Clear up your skin with this easy, DIY charcoal face mask which is great for oily, combination, and acne prone skin.
For the last 30 years of my life, I’ve battled with acne.
It all started in my teens, and when it was at its worst, I was using topical medications like Retin A, and taking antibiotics every day. I didn’t realize that there were any cons to taking antibiotics all of the time, and just did what my dermatologist suggested. I had no idea that beneficial bacteria grew within our digestive tract, and didn’t know that my constant antibiotic use was killing them all off.
To be honest, I’m not even sure that my skin was really that much better while using everything prescribed by my dermatologist, but I continued to use everything in the hopes of one day having perfect skin.
Watch me make the DIY Charcoal Face Mask
Ways to prevent acne
Fast forward many years, I still don’t have perfect skin, but I am much more able to control my acne.
My skin is noticeably better when I’m eating lots of vegetables, clean meats, fish, and eggs, and limited sugars and processed foods. I’m pretty sure that dairy and sugars aggravate both my skin and my digestive issues, so I try to mostly avoid them, or stick to having small amounts occasionally rather than eat those sorts of foods every day. My triggers might not be the same as yours, but my suspicion is that most people with acne will have certain foods that will aggravate it.
I’ve finally started to use a homemade facial cream for oily and acne prone skin that allows me to moisturize without breaking out. I’ve come to realize that not all oils and moisturizers will aggravate acne, and that some non comedogenic oils can actually help balance the oils in your skin to help clear it.
When I do have the occasional breakout, I have found that this DIY charcoal face mask does a really great job of helping to clear up my skin. I also try to remember to use it weekly, even when I’m not battling acne, to help keep my skin clean and clear.
What skin types benefit most from this DIY charcoal face mask?
While everybody can benefit from the occasional facial mask, I think that bentonite clay masks are best for people with oily and combination skin. If your skin is both oily and acne prone, this mask is especially good for you!
People with normal skin may be able to tolerate certain clay masks, especially those made with milder clays, but I think that people with dry and sensitive skin should generally stay away from clay masks and use more hydrating facial masks instead.
What is bentonite clay?
Bentonite clay is a type of clay that is normally formed from broken down volcanic ash, and is a very absorbent clay. It is thought to be antimicrobial, which helps in the fight against acne. It’s also thought to be extremely good at absorbing heavy metals and toxins from surrounding areas. That’s the main reason that most people will say not to store or mix bentonite clay in metal containers.
Bentonite clay is often taken orally by people trying to detox themselves of heavy metals and other toxins, but it is also great as a topical treatment of skin conditions like acne or even eczema and psoriasis.
The pH of bentonite clay
Bentonite clay, like other clays, is naturally alkaline. It’s pH normally falls somewhere between 8 and 9, or just slightly higher than 9, which makes is more alkaline than some other clays that are used for facial masks.
For that reason, some people with sensitive skin find that mixing bentonite clay with water, or anything with a neutral or alkaline pH, can be irritating to their skin.
Distilled witch hazel has a slightly acidic pH, somewhere around 5, so it helps to neutralize the alkalinity of the clay. If you don’t have witch hazel on hand, and don’t want to buy it, you can use plain distilled water instead.
If you have sensitive skin, and find that this DIY charcoal clay mask irritates your skin if mixed with water, you can try using apple cider vinegar or aloe juice as the liquid. Both aloe juice and apple cider vinegar have an acidic pH that will also help neutralize the alkalinity of the bentonite. (Aloe vera juice is said to have a pH of 4.5-5.5, while apple cider vinegar has a pH of between 2.9 and 3.3.)
Why use witch hazel?
Witch hazel is one of my favorite alternatives to distilled water in natural cosmetic recipes. It helps fight against acne, and can also help with skin inflammation, healing sores, killing bacteria within your pores, etc. In this recipe, it also helps to neutralize the alkalinity of the clay which helps make the mask more mild for those with sensitive skin.
I use a distilled witch hazel, rather than one with alcohol in it, and I find it works really well in this facial mask. If you find that witch hazel is irritating to your skin, for whatever reason, though, you can replace it with distilled water, aloe juice, or apple cider vinegar. (Aloe juice or apple cider vinegar are both acidic and will also help balance the pH of the mask.)
The benefits of activated charcoal
I already introduced activated charcoal, and some of its benefits, to you when I shared my recipe for an activated charcoal face soap here on the blog. Lately it is very popular in cosmetics, especially in facial cleansers and masks.
As with bentonite clay, activated charcoal is said to attract toxins to help “detox” your skin. When used in a facial mask, it can help clear out pores which helps make them smaller. It is also thought to help absorb excess oils and balance the oils of your skin, which in turn helps clear up acne.
Storing your DIY charcoal face mask (updated)
While it’s simple enough to mix together some activated charcoal, bentonite clay and water or witch hazel whenever you want to make a face mask, it’s much more convenient to mix up some of the ingredients ahead of time so that you can quickly mix up a facial mask when you need it. I’d recommend mixing up the amounts of clay and charcoal below and storing them in a small container, ready for use at your convenience.
When I first wrote this post, I said that you could mix up all of the ingredients, including the liquid ones, add a natural preservative, and store the mask in a silicone travel tube. The silicone tube makes for easy dispensing of homemade products and keeps the probability of microbial contamination to a minimum. I had read several articles online where they suggested saving leftover masks for later and had seen premade masks being sold in the US that were made with similar ingredients. (I didn’t realize until later that products made and sold in the US don’t need microbial testing as they do here in Europe.)
I stored my mask for several months and continued to use it without any issues.
Why do I no longer recommend storing the mixed mask for later?
As with any cosmetic with water in it, bacteria can start to grow in an already hydrated facial mask. My belief was that because the pH of bentonite clay tends to be on the high side, it would probably take some time for microbes to grow in it, especially if you begin with a pure clay, use distilled water (or distilled witch hazel), and mix it and conserve it in a way that bacteria aren’t introduced into the product.
I had chosen to use Leucidal to preserve my homemade clay mask (and recommended using 3g in the recipe below). Leucidal is a preservative made from fermenting radishes with a particular strain of bacteria, and I talk more about it in my post about how to make a basic lotion. In the case of this clay mask, I chose it over some of the other natural preservatives that I often use because it is effective at pH levels of up to around 9.
All seemed well and I was happily using my stored mask and loved it.
But then I started taking courses in cosmetic formulation. These are the same courses taken by those who want to start their own natural cosmetic business. One theme that came up quite often is that adding clay to a product makes it much more difficult to preserve. They recommended selling mixed clays as a powder that people can mix with liquid at home.
Clay is supposed to be prone to mold growth. I will say that I never saw mold grow in my stored facial mask. Perhaps that is due to the higher pH of bentonite clay compared with other clays. Liquid soaps normally don’t need preservatives because their pH tends to be above 9. At those higher pH levels microbial growth isn’t likely.
You can normally see mold and that helps you know not to use a product. You can’t really know if your batch has become contaminated by bacteria, though, unless you have it tested, something that isn’t practical or possible for most DIY-ers. That’s why I’d prefer to err on the side of caution and no longer recommend mixing up the facial mask and storing it for later. I think it’s a better idea to mix up the dry ingredients, store them in a small container, and mix up small amounts with your liquid of choice, as needed.
Perhaps bentonite clay isn’t as prone to microbial growth because of its higher pH. I don’t know, but there are too many variables in the recipe for me to feel confident recommending you try to preserve your mask for later anymore. (The pH will vary depending upon the clay used, the liquid used, etc.)
DIY Charcoal Face Mask
DIY Charcoal Face Mask
Materials
- 3 Tbsp. bentonite clay
- 1 tsp. activated charcoal
- 3 Tbsp. witch hazel or distilled water, or a combination with or without something acidic. (See above.)
- 20 drops tea tree essential oil
Instructions
- If you are using a combination of liquids like water and witch hazel, mix them together now. Remember that if you have sensitive skin, you can neutralize the clay somewhat by using witch hazel, apple cider vinegar, or aloe juice to lower the pH as needed. If using only water, the pH of the mask will be higher, which can be irritating to some people’s skin.
- Mix together the bentonite clay and the activated charcoal using plastic or wooden silverware. (Don’t use a metal bowl.)
- Add the clay mixture to the liquid mixture, and allow the clay to absorb the liquid little by little.
- Stir together all of the ingredients, mixing them until they are well combined.
- You can now apply the facial mask by spreading a thin layer of the mask all over the face, leaving the area around your eyes and your lips uncovered.
- Allow the mask to completely dry.
- Rinse the mask off completely with cool water and gently pat your skin dry.
Maya
Have you ever had this mixture smell like extremely rotting eggs before? Iāve tried to make this mask with the Aztec bentinite clay + apple cider vinegar (which Iāve been using for years) + adding the activated charcoal and it instantly smells like insanely strong sulfur?! It also seems to not quite dry out the same and the charcoal is almost oily when washing it off. I canāt find anyone else having a similar reaction and have no idea whatās going wrong.
Tracy Ariza
Hi Maya,
No, I’ve never had that happen. Mine dries rather quickly too.
I’ve also never used the Aztec bentonite clay, so that may be the issue. I’ve looked it up online, and it looks to be a green clay. All of the bentonite clays that I have tried are more of a beige or light brown.
Perhaps trying a different bentonite clay would help.
Erika Jensen
Remember how activated charcoal can act like a magnet for oils? Well, thatās how it can help manage and balance your oil production, meaning that incorporating it into your daily skin care routine can help not only maintain shine, but a reduction in oil can help prevent pimples, blemishes, and breakouts.
Lil Lady
Hi, I want to make an 8oz charcoal mask to put in a plastic container….but I’m not sure of the dry measurements to put in the container to store for a while and I can add my liquids as I make or decide to use the mask…pls advise?
Tracy Ariza, DDS
Hi Lil Lady,
I’m not sure I understand the question.
Are you asking how much of the dry ingredients you need to make 8 ounces of mask? I’m not really sure, if that’s the question.
JENNY
Hi Tracy, one of my clay masks contains BHA/AHA which gives me a smooth glowing skin afterwards, how do I add this & what quantities do I add BHA/AHA to your clay mask recipe? Thank you:)
Tracy Ariza
Hi Jenny,
I’ve never tried adding either to a mask. What sort of mask was yours (clay, peel off, etc.)? The AHA’s are water soluble, but I think BHA is oil soluble.
It would have to be with experimentation, I guess. I think the AHA’s would work because of the lower pH, but with the higher pH of the clay, I’m not sure how much you’d need to add to make them effective.
I’d have to study the concept more as, off the top of my head, I don’t really know for sure and could only make a somewhat educated guess. š
tami
can i swap leucidal with liquid germall plus preservative?
Tracy Ariza
Hi Tami,
I’m sorry to take so long to respond to you. I’ve been wanting to better research this topic and completely update this post. I was really hoping to find more information before responding to you, but here are my thoughts as of today…
When I first wrote this post, I had based my idea of saving the mixed mask for later on a product that was made and sold by somebody in the US. I had also seen posts online about how to save your mask for later, even without any sort of preservative. Everything I read at the time pointed to there being no issues with preserving a homemade facial mask.
I didn’t realize until later, though, that to sell these sorts of products in the US, you don’t need to do microbial testing like you would here in Europe, for example.
I’ve since been taking classes in cosmetics formulation, and recently learned in one of those classes that adding clay to a product makes it much more difficult to preserve that product, especially when using more natural preservatives. They recommended mixing together the dry ingredients of facial masks and storing them that way and then mixing them with the wet ingredients before each use.
Interestingly enough, they usually say that clay masks tend to mold quite easily, but I was using mine months later with no signs of mold.
Perhaps the fact that little liquid is used and the high pH of the bentonite helps to keep microbes from growing. (Liquid soaps don’t normally need preservatives because they normally have a pH above 9, making microbial growth less likely.)
So, for now, I’d like to err on the side of caution and say that while I never had any problems preserving my homemade mask for later, it may not be the best idea. I’m going to try to update the post with my thoughts ASAP!
I do my best to get things right the first time around, and I now place a lot of importance on studying as much as I can so I can be confident that my recipes are all safe, but I may have made a bad call this time. Rest assured that as time goes by, I have a lot more knowledge on these subjects and will work hard to get things right.
I much prefer writing less posts and having them be well-researched good ones, rather than churning out a ton of recipes that aren’t as well thought out.
Ml
Hi I would like to that can’t we use charcoal piece and grind it and make a powder. I am talking about charcoal which we use for grill bbq. Is there diffrence btwn the activated charcoal and the packets available at amazone.I m very confused
Tracy Ariza
The problem with using regular charcoal meant for a barbecue is that you don’t really know about the purity of those charcoals as they are not meant for the same uses as activated charcoal. They may have unwanted chemicals or other undesirable substances that you wouldn’t want to use on your face.
Activated charcoal has been oxidized to make it purer and more porous. That’s what is supposed to give it its special properties in cosmetic use. I definitely would stick to activated charcoal when it comes to cosmetics.
Amy
I saw that you use this weekly to help maintain healthy skin and reduce breakouts. My son is in his teens and has very bad acne. Can this be used – or should it be used more than weekly – until we get the breakouts under control? I don’t want to do too much and irritate his skin – but I also don’t want him to feel like it is a waste of time if 1x a week doesn’t help.
Tracy Ariza
Hi Amy,
I think it’s really going to depend upon each individual person. I could probably go up to twice a week without it bothering my skin, but I feel like it might irritate my skin if I were to use it more often that. I’d suggest going up in frequency gradually to see if it actually improves rather than aggravates his skin. I wouldn’t suggest jumping to using daily, though! š
Perhaps try using twice a week at first and then you can better judge if you’d want to try increasing even more.
I hope that helps!
Linds
Hi Tracy! I just came across your site as Iām considering buying supplies to make my own charcoal masks. I wondered why type of reusable tube youāre using in your post? I think t was a green squeeze tube. Thank you so much for your post and I look forward to checking out the rest of your site š
Tracy Ariza
Hi Linds,
thanks so much for your comment.
I use silicone travel tubes like these.
they really come in handy for lots of uses. I love them for homemade toothpaste and homemade lotion too. š
Mona
Hello! I’ve followed the recipe but I’ve ended up having to put at least two more table spoons of witch hazel because the original recipe comes out way to thick! Is this okay? Also, how much leucidal should I put in?
Tracy Ariza
Hi Mona,
That is perfectly fine! Just add as much witch hazel as you need for the clay you have. š
The clay comes from a number of places, so the moisture you need will depend on a lot of different factors- including the humidity where you live, and your preference for how thick you want the mask to be.
I add in Leucidal at around a 3% by weight. So, for 100g of mask, I add in around 3 grams of Leucidal. I hope that helps!
bea
hi i’m interested in the mask but i can’t find Leucidal. If I want to make it for one time use, is it ok not to use it?.
I’m a bit confused about the PH thing. If I follow your recipe without using the same brand and without using the preservative will it turn out ok? I have Aztec Clay Mask for the benzonite, thayers rose for witch hazel and local brand for the charcoal but i used the one from coconut shell as well.
What PH should the final product be?
Tracy Ariza
Hi Bea,
Sure!
If you aren’t using trying to store it long term, there is no need to worry about the preservative, or the pH really, unless you find the mask irritating to your skin.
Some people find the high pH of the clay to be irritating to their skin if only mixed with water. If you mix with something like witch hazel or vinegar, though, that will lower the pH. You don’t need to worry about finding a final pH value, though.
dixya @food, pleasure, and health
im with you on that acne battle..did so many things but nothing really helped. i still struggle with it but not as much. i will have to look into this mask, thank you for sharing.
Tracy Ariza
Hi Dixya,
I’m sorry to hear you’re dealing with it as I know how hard it can be. I hope that the mask helps with the breakouts somewhat. I find bentonite clay to do wonders. It might not make my skin perfect, but it definitely improves it a lot when it gets bad. š
Katy
How long does this mixture last?
Tracy Ariza
Hi Katy,
The natural preservatives I used are said to be good for up to 3 months. While it would probably be OK for longer than that, I prefer to err on the side of caution and try to use it all up before then. It’s quick to make, so I make small batches, and by using it weekly, that works out pretty well for me.