Nearly every skincare retailer and Internet vlogger are all about the latest skincare fad: charcoal peels. These tarry-looking peels promise to get rid of blackheads, whiteheads and all the excess oil and dead cells on your skin to prevent clogged pores. There's just a couple problems charcoal peels are an aggressive exfoliation method and people are using them way too frequently.
How Charcoal Peels Work
Charcoal peels have a range of formulas, but the key ingredient is charcoal powder a known detoxifier.The charcoal powder is mixed with a variety of substances that essentially act like glue on your face. The peel adheres to your skin, and when you peel the mask away, it takes with it:
- Surface-level sebum
- Vellus hair
- Sebaceous filaments
- Skin cells
In theory, the charcoal attracts skin contaminants so
that they can be pulled away from your skin. In reality, the adhesion of the gluey mask is what really pulls impurities away.
Exfoliation Level: Painful
Videos of people using charcoal peels show how painful they can be to remove, especially in areas with thin, highly sensitive skin i.e., your eyes and nose. That alone should be cause for alarm because there really is no good reason for beauty rituals to be painful.More alarming, still, is the level of exfoliation charcoal peels achieve. Routine exfoliation should gently remove the uppermost layer of your stratum corneum, which is made up of dead skin cells. Gentle exfoliation allows some oil to remain, leaving a protective barrier against environmental factors and toxins intact. Charcoal peels, however, rip away everything skin cells, hair and all-natural oils. If the pain of mask removal isn't enough to irritate your skin, leaving it vulnerable to infection probably will.
What to Use Instead of Charcoal Peels
Hale Cosmeceuticals has a number of products that can help you exfoliate gently and safely. Instead of charcoal peels, try:
The arrival of autumn is also a good time to turn over a new leaf, so to speak, with a chemical peel.To get the products you need to brighten your complexion and remove the residue of summer, contact us. Our representatives can help you find the products best suited to your skin type and skincare goals."
