New in Cosmetics: Activated Charcoal

  • 1
  • July 18, 2017
make-up products color sample isolated on white

The cosmetics industry is known for its innovative and “thinking outside the box” products. Latest in the cosmetics industry world has been the use of activated charcoal for whiter teeth and clearer skin, but what are the regulations on these products? What makes activated charcoal the new miracle for skin and dental health?

But first here are some uses for this new ingredient:

  • For use in your shampoo for oil free hair that is soft. Don’t worry it won’t turn black from the special ingredient.
  • Toothpaste that has pH balanced and sulfate free to make your teeth pearly white as well as help maintain healthy gums.
  • Charcoal lemonade – that’s right black lemonade- that will create an alkaline environment in your body to prevent diseases from thriving.
  • A face mask that is great for all skin types to help control oil and acne problems.
  • Etc.

The idea behind this new trend of adding charcoal to just about everything is based on the same idea of how activated charcoal works in filters. It removes contaminants and toxins from whatever it is in contact with due to its large surface area on a microscopic level causing it to have important absorption properties. Therefore the idea is that it traps impurities before or while they are in the body before causing unwanted damage such as acne or other skin health issues.

As this is becoming more and more popular amongst cosmetics products, it is important to ask what impacts it will have on your body in the long run. As with all new ingredients, very little is said as to what it will do over time. However, several studies have concluded that it is safe for external use- inhaling it is not safe and digesting it is fine in small quantities- and the FDA has also deemed it harmless due to its mineral like qualities.

Activated charcoal is produced from carbonaceous source materials- nut shells, wood, coal- and by either having it go through physical activation with hot gases or through chemical activation using an acid, strong base or salt introduced into the carbon and then carbonized at temperatures between 450 and 900 degrees celsius. This is where regulation is important because if carbonized with dangerous chemicals that remain in the final product it could then be detrimental to the users health. Regulations also allow for the Activated Charcoal to in fact be “activated” like the consumer expects. No one wants plain coal in their beauty products just like they don’t want it in their stockings at Christmas.

This is why Lascom CPG has developed a unique PLM solution to help cosmetics industrialists to create and manage their activated charcoal products from raw material to market without any disruption in the information chain to create safe products that follow regulations and have transparent labels.

Click here for more information on the Lascom CPG PLM solution.

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