Complexion – black: all about the use of charcoal masks in skin care

Despite its name, the black face mask is meant to cleanse. The composition, if we are talking about a branded product, contains a large amount of black charcoal clay, or activated carbon. This explains the color of the film mask or black peeling.

The mask against blackheads perfectly cleanses pores, preventing the appearance of acne, since during the procedure not only a rapid outflow of sebum from the enlarged pore occurs, but also its reduction. Charcoal is an excellent absorbent; it eliminates inflammation, redness, and gives the skin a fresh look and matte appearance.

Composition of a black mask

The product has been popular for many years, and for good reason. There is an opinion that it replaces body skin cleansing using special equipment at a professional level. The effect is achieved due to the special, carefully developed composition of this product, which includes natural ingredients:

• The black mask got its name because of its color, which is explained by the presence of activated carbon; this absorbent based on wood ash or coconut shells perfectly removes toxins from pores and removes impurities;
• cosmetic clay stabilizes sebum production and has a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect;
• healing mud not only makes the mask flexible, but also saturates the skin with minerals and accelerates regeneration processes;
• the presence of gelatin ensures an influx of collagen, the main building material for the skin, and cleanses the epidermis of dying cells.

Milk, which is often included in many cosmetic masks, has its effect here too. It smoothes the skin, protects it from drying out and peeling, and provides the necessary moisture.

Acquisition

Black Mask is a completely affordable product for any buyer. The price of this drug in Russia is about 990 rubles. It is worth keeping in mind that this product is not sold in pharmacies. It can only be ordered online. However, according to consumer reviews, you should not make purchases on dubious sites. Unverified intermediaries may well sell a fake. Only upon delivery of an order placed on the official website can you be completely sure of the authenticity of the purchased product. The product will be delivered cash on delivery to any city in Russia and within the optimal time frame.

Effect of the black mask

This care product has a pronounced cosmetic effect and has multiple effects:

• cleanses pores of cosmetics and make-up residues, impurities, dead cells;
• removes toxins and other harmful substances from the surface of the face;
• tightens the pores of the facial skin, making them almost invisible;
• removes excess oily skin, stabilizing the functioning of the sebaceous glands;
• eliminates acne and accompanying blackheads;
• practically eliminates wrinkles;
• really tightens the oval of the face;
• minimizes skin sagging;
• significantly lightens pigmentation;
• has a cosmetic effect on scars and skin irregularities;
• makes the skin elastic;
• accelerates and ensures regeneration of the epidermis;
• significantly improves metabolic processes;
• nourishes cells with vitamins and minerals, giving facial skin freshness.

The black mask has a very important property: it not only destroys acne and other negative processes on the skin, but also prevents their reappearance.

Comparison of the presented funds

In order to compare the presented products, we recommend taking a look at the table with their characteristics.

Possible contraindications

Black mask is very useful for oily skin. It dries quickly, tightening the skin. Therefore, if you have dry facial skin, you need to use this product with a certain degree of caution. However, you can get out of the situation if you add olive oil or sour cream to the product.

If the mask overdries during the procedure, another problem may arise - microtraumas are caused in the process of removing the resulting film. To exclude them, under no circumstances should you leave the mask on your face too long.

If you use a black mask yourself at home, you need to test the product to rule out an allergic reaction. The test is simple: apply a small amount of the product to your wrist for a few minutes. If no negative reactions occur on the skin, you can use the mask in full.

How to use

Before applying, cleanse your face with your favorite product. If you are not yet familiar with micellar water, but want to try it, find out why cosmetologists are against using micellar water for cleansing here...

Before use, read the instructions to know exactly how long you need to keep the texture. Usually, it is removed when it dries with warm water and light movements, being careful not to stretch the skin. Then apply moisturizer.

A cleansing mask can be combined with a nourishing mask. To do this, apply a clay mask to problem areas with comedones and oily sheen, and apply a nourishing or moisturizing mask to the rest of the face.

Precautionary measures

Those with oily or combination skin are advised to use the mask twice a week, avoiding the areas around the eyes. It is also worth holding off on cleansing if your skin is inflamed.

During application, black pigment falling on the table can greatly stain it, so it is recommended to cover it with napkins.

Black Face Mask Recipes

There are a lot of options for preparing a mask, they largely depend on the type of facial skin. The classic recipe has already been mentioned. A black mask based on activated carbon rejuvenates and cleanses the skin, relieves it of various types of rashes, cleanses pores and removes dead cells.

Depending on the dryness or oiliness of the skin, it is permissible to add a number of additional components to the mask:

• a little low-fat sour cream;
• natural honey;
• lemon juice;
• colored clay;
• green tea and other healing substances.

True, all additives should be included moderately and gradually so as not to disrupt the overall effect of the mask.

Properties

The black color of the drug is due to its component composition. The base is coal, black clay or medicinal mud. Among the additional components in the composition, vitamins, essential oils, and medicinal plant extracts should be noted.

Black compounds have the following positive properties:

• intensively cleanse even the deep layers of the epidermis;
• rejuvenate, tighten the facial contour;
• eliminate inflammatory formations on the skin;
• saturate skin tissue with beneficial substances.

Masks with black charcoal usually have a gel-like consistency and are excellent at drawing out dirt from the skin pores. One of the best products is Helen Gold Black Mask.

Preparations with black clay are available in the form of powder for preparing an aqueous solution; they intensively absorb sebaceous secretions and mud particles. One of the most popular products is Caolion Premium Blackhead Steam Pore Pack.

Features of using a mask against blackheads made of gelatin and charcoal

In this case, there are several differences from the classic use of face masks:

• before using the product, the skin of the face must be thoroughly cleansed;
• Be sure to wash your hands well;
• You can pre-steam the skin; to do this, you can simply apply a damp hot towel, but you shouldn’t let it burn;
• a black mask for dots on the face must be prepared immediately before use;
• You cannot store the product for future use; unused remains must be disposed of immediately after completion of the procedure;
• the simplest method of preparation: an activated carbon tablet is diluted and stirred in warm water or milk;
• The mask is first applied to the blackheads with a brush; it is recommended to gradually apply several layers, avoiding the hairline and areas near the lips;
• leave the product on the face for up to 20 minutes until completely dry;
• removal of the resulting film begins from the chin area;
• the remnants of the mask are eliminated with a damp, warm sponge;
• Next, it is recommended to wipe your face with tonic - this will restore the acid-base balance;
• The procedure is completed by carefully applying a moisturizing or nourishing cream.

Masks for removing blackheads after acne are relatively heavy, this must be taken into account without overusing too much of the total mass.

The mask should not get into the eyebrow area completely. Otherwise, eyebrow hairs will be forced to be removed along with the film. This process not only disrupts the outline of the eyebrows, it is also quite painful.

Activated carbon and cosmetic clay

To make the product you will need two charcoal tablets and a tablespoon of black or blue cosmetic clay. The mixture is diluted with a small amount of cool water, turning into a kind of sour cream. The mask is applied to a well-steamed face and shaded with a cotton swab. The product dries for quite a long time, so it would be optimal to keep the film on your face for 20-30 minutes and then rinse with water.

Ready masks should be stored in the refrigerator.

You can also mix activated charcoal with two types of clay at once if you need to thoroughly cleanse your face of a large accumulation of blackheads. The ingredients for the mixture are as follows:

• 1-2 tablets of coal;
• a tablespoon of white and green clay;
• a handful of rose petals;
• a few drops of geranium or lavender oil.

All components are thoroughly mixed until a thick consistency is obtained and applied to the face with intense circular movements, which creates an additional scrub effect. After 15-20 minutes, the mask can be washed off by additionally wiping your face with chamomile infusion. In addition to getting rid of dirt and other deposits, the product helps prevent inflammation and flaking of the skin during cold weather.

Essential oils often cause allergies and severe redness of the skin, so first test the product on yourself by applying a couple of drops to your brush and waiting 20-30 minutes.

You can use a mixture based on a tablespoon of black clay and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Black clay also mixes well with mint, lemon juice, honey or applesauce in a 1 to 1 ratio. Another useful recipe is activated charcoal with sea salt. This mask has a noticeable effect on acne and all kinds of inflammation on the skin. In addition, sea salt is a natural scrub that returns the face to its former freshness. To make the product, use:

• 2 crushed charcoal tablets;
• half a teaspoon of sea salt;
• 2-3 drops of tea tree oil.

Dilute the components in a small amount of boiled water and apply to pre-steamed skin for 20 minutes, then rinse with water.

Allergic contact dermatitis

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) (Figure 1) is a delayed type IV hypersensitivity reaction to an external allergen that is much less common than ACD. This usually occurs after exposure to fixative chemicals such as formaldehyde and dibromodicyanobutane, but thiuram, a rubber accelerator found in the elastic straps of surgical masks, is also a recognized allergen. It has been reported that ACD on the face may be caused by nickel and cobalt forming a metal wire that is used to ensure that the mask fits more tightly to the face.

Figure 1. Allergic contact dermatitis

RCD and ACD may be clinically indistinguishable. Both usually present as localized dermatitis, but well-defined areas of inflammation and redness are more suggestive of ACD, while a more diffuse pattern is more often seen in RCD. Treatment is a short course of mild to moderate potency corticosteroids, such as 1% hydrocortisone ointment. Avoiding allergens prevents further episodes, and therefore identification of the causative agents is key. It can be carried out using a patch test, recommended for use in those cases and on those areas of the skin where well-demarcated areas are visible clinically, as well as in cases of severe disease.