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 we typically think of, Activated Charcoal is a carbonized, mineral-rich material that can adsorb more than 1,000 times its weight in positively-charged compounds.

You read that right: ADsorb! Unlike absorption, which is the entering of one substance by another (think a sponge soaking up water), 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 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.

active clay cleanser: prebiotic balance for oily skin
Dermalogica’s Active Clay Cleanser – formulated with Activated Binchotan Charcoal – draws out excess oil and impurities from your pores, purifying skin without disrupting its natural moisture barrier.