So one of the weirdest trends taking over the beauty world at the moment seems to be the new range of charcoal products which are available in most health and beauty stores. Believe it or not charcoal is no longer just for your BBQ. It can now become a vital part of your daily skin regime.

Activated charcoal has become an incredibly popular ingredient in beauty products as it works to draw bacteria, chemicals and dirt to the surface of your skin which helps your to look flawless and works brilliantly to fight against acne or break-outs. There are many different charcoal products available – so here is a short list of some products to get you started.

Biore Pore Penetrating Charcoal Bar:
This charcoal bar is infused with peppermint oil and jojoba beads which work to “degunk” your pores leaving your skin smooth and naturally cleaner. Simply work this bar into a lather with warm and wet hands and gently massage across the face before thoroughly rinsing. This product works really well alongside Biore’s Charcoal Pore Strips which work brilliantly to rid your nose of dirt, oil and those pesky blackheads which will not shift.

Lush’s Dark Angels Face Cleanser:
This product uses all natural ingredients to not only exfoliate your skin, but to also cleanse and remove any dead skin cells which leaves your skin looking bright and refreshed. The ingredients include black sugar, powdered charcoal, rhassoul mud, avocado oil, vegetable glycerine, sandalwood and rosewood oils. (It’s wonderfully kind to sensitive skin too!)

Superdrug’s Pro Care Charcoal Toothpaste:
At just £2.99 this charcoal based toothpaste from Superdrug is an absolute bargain. It works just as well as it’s higher priced competitors and is just as easy to use. Squeeze a pea-sized amount of this whitening paste onto your toothbrush and continue to clean your teeth as normal. You should start to see a change in the colour of your teeth after the first week. Just as with any other toothpaste, try not to swallow too much of the excess paste.

Beverly Hills Formula Perfect White Black Mouthwash:
If you don’t fancy brushing your teeth with a black paste why not try Beverly Hills charcoal mouthwash instead? This mouthwash is the “first of it’s kind” as it needs to be shaken to be activated and has been scientifically formulated to remove stains from your teeth and to tackle bad breath.

Loreal Paris Pure Clay Detox Mask:
I’m sure you’ve seen some of the videos circulating Facebook of people torturing themselves with charcoal face masks. Whilst they’re painful, they do work. Loreal Paris have created their own face mask which combines three natural clays (kaolin, montmorillonite and ghassoul) with charcoal and works to detoxify the skin and to completely clean out your pores. Your skin will look clearer after just one use, and the best thing is that you only need to use it once a week!

Whilst these products are brilliant, everybody’s skin is different so you may find that you need to use a range of different charcoal products before you find the best one for you. Don’t forget to read all product instructions and to do a small skin patch test for each product before your lather it all over your face. Nobody wants to rock an allergic reaction!