Charcoal is in everything these days… bath salts, soaps, face masks, konjac sponges… even toothpaste! Along with CBD oil, these 2 share the current pinnacle of skincare miracle promises. Is charcoal really magical?
What it does, according to the brand:
“Intensely purifying and nourishing detox soap with activated charcoal and natural orris-pine fragrance. The amazing purifying power of charcoal draws out toxins and impurities to deeply, yet gently, cleanse your skin. Mysterious notes of orris and pine feel like a revitalising swim in an unspoilt forest lake.”
My experience:
An unspoilt forest lake… sounds nice. I actually really like the smell. I can see that tranquil lake. It is a very delicate fragrance, not overpowering. So far so good, as I don’t like strong fragrances in anything that isn’t an actual perfume, which I don’t wear anyway. This soap smells fresh, soft and clean. I put my nose on it and thought “Oh yeah, I wouldn’t mind smelling like this”. So it got lathered all over.
I wasn’t expecting the foam to be black. Whenever I have used a coloured soap before, whether it was pink, green or blue, the foam always came out white. I supposed that’s because the colours were added pigments in tiny quantities, when this one actually contains charcoal. This was bad news for my white bathtub. It quickly got dirty as I was splashing about in my dark grey lather. The foam felt really soft on the skin and it was fun getting all dirty in order to get clean, but as I soaked in the bathtub full of grey water afterwards it didn’t feel that good. I rinsed myself with the shower head and my skin felt soft and clean afterwards, but I also had to clean the bathtub more thoroughly than the usual casual after-bath rinse. I think that this one is going to be transferred to the gym bag. The shower room floor there is made of charcoal matching slate and the running waterfall of the shower will deal better with the grey foam than the stagnant bath water.
Good sides:
- Leaves skin soft
- Smells lovely
- Plastic-free
- Palm-free
- Sulfate-free
Bad sides:
- Makes the bathtub dirty
Price range: Low
Would I repurchase? Yes
List of ingredients: Sodium Cocoate**, Aqua/Water, Glycerin**, Coconut Acid, Charcoal Powder, Aroma/Fragrance, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Chloride, Betaine, Linalool***.
Binky Vegan Studio 