About 15 years ago I started making my own makeup. That was around the time I started eating an all-organic diet. I figured if I was eating clean, I should be careful with skin care products and makeup too. It wasn’t long before I discovered how to make non-activated charcoal eyeshadow.
Non-Activated Charcoal Eyeshadow
What is Charcoal?
When I tell people I make eyeshadow out of charcoal, many assume I am talking about the charcoal briquettes sold in grocery stores for grill cooking. THIS IS NOT THE CASE! PLEASE DO NOT USE CHARCOAL BRIQUETTES FROM THE GROCERY STORE FOR EYESHADOW. I don’t even recommend cooking with charcoal briquettes, because they are made with chemical fillers and binders that I don’t trust.
The type of charcoal I use for eyeshadow is often called “biochar.”
You may have seen biochar charcoal capsules for sale for detoxification purposes. Or maybe you’ve known someone who overdosed on drugs, and when they went to the hospital, the nurses made them take activated charcoal, or biochar, to pull the poison from their body.
Biochar can be made from many different types of burned materials, however, it is usually made from coconut shells when purchased through a natural company.
When burned at extremely high temperatures, like 1100 to 2100 degrees Fahrenheit, the coconut shells, or alternate materials, chemically transform into carbon, otherwise known as charcoal or biochar.
I make my charcoal from carefully sourced oak wood that has not been sprayed with herbicides or pesticides.
Activated vs Non-Activated Charcoal - Which is Safer?
If you have ever seen charcoal detox supplements for sale online or at health food stores, you may have noticed that they are always labeled as “Activated Charcoal.” Like many people, you may have assumed that the word “activated” relates to the safety of the charcoal for consumption. Therefore, you may have also assumed that non-activated charcoal is unsafe to eat, AKA scary! Are these assumptions valid, or is there more mystery buried deep within the coals?
While this post isn’t about consuming charcoal, we will still approach the subject of safety as if we were consuming it, because your skin absorbs the things you put on it, including eyeshadow!
Activated Charcoal
“Activation” is a treatment process that increases the surface area of charcoal by using either steam or chemicals like argon and nitrogen.
According to Medical News Today, activation “strips the charcoal of previously adsorbed molecules and frees up bonding sites again. This process also reduces the size of the pores in the charcoal and makes more holes in each molecule, increasing its overall surface area.”
In other words, once charcoal has been activated, it is more effective at removing toxins than non-activated charcoal.
Non-Activated Charcoal Benefits
In the 10 years that I have been researching charcoal, I have never found a single source that claims that non-activated charcoal is unsafe. That is just something that people assume because typically the only charcoal supplements for sale are activated.
Non-activated charcoal has the same uses, works the same way, and is made from the same things as activated charcoal. The only difference is that it is less effective at removing toxins than activated charcoal because it has less exposed surface area to adsorb toxins.
However, non-activated charcoal seems to have some detoxification effects as I wrote about in a previous article in which I cite sources that indicate monkeys are known to eat non-activated charcoal from forest fires to help them digest certain plants. Studies have shown that the monkeys who eat non-activated charcoal are healthier than the same species of monkeys that don’t eat charcoal.
And, one time our goat, Lawn Boy ate rat poison! Sigh – goats really are just big furry toddlers. So we fed him non-activated charcoal, which likely saved his life! Click the image to read about it!
How To Make Non-Activated Charcoal Eyeshadow
1. Find Material to Burn
The first step to making non-activated charcoal eyeshadow is finding suitable material to burn. I use oak wood most often, though I’ve also had luck with mesquite. I do not recommend using pine or any other tree that produces a lot of sap or resin! Popular Mechanics says, “Oak, walnut, ash, and fruitwoods are good.”
In addition, the wood must be “seasoned,” meaning it was cut from the tree at least a year before burning it. Look for fallen branches in densely wooded areas.
2. Burn the Wood
Burn the wood without lighter fluid. Don’t burn it down to ash. Let it burn until the coals are red-hot, then let the fire die or remove the coals with fire tools. Allow them to cool completely. Be careful! Coals can take several hours to cool! Practice fire safety!
3. Grind the Charcoal
Once the charcoal has completely cooled, grind it into a fine powder in a coffee grinder or blender.
4. Sift the Charcoal
Sift the ground charcoal in a fine mesh sifter to get smooth eyeshadow! Need a sifter? Check out this one on Amazon!
That was an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, I will earn a commission if you purchase through the link.
How To Apply Non-Activated Charcoal Eyeshadow
This non-activated charcoal eyeshadow must be applied in a dabbing motion rather than a smearing one. For perfect cat eyes, you may want to use tape while applying so you can achieve a straight line that is symmetrical on both sides. To remove, simply wash your face with soap and warm water.
Natural Makeup Tools
Need some new natural makeup tools? Check out these eco-friendly, plastic-free tools by Jessup!
That was an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, I will earn a commission if you purchase through the link.
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Love natural, DIY beauty? Click here to learn how to make your own face powder!
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