Lately I’ve been working with activated charcoal and loving it. This is an amazing detoxing tool for your health and we’ll explore that another day but today let’s talk about how activated charcoal can help your skin! Like with the body, activated charcoal work by pulling out toxins. Using it in a DIY activated charcoal healing salve can be so helpful if you’re suffering from bug bites, rashes or skin infections!
Activated charcoal is a super porous substance that is extremely effective in drawing out dirt, grime, bacteria and even poisons from the skin. Activated charcoal can be used for extracting splinters, venom, relieving itchiness, relieving stomach bugs, curing hangovers and it even whitens teeth! It actually has a magnetic charge that attracts impurities to it. Activated charcoal is required by law to be part of the standard equipment on ambulances, in case of poisoning!
While there are many different ways to create skin care with activated charcoal, I decided to make a salve that will relieve bug bites, and can even be used as a spot treatment for blemishes! This ingredient can absorb 1,000 times it’s weight in harmful substances so you can see why it could be very helpful with extracting venom from mosquitos, spiders and snakes! Not only will it extract what the bug left, it will also help heal and reduce swelling and itching. This salve contains all natural ingredients and is super healthy for your skin! Not only will this salve pull out impurities, it will also regenerate and heal the skin.
Feel free to use it on cuts and scrapes as well. I’ve even used this to extract a splinter. It takes about 2 days but it’s great when it’s too painful to remove.
DIY Activated Charcoal Healing Salve
1/2 cup coconut oil (find HERE)
15 caps of activated charcoal (3 tsp.) (find HERE)
3 tsp. bentonite clay (find HERE)
15 drops lavender essential oil (find HERE)
10 drops tea tree essential oil (find HERE)
5 drops chamomile essential oil (find HERE)
Directions:
- Fill a medium sized pot 1/2 way full with water. Place a glass pyrex bowl in the water.
- Turn the stove to medium heat.
- Add coconut oil and beeswax and allow to melt slowly.
- Remove from heat and add clay and activated charcoal. Hint: It took me a bit too long to pull apart 15 capsule of activated charcoal-by the time I got them added I needed to put my mixture back on the stove to melt it again. It would be an extra bowl to clean but it would be better to have your charcoal ready to go before you pull you mixture off the heat.
- Add essential oils and stir.
- Pour into a glass container and allow to cool, periodically stirring so the activated charcoal doesn’t sink to the bottom.
DIY Activated Charcoal Healing Salve
While there are many different ways to create skin care with activated charcoal, I decided to make a salve that will relieve bug bites, and can even be used as a spot treatment for blemishes! Â
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut oilÂ
- 1 TBSP. beeswax
- 15 caps of activated charcoal (3 tsp.)Â
- 3 tsp. bentonite clay
- 15 drops lavender essential oilÂ
- 10 drops tea tree essential oilÂ
- 5 drops chamomile essential oilÂ
Instructions
- Fill a medium sized pot 1/2 way full with water. Place a glass pyrex bowl in the water.
- Turn the stove to medium heat.
- Add coconut oil and beeswax and allow to melt slowly.
- Remove from heat and add clay and activated charcoal. Hint: It took me a bit too long to pull apart 15 capsule of activated charcoal-by the time I got them added I needed to put my mixture back on the stove to melt it again. It would be an extra bowl to clean but it would be better to have your charcoal ready to go before you pull you mixture off the heat.
- Add essential oils and stir.
- Pour into a glass container and allow to cool, periodically stirring so the activated charcoal doesn’t sink to the bottom.
Notes
- Apply a small amount to cuts, bug bites, splinters or blemishes.
- Leave on as long as you can. If it’s not a blemish, I would put a band aid over the salve and leave on overnight. If it is a blemish, apply it and leave it exposed.
- Reapply as often as needed if extracting a splinter. Â My daughter had a deep one and it took 2 days and 2 applications covered with bandages.
- **You could also use this salve as a facial mask. Leave on for 10 minutes then remove with a soapy cleanser. Follow up with a cleanser because while it’s absorbing all the yuckies in your skin, it will also absorb beneficial oils and water.
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To Use:
- Apply a small amount to cuts, bug bites, splinters or blemishes.
- Leave on as long as you can. If it’s not a blemish, I would put a band aid over the salve and leave on overnight. If it is a blemish, apply it and leave it exposed.
- Reapply as often as needed if extracting a splinter. My daughter had a deep one and it took 2 days and 2 applications covered with bandages.
**You could also use this salve as a facial mask. Leave on for 10 minutes then remove with a soapy cleanser. Follow up with a cleanser because while it’s absorbing all the yuckies in your skin, it will also absorb beneficial oils and water.
Be careful because this salve might stain. I found it hard to get off my measuring spoons. While I didn’t get it on my clothing, my guess is that it would be an issue!
Also, any clay for the skin will work. You could use bentonite clay, french green clay, or even kaolin clay. I used french green clay. As far as essential oils go, you could chose any you like. I chose these 3 for their healing and cleansing properties. Chamomile adds such a beautiful smell to the lavender and tea tree, plus it’s incredibly calming to the skin.
I’m really excited to delve deeper into activated charcoal. This time, I focused most of my research on using it topically so the little I did see about ingesting it sounded amazing. I’m dumbfounded that activated charcoal can absorb 1,000x it’s weight and that it absorbs metals like mercury. I’ll post more once I learn more!
Anyone have any experience with activated charcoal? Please share!
xx, Jenni
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I have used activated charcoal to whiten my teeth and can honestly say that it works. although it’s very messy. I did it over a stainless steel sink, and used a separate toothbrush. Now I am able to maintain the whiteness with a hydrogen peroxide rinse most mornings. I’ve also mixed it with just a bit of water and dabbed it on a blemish, but your salve sounds much better! I can’t wait to see the other ways you come up with to use it!
You are damaging your teeth! Any dentist would tell you not to do that regularly!! Too much brushing with charcoal will cause tooth abrasion (damages your enamel causing tooth sensitivity for life) and hydrogen peroxide should not be used regularly! It kills ondoblast cells in the center of the tooth and makes your teeth sensitive.
Just wondering, can I remove beeswax from the ingredients list?
Mai-If you do, you will have a liquid. This would be fine but messy. Maybe you could put it in a pump or spray? The coconut oil will firm up a bit but probably not enough. Beeswax helps form a protective layer but it’s main purpose is to thicken oils. Thanks!
Can you recommend using something other than chamomile in this recipe? I am going camping in two days and want to make this to bring with me but I do not have chamomile.
Thank you!
Cindy-4 days later-you’re probably home from your camping trip-so sorry. But yes, you could omit it all together. Lavender works great on it’s own! Hope your trip was good!
Hi! Absolutely love your blog and recipes! Do you know an approximate amount the 15 capsules of active charcoal make?
Patricia-Thank you so much!! 15 caps is 3 teaspoons.
I used activated charcoal recently for flu symptoms and once I started drinking the charcoal my stomach was well enough to eat small amounts and I never threw up. I was better in a couple of days and took the charcoal consistently every 4-6 hours or when my stomach became upset.
CJ-Thanks for sharing! I’m so glad to have found something that could stop a stomach bug! They’re the worst!
Hi!
Thank you for your recipes!!
Could you tell me how long does this awesome salve last?
Thanks again!
Hi Vivi! It lasts 6 mos.!
How would you store this?
Aspen-I store mine in a glass jar. It should keep for about 6 mos.
Can this be frozen to extend the expiration?
Diane-I don’t think it would work right if you froze it-I think the consistency would be off after it was thawed. The shelf life of this salve is around 6 mos. though so it’s pretty good. If you’re worried about not using it all in that time frame I would cut the recipe down to half.