Some of the most useful things in life come in small, unassuming packages.

Just think of Swiss army knives, for example - a small, but infinitely helpful addition to any bag or pocket.

But what if we think even smaller - down to the granular level? It’s here that we find activated charcoal. This handy black powder is useful in so many ways, and that’s the reason we’re celebrating activated charcoal week from June 10th - June 17th.

Each day we’ll be posting a different way that activated charcoal can be used to help improve your health, with a handy recipe card that you can use to create your very own activated charcoal recipes at home.

To wet your appetite, here are a few of our favourite activated charcoal recipes that we’ve collected over the years.

Activated Charcoal Pulling Tabs

One of the myriad beneficial uses for activated charcoal is for oral hygiene. This is because it’s able to lift dirt from the teeth at a granular level, fight bacterial build-up and even boost whiteness. When mixed with coconut and peppermint oil, activated charcoal creates super handy, all-natural chewables that clean the mouth and freshen the breath.

Items needed:

• 2 tsp. Activated charcoal powder
• 1 cup of Coconut oil
• 20 drops of Peppermint essential oil
• A tray of small moulds (2-3 tsp capacity - think ice tray)

Here’s how to make them:

1. In a bowl combine all of the ingredients and mash them together with a rubber spatula until thoroughly combined. As you mash and stir, the mixture will become softer.
2. Once the oil is soft, spoon it into your mould.
3. Place the mold in the fridge for about 15 minutes, or until completely hard.
4. Pop the oil pulling tabs out of the mould and store in a jar.

Activated Charcoal Face Scrub

Another amazing use of activated charcoal is as a skin cleanser. If you’re finding that your face is glistening with built-up excess oil, or getting blemishes from impurities in the pores, using a little activated charcoal can help flush out unwanted dirt and clean your skin.

It doesn’t take much, either. Just follow the easy steps below to make your own skin cleansing product at home.

Items needed:

• 43g organic cane sugar or white sugar
• 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp. Activated charcoal powder

Here’s what to do:

1. Add the cane sugar and activated charcoal to a bowl or storage jar
2. Shake the jar or whisk the ingredients together to combine the sugar and charcoal powder.
3. Add the olive oil to the mixture, and stir to combine. The sugar and charcoal should look like wet, black sand.
4. Seal the jar until use.

Activated Charcoal Eyeliner

It’s certainly not news that our eyes are two of the most sensitive areas of your body. In fact, they’re probably up there with our most fragile, yet important organs. So why on earth is it that we treat them with such carelessness, slathering them in unnatural, chemical-based makeup on a daily basis?

Well, we actually don’t need to. Using activated charcoal and a couple of other easy ingredients, you can make your very own natural eyeliner from the comfort of your kitchen.

Here’s how:

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons coconut oil
• 4 tsps aloe vera gel
• 1 tsp activated charcoal powder

Instructions

1. Thoroughly mix all ingredients together.
2. Store in an airtight container.
3. Store in a cool, dark place.
4. Use a clean brush so that you don’t introduce any bacteria to the mixture.

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So, there you have it - a wee taster of the many things activated charcoal can do. Make sure to keep your eyes on our social pages for a shed load more activated charcoal benefits and remedy cards. And if you want to explore a ton of other remedies that you can make at home, just head over to the Remedy Hub.