced the bentonite with DE because that’s what I had on hand. I also replaced the water with apple cider vinegar. I’d done acv & de masks before with a touch of carrot seed oil and it was great. This time the mixture really fizzed with the acv, so I hope some it wasn’t some kind of chemical reaction that would detract from the benefits of the charcoal. This time the mask wouldn’t thicken, even as I added more de, and it didn’t really sit on my skin, it kind of just dispersed without drying that well. I waited 15 minutes to wash it off in hopes that it would dry more. My skin does feel better after it, but I’m wondering if it would have been better if I’d followed the recipe.
I do have a successful tip for removing the mask: it’s called oil cleansing which you can do on its own when you want a deep and hydrating cleanse. After you’ve rinsed off what you can of the mask with just water, rub a small amount of olive oil into your skin, getting it into your pores. Then drape a wash cloth dampened with water as hot as you can stand it over your face. Wait until it cools. Wring it out, get it hot again, drape it over your face at least 1 or 2 more times. With the charcoal mask, on the second go, I gently rub the mask off with the washcloth. It all comes off easy peasy.