DIY Activated Charcoal Soap Bar for Face and Body

Making a DIY activated charcoal soap bar to use as a face wash or body wash is going to quickly become part of your natural skin care routine. It only requires a few natural ingredients that are going to leave your skin smooth, nourished and glowing. Activated charcoal has so many benefits for the skin, it’s going to make you want to use it in all your skin care diy’s with essential oils.

benefits of charcoal soap

deep pore cleansing : the charcoal works to remove any excess oil in your pores and unclogs them. therefore your skin starts to tighten and appears to have smaller pores.

soft and smooth texture : detoxifies and removes impurities from the skin, leaving soft and smooth skin.

reduce shininess : charcoal absorbs excess oils produced by the skin, making it a great product for those with oily skin.

acne clearing : activated charcoal is also great for acne prone skin as it absorbs the excess oil that can cause breakouts. it may also be helpful to calm and soothe any breakouts that do happen.

skin brightening : using charcoal helps to remove any dead skin cells through a light exfoliation, causing the skin to appear more even toned and brighter.

natural ingredients in charcoal soap bar

activated charcoal

Activated charcoal is a great for absorbing toxins and detoxifying skin. This makes it great for deep pore cleanse, while leaving your skin both reinvigorated and soothed. Activated charcoal can be used in many different diy’s with essential oils.

melt and pour soap base

Shea butter or goats milk melt and pour soap base are both great choices for your charcoal soap bar. If you are planning to use the soap bar on your face, then I would lean towards using the goats milk melt and pour soap base.

Goats milk soap is known to be a more gentle cleanser. It also has a good amount of vitamin A (anti aging properties) and selenium (mineral for healthy skin). Goats milk melt and pour soap is also really good for dry skin, since it’s higher in fatty acids and can help increase the skin’s moisture.

Shea butter moisturizes the skin without any worries of clogging pores, which is especially helpful in dry or cold climates. It also is naturally rich in vitamins A (anti-aging) and vitamin E (anti-inflammatory). Shea butter can also help prevent against wrinkles.

sweet almond oil

Sweet almond oil is so great for your skin since it’s naturally rich in vitamins A and E and antioxidants, plus it soothes and nourishes the skin. In this recipe, the sweet almond oil adds a light layer of moisture to the bar soap.

essential oils

Essential oils are a great way to enhance your skin based on your skin type. My essential oil recommendations based on your skin type are below the recipe. Personally, I really enjoy using either lavender, peppermint, orange, or frankincense essential oils in this activated charcoal soap bar recipe.

supplies to make activated charcoal soap

Here are the supplies needed to make a activated charcoal soap using a milk melt and pour soap base.

• 1 pound goats milk melt and pour soap base or 1 pound shea butter melt and pour soap base
• 5 tsp activated charcoal powder
• 5 tsp sweet almond oil
• 80-100 drops of essential oils
• soap mold set
• glass measuring cup or large glass bowl
• double boiler or large saucepan
• wooden spoons

activated charcoal soap recipe

When making an activated charcoal soap bar, you are going to need to work quickly once the melt and pour soap is ready. One downside of melt and pour soap is that is can harden quickly. For this reason, I highly recommend getting out all of your supplies and ingredients right away.

STEP ONE :

Chop up 1 pound of your shea butter or goats milk melt and pour soap base into similar size pieces, about 1-2 inches in size. This will make it easier to melt and stir the soap.

STEP TWO :

Place the pieces of melt and pour soap into a double boiler on your stovetop. Heat the water to a gentle boil, while using the wooden spoon to stir the soap pieces after they start to melt.

If you don’t have a double boiler, then you can do what I did and use a large saucepan with water halfway up the side while placing a 4 cup glass measuring cup inside. The measuring cup works well and makes pouring into the molds much easier.

STEP THREE :

Continue stirring the soap until smooth and no pieces are left. Once that happens, remove the double boiler or glass measuring cup from the stovetop and dry off the bottom. They will be hot, so make sure to have towels and pot holders nearby. Turn off the stove.

STEP FOUR :

Add the 5 teaspoons of activated charcoal powder to the melted soap base, making sure to stir very well to avoid lumps. Next add the 5 teaspoons of sweet almond oil and 80-100 drops of essential oils directly to the mixture and stir again.

In my recipe, I used 25 drops lavender, 35 drops peppermint and 30 drops bergamot. More essential oil recommendations by skin type are below.

Then pour the charcoal soap into your soap molds. I find that this charcoal soap bar recipe makes around 5 bars of soap, depending on the molds you use.

STEP FIVE :

Leave the soap in the molds for several hours to overnight. The soap is usually ready after a few hours, but it’s best to leave overnight to be sure it has hardened all the way through. Peel the molds back slowly and gently, so the soap comes out clean and beautiful.

STEP SIX :

If you aren’t going to use all of your activated charcoal soap right away, then you will need to wrap your soap so it stays in good condition for your future use.

Plastic wrap, coffee filers and parchment paper are great choices to wrap homemade soap. You can also use tissue paper, scrapbooking paper and wrapping paper!

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Essential Oil Recommendations by Skin Type

Dry skin is soothed and moisturized by essential oils like lavender, cedarwood, rose, roman chamomile, myrrh essential oils. 

Sensitive skin needs gentle oils like lavender, frankincense, helichrysum, rose, jasmine, and copaiba. 

Oily skin may benefit from tea tree, geranium, cypress, juniper berry, lavender, grapefruit, and ylang-ylang essential oils. 

Mature skin tends to like oils such as helichrysum, lavender, rose, frankincense, sandalwood, and ylang-ylang.

Depending on your skin type, you may mix and match different essential oils to find your unique blend. My other favorite for skincare are peppermint, orange, rosemary, tangerine, bergamot, and lemon.

washing your face and body with charcoal soap bar

Washing your face with a charcoal bar soap is easy using this diy recipe. You wash your face the same as you would normally. First, wet your face with water. Then rub the charcoal soap bar in your hands and apply the lathering soap to your face. Gently rub all over your face, allowing the soap to foam. For a even deeper cleanse, you can use a facial cleansing brush with the face wash. Make sure to rinse well.

Lastly, pat your face dry with a towel and apply a light moisturizer or face serum right away. I like to use this activated charcoal soap in the shower and store it there for easy access using a bar soap saver.

is clay better than charcoal face wash?

Not necessarily. Clay and charcoal are both great for skin due to their detoxifying, deep cleansing, evening skin tone and soothing acne properties. While both clay and charcoal both absorb toxins, one key difference is that bentonite clay also releases minerals such as magnesium, calcium and iron into the skin. The texture and feel is also going to be different between clay and charcoal.

Since both clay and charcoal are both great natural ingredients for the skin, I would recommend trying out one for a few weeks to a few months. Then go ahead and try out the other one for the same amount of time. Otherwise, you could just use them both in your everyday natural skin care routine.

Make this Clay Face Wash recipe to use bentonite clay in your bar soap! It’s another simple DIY recipe that is really great for taking care of your skin.

is charcoal bar soap good for your skin?

Yes, charcoal bar soap is good for your skin! It’s one of those natural ingredients that is great for all skin types. Whether you are using it for a face wash or body wash, your skin can benefit by using it. Activated charcoal is great for deep pore cleansing, smoothing and evening skin tone! It can be especially good for those with oily or acne prone skin, since activated charcoal can absorb excess oil the skin produces.

NATURAL SKIN CARE ROUTINE DIY RECIPES

Hi, I’m Kristin.

I am so glad you are here ready to make some really incredible diy recipes with simple ingredients. Join me in learning how to use essential oils in all of your homemade personal care products and creating a natural home.

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