Charcoal has long been used in medicine for treating poisoning, renowned for its extraordinary ability to draw out and remove toxins from the body. I'm an avid fan of charcoal for it’s beauty applications as well and have been adding charcoal to my dermalogica cleansing clay once a week and using it as a masque for a few months now, so I was very excited to try out the new charcoal rescue masque (accompanied by a Little Bird charcoal lemonade tonic) to see if it would save me the trouble!
Most charcoal masques are directed at oily and congested skin, however the charcoal rescue masque is designed more as an all-rounder to help with a wider range of issues. You know when you look in the mirror and your skin isn’t ‘bad’ (i.e. no massive breakouts or blotchiness) but somehow it just looks a bit dull and tired and you’re not really sure what to do to give it a boost. This is the way to go. It removes the build up of oil, environmental pollutants and makeup; and stimules cell turnover, reduces redness, and makes your skin fee incredibly smooth.
The thing I really value about dermalogica is their attention to ingredients. The charcoal comes from Activated Binchotan (Japanese Ubame Oak), which draws out excess sebum, toxins, makeup and dirt from pores. But there are 12 active ingredients all up that make up this masque:
Sulfur promotes cell turnover which brightens skin. It’s also antibacterial and anti-inflammatory so amazing for acne and dermatitis
Volcanic ash, marine silt and bamboo physically exfoliate the skin to refine the surface texture
Phytic acid, lactic acid and mandolin acid and safe chemical exfoliants that improve our natural collagen production
Chilean Wild Mint clarifies and refines pores
This would be appropriate for pretty much any skin type. If you’re super sensitive then of course perform a patch test first but this is a great all-rounder for dry, oily, dull, or congested skin. In a way it brings balance back to the skin, so whatever your skin type it should improve the look and feel of your skin.
I’ve been using this once a week but if you’re unsure chat to the team in store and ask them to recommend the right routine for your skin type.
dermalogica charcoal rescue masque available from 1st March 2016 and RRP $89