Marla Christiansen

Activated charcoal and aloe are the two darlings of the beauty world right now, showing up in drugstore products, high-end cleansers and DIY recipes alike. This homemade face mask recipe combines the two star ingredients into the simplest skin detox around. Remember those blackhead-removing strips that were so fun as a teen? Consider this their trendy, grown-up cousin. So, what is activated charcoal, anyway?

Activated charcoal—an ingredient perhaps best-known as those black specks in our Brita water filters—has recently been showing up in everything from trendy ice cream to skincare products. Beloved for its detoxing abilities, this it-ingredient is credited with cleansing skin, whitening teeth and treating acne. To get in on the skin-clearing natural wonder, we picked up some food-grade activated coconut charcoal and put it to work in marbled soap bars and bath bombs that mean business.