Charcoal is Having a Major Moment, Here’s Why

From juices to skincare, it seems charcoal is suddenly everywhere. And now, it’s even in your haircare. So what is this miracle ingredient all about? We had our scientists break it down for you.

Soak up excess oil. Charcoal is really good at absorbing excess oil on the skin—thanks to the nature of processing charcoal. That’s the reason you see it in many skincare products. And now,if you get greasy easily, charcoal can also soak up extra oil on your scalp.

Sign me up, right? While charcoal is natural and beneficial in many ways, it does’t do “all of the things.” There are a lot of products—particularly in haircare—using charcoal because it’s trendy. Pause to look at what the product claims to do. We’ve noticed a number of shampoos and conditioners claiming to be clarifying because they use charcoal. But remember, charcoal is about removing excess oil (not product buildup or many of the other issues you have if your hair doesn’t feel clean).

How we use charcoal. We spent a lot of time understanding the role charcoal plays in beauty—particularly when it comes to your hair and scalp. The short story: if you have oily hair, charcoal and your scalp will get along just fine. When you feel oil on your hair and your scalp, it’s typically the sebum that comes from your scalp. That’s exactly what it’s tackling in our new Clarifying Detox Shampoo. There are six performance drivers in the product all designed to really, truly clean your hair without stripping it. It’s charcoal’s job to tackle any excess sebum you may have. We played around with the level of charcoal in our formula down to the tenth of the percent and there was a noticeable difference. Then we tailored the amount we used to get enough oil absorption without leaving your hair and your scalp feeling too dry.



Want to learn more about our Clarifying Detox Shampoo and how it super cleans your hair? Head here.