7 Best Recommended Charcoal Face Scrubs Of 2023
You wouldn't know the exfoliating wonders of activated charcoal until you try it.
Hillary ClarkEsthetician
Expertise: Makeup & Skin Care
Experience: 21 years
Hillary Clark is a third-generation beauty entrepreneur, celebrity makeup artist, and medical esthetician with 21 years of experience. Her stints as the youngest Beauty Director for Nordstrom and West Coast Beauty Editor for Sephora provide... more
Shiboli Chakraborti Certified Skin Care Coach
Expertise: Skin Care & Hair Care
Experience: 3 years
Shiboli has a master’s degree in English literature from The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, and is a certified skincare coach with three years of experience. As an editor, she ... more
Image: StyleCraze Design Team
Charcoal is an excellent ingredient with great exfoliating and cleansing properties. Adding the best charcoal face scrub to your skin care routine can benefit your skin in many ways. The activated charcoal in these facial scrubs can effectively absorb excess oil and remove dirt, impurities, and dead skin cells from your face. It also leaves your face softer, fresh, and radiant. In this article, we have listed the 7 best charcoal face scrubs. Scroll down and check them out.
Medical Esthetician, Hillary Clark, states, “Smooth charcoal can be a gentle way to exfoliate and detox pores without relying on harsh, scratchy scrubs.”
In This Article
7 Best Recommended Charcoal Face Scrubs Of 2023
Best Vegan Formula:ACURE Incredibly Clear Charcoal Lemonade Facial Scrub
This facial scrub from ACURE is a deep cleansing treatment enriched with charcoal, lemon peel, and blueberry to rejuvenate dull and tired skin. The blend of lemon peel and blueberry with charcoal gives this scrub antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties to protect the skin against acne and premature aging while exfoliating the dead skin cells. It is infused with plant cellulose exfoliating crystals to gently improve the skin tone.
Skin Type: Oily, Normal, Acne-prone, and Combination
Key Ingredients: Charcoal, Lemon peel, and Blueberry
Pros - A little goes a long way
- Vegan
- Paraben-free
- Mineral oil-free
- Sulfate-free
- Cruelty-free
- Petrolatum-free
- Formaldehyde-free
Cons
- Watery consistency
Best Dermatologically Tested Formula:WOW Skin Science Activated Charcoal Face Scrub
The WOW Skin Science Activated Charcoal Face Scrub is a blend of exfoliating and nourishing agents that clear out clogged pores, minimize blackheads, and prevent pigmentation. The activated charcoal and walnut shell powder remove excess oil and dirt, while the olive oil provides intense hydration to the skin. This charcoal face scrub is enriched with vitamins and licorice extracts with anti-aging properties to reduce age spots and keep the skin youthful and supple. The gentle yet powerful formula leaves the skin firmer and brightens skin tone.
Skin Type: Dry
Key Ingredients: Activated charcoal, Extra virgin olive oil, Walnut shell powder, Vitamins B3 and B5, and Licorice extract
Pros - Gentle
- Dermatologically-tested
- Paraben-free
- Sulfate-free
- Mineral oil-free
Cons
- Leaves a residue.
Quick TipBest For Refreshing Fragrance:ZUM Face Charcoal Sugar Facial Scrub
This facial scrub from Indigo Wild is a blend of cane sugar and charcoal to provide gentle exfoliation to the skin. These two ingredients work together to slough away dead cells, excess oil, dirt, and dry skin cells that clog your pores to reveal soft and glowing skin. The scrub also contains jojoba, olive, coconut, and castor oils, and essential oils to deliver intense moisturization to the skin and keep it smooth and supple. It has a refreshing citrus fragrance with a floral undertone, which energizes and revitalizes the senses.
Skin Type: Dry
Key Ingredients: Charcoal powder, Cane sugar, Jojoba oil, Saponified coconut, Olive oil, and Castor oil
Pros - All natural ingredients
- Vegan
- Refreshing fragrance
- Cruelty-free
- Gluten-free
Cons
None
Best Cruelty Free Formula:nature’s Beauty Activated Charcoal Facial Scrub
The nature’s Beauty Activated Charcoal Facial Scrub is a scientifically proven formula to remove impurities and toxins from the skin by offering gentle deep cleansing. It uses charcoal sourced from coconut shells to exfoliate, polish, and shrink open pores, leaving the skin soft, fresh, and smooth. It is very absorbent and has a hydrating and balancing action on the skin to reduce dryness and flaking. This scrub has a refreshing lemony citrus fragrance, which invigorates and refreshes the senses.
Skin Type: All
Key Ingredients: Activated charcoal and Glycerin
Pros
- Gentle
- Paraben-free
- Sulfate-free
- Gluten-free
- Phthalate-free
- Cruelty-free
Cons
- Contains alcohol
Best Moisturizing:Natural Activated Charcoal Body & Face Scrub
The Natural Activated Charcoal Body & Face Scrub exfoliates and moisturizes the skin. It is made with mild, natural components that won’t irritate the skin. The anti-aging formula increases skin suppleness and decreases fine wrinkles. It contains willow bark extract that helps curb redness and acne and tighten your pores. It also contains grapeseed, almond, and kukui nut oil to keep your skin hydrated for a long time and make it radiant and glowing.
Pros - Sulfate-free
- Paraben-free
- Fragrance-free
- Non-comedogenic
- Non-irritating
Cons
- Not suitable for sensitive skin
- Not ideal for dry skin
Best Oil Free Formula:Biore Charcoal Acne Face Scrub
The Biore Charcoal Acne Face Scrub contains 1% salicylic acid that effectively treats existing acne conditions and prevents breakouts in the future. It is made with natural charcoal that gently exfoliates the skin, clears deep-seated impurities, unclogs pores, preventing blemishes. In addition, it leaves the skin feeling clear, smooth, and soft. If you want to find out more about this product and its usage, make sure to check out this review on YouTube.
Skin Type: Acne-prone and Oily skin
Key Ingredients: Natural Charcoal and Salicylic Acid
Pros - Suitable for acne-prone and oily skin
- Gentle on skin
- Effective results
- Non-comedogenic
- Vegan
- Oil-free
- Cruelty-free
- Dermatologist tested
Cons
- Might cause redness after use
Best Multipurpose Use:MINIMO Flawless Charcoal Face Scrub
The MINIMO Flawless Charcoal Face Scrub is specially designed to fight acne-causing bacteria. It is formulated with activated bamboo charcoal and raw manuka honey to exfoliate the skin, get rid of impurities and toxins, and reduce redness and inflammations. Willow bark and ginger extracts have natural astringent properties and encourage cell turnover to reduce age spots and acne scars without irritating the skin. Vitamin B5 reduces oil buildup that leads to breakouts. This multipurpose formula can be used as a mask as well to leave skin clear and visibly brighter.
Skin Type: All
Key Ingredients: Activated bamboo carbon charcoal, Raw manuka honey, Willow bark extract, Ginger extract, Vitamin B5, and Salicylic acid
Pros - Gentle
- Cruelty-free
- Fragrance-free
- Anti-acne
- Multipurpose
- Applicator included
Cons
None
Activated charcoal cleanses and exfoliates your skin and removes dirt, impurities, and dead skin cells deep inside the pores. In addition, these face scrubs absorb excess sebum, rejuvenate dull skin, and give you that spotless oil-free look. Adding these face scrubs to your skin care routine can help you get fresh, soft, and glowing skin. The products on our list are gentle, vegan, and cruelty-free. Use any of these scrubs once or twice a week to get healthy, clean, and smooth skin.
Why Trust StyleCraze?
Shiboli Chakraborti, who authored this article, is a certified skincare coach and loves experimenting with different skincare products. To help her readers find the best charcoal face scrub, she tried some herself and read several customer feedbacks, and compiled a list of them with the insights she gained. These products that have been listed have activated charcoal that can absorb excess oil and eliminate dirt and impurities from the skin.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is charcoal scrub good for evening the tone?
Yes, charcoal scrubs remove dead skin cells, tighten the pores, detoxify, and even skin tone.
Can I use charcoal scrub daily?
No. Exfoliating with charcoal scrub daily can strip away the natural oils from your skin and cause dryness and irritation. It is best to use a scrub once a week. If you have oily skin, you can use it twice a week.
Can I use sunscreen after using a charcoal face scrub?
Yes. You can safely apply sunscreen after using a charcoal face scrub if you are going outdoors.
Are there any side effects of charcoal face scrub?
No, charcoal scrub is safe for weekly use. It removes impurities from the skin’s surface and evens out the skin texture. However, if you have highly sensitive skin, do perform a patch test before use.
Does charcoal face scrub remove facial hair?
Yes, some charcoal scrubs can remove peach fuzz from your face. However, it can take about 2-3 uses to see satisfactory results.
Can I use face wash after using a scrub?
Yes, wash your face with water to remove the scrub along with dirt and impurities.
- Charcoal Scrubs For All Skin Types
- Exfoliators For Your Face: Scrubs, Cleansers, And Gels
- Charcoal Face Washes You Feel Fresh, Rejuvenated, And Dirt-free
- DIY Activated Charcoal Face Masks
