Get Active With Activated Charcoal: Part 2

My baby totally photo bombed my pic

Ok, so I may or may not have had a lot of fun making my own 

Homemade Face Mask.

I found this gem of a recipe at Body Unburden's site. This is by far the easiest DIY project I've ever made. The best part is that it works! ::angels singing from above:: I've tried it a few times already and I even have it on now. You would think that putting this black mask on your face would give you blackheads but it doesn't. It works like a magnet pulling the dirt out of your pores naturally. 

I have big pores. They look even bigger when there's dirt trapped in them. I've tried so many horrible things like those nose strips which are like putting glue to your face. Oh, and I've exfoliated my face off and then used a burning toner thinking it would do the trick. I admit they were all awful ideas. They either didn't work at all or only worked temporarily. It seemed like little blackhead goblins attacked my face at night or something! I didn't know then what I know now and that's why I'm so eager to share this with you.

You need: 

• 2 Activated Charcoal Capsules (this is not the same stuff grandpa grills with)
• 1/2 teaspoon Bentonite Clay
• Water
• Glass Container

THAT'S IT!

Directions:

• Mix the charcoal and clay in a small bowl. Add the water and mix completely with a wooden or plastic spoon until smooth. (Do not use metal because the mixture can pull toxins from it)
• Put your mixture into your small glass container
• Do a spot test on a clean area on your neck or underside of your arm to make sure you don't have any bad reactions
• Wash your face with a mild soap and pat dry
• Apply to face avoiding area around eyes and lips
• Allow to sit for 10 minutes max
• Wash off with water and wash cloth

Tweakage:

I only have loose activated charcoal so I used 1/4 teaspoon. I started mixing everything with a wooden spread knife and quickly switched to a silicone spatula. I needed to press down and continually scrape the sides in order to make it nice and smooth. 

I washed my face with my scrumptious honey energizing soap and patted dry as directed. I used warm water to help the pores relax. I was having way too much fun painting my face with this that I didn't set a timer! The part that I had on for over 15 minutes started to burn my skin. It wasn't horrible but I ran to wash it off just in case. The redness went away within minutes. The places I had it on for the right amount of time came out awesome. I rinsed with soap and cold water to help close the pores, then I moisturized with coconut oil as I normally do.

I realized later that my skin burned not only because it was on too long but because it was on too thick and couldn't dry. 

Of course I would label it Awesome Face Stuff

Results:

My pores were SO clean. I didn't even have to pick at my face with a blackhead remover for 30 minutes in front of a 10x magnified mirror to get it that way! I've used this wonderful mask plenty of times since and a little has gone a long way. I've been applying a thin amount now... and setting a timer. That brings me to...

Tips:

1. Set a timer. 
2. Apply a thin, even layer of mask.
3. If your skin is very dry, the mask may get stuck under dead skin. It may take a little longer to clean off, just don't scrub hard and irritate the area. 
4. I recommend only applying it where you need it. "Don't try to fix it if it ain't broke."
5. Don't forget to set a timer.

Hubby caught me washing it off and said it looked like I had a 5 o'clock shadow. Hot.

Another beauty use for activated charcoal:

You can quickly make your own eye liner! If you want a thicker smokey look, wet only the tip of a clean pencil brush. Dip the brush in the powder (have a tiny bit of powder set aside in a small container so you're not putting your makeup brush in your activated charcoal jar). Tap the side of the brush with your finger or on a surface to 'shake' off excess powder. Apply your smokey liner as desired! If you want a thin liner look, use an angled brush or eye liner brush and wet the entire brush and make the tip narrow with fingers. Then tap the brush in some powder making sure to get the excess off before applying. I'll try to remember to take pictures the next time I do this.

How do you use activated charcoal? Please share in the comment section below!