Summary
BBC's Sliced Bread podcast examines whether activated charcoal skincare products live up to their marketing claims. Host Greg Foote is joined by chemist Professor Melinda Dewar from Cambridge University and consultant dermatologist Dr. Emma Wedgworth to test charcoal face washes, masks, and nose strips. The chemist explains that activated charcoal is a highly porous carbon material that can absorb small molecules in liquid, but questions whether it can actually pull oils from within skin pores. The dermatologist offers a more nuanced view, suggesting activated charcoal may have a mild, superficial effect on skin oiliness but cannot reach deep into pores as marketed. Both experts agree there is no published scientific research on topical activated charcoal for skincare.
Key Points
- Activated charcoal is made by heating plant material and chemically activating it to create a highly porous carbon
- Product labels may say "charcoal powder" without specifying whether it is activated, due to naming regulations
- A Cambridge chemist cannot see a mechanism for charcoal pulling oils out of skin pores from a topical application
- A dermatologist suggests charcoal may have a mild, superficial effect on oiliness but not for moderate-to-severe acne
- Electron microscope images of a nose strip showed it removed skin cells and hairs but nothing dramatic
- No published scientific research exists on activated charcoal applied topically to skin
- Better evidence-backed alternatives include salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, glycolic acid, and topical retinoids
- The experts advise consumers not to accept "proof by association" and to read ingredient lists carefully
