Activated Charcoal Is in Pretty Much Everything Now
We hardly bat an eye at crazy-colored food these days, but activated charcoal is still making us stare. Whether it's troll toast or those cones of salty caramel ash ice cream from Frankie & Jo's, the steely gray hue is just impossible to ignore. You probably already know how activated charcoal works: The tiny particles of carbonized bamboo, peat moss, or coconut husk absorb and store harmful chemicals so they can safely leave your body. “I think of it as a fixer,” says holistic nutritionist Heather Wilson of East West Essentials. “It’ll absorb some of the bad things in your gut, but it will only take away things. It doesn’t add anything to your diet.” In other words, you probably don't need charcoal in your life 24/7. But when you do, here are some ways to get that gray into—and onto—your body.
Photo by Alex Lau1/6Cider
What’s a detoxifying substance doing in a hard cider? The Los Angeles-based 101 Cider House adds activated charcoal made from coconuts to its wild, fermented cider made with raw unfiltered apple juice and blood oranges. The flavor is pretty sour without that saccharin taste you sometimes get from other brands.
Photo by Alex Lau2/6Soap
The same charcoal that pulls the junk out of your body can do on the same for your face. The super-absorbent particles latch onto dirt and oil, expelling the impurities from your pores. Herbivore’s bar soap with bamboo charcoal works as a gentle exfoliant.
Photo by Alex Lau3/6Body Scrub Towel
Super-strong Binchotan charcoal—the kind often used in yakitori grills and water purifiers—is blended into the fibers of this Morihata towel. While it might sound a little, um, scratchy, it’s actually a lot like a washcloth with more texture. Bring it into the shower to scrub off dead skin and pull dirt out of your pores.
Photo by Alex Lau4/6Juice
Go into any Juice Press in N.Y.C., Nekter Juice Bar in Dallas, or Pressed Juicery in L.A. and you’ll find drinks with charcoal on the menu too. “It’s become a favorite for many of our customers,” says Hayden Slater, co-founder and CEO of Pressed Juicery. The company chooses a base of lavender lemonade sweetened with honey for its Activated Charcoal Lemonade.
Photo by Alex Lau5/6Air Purifier
The thing with air purifiers is it’s hard to tell when they’re working, but we have it on good authority that this Chikuno Cube House, in fact, does something, even if it’s on a microscopic level. Its honeycombed structure takes advantage of charcoal’s porous nature to trap impurities in the air and neutralize odors. And it’s great for small spaces.
Photo by Alex Lau6/6Water Filter
Kishu binchotan charcoal has been treasured in Japan for centuries for its purifying properties. The kiln-fired branch made of Ubame Oak draws chlorine and heavy metals out of tap water, leaving you with a cleaner, neutral-tasting drink. Just add a stick to a carafe of cold water and let it sit for a few hours. We like this one from Lekker Home.
