Charcoal has been named the new “miracle” product in the beauty world, joining the ranks of coconut oil and avocados.
Celebrities and beauty vloggers alike have encouraged the use of charcoal for everything from whiter teeth, to making blackheads disappear. I put the charcoal facemask Blaq to the test to see if this new trend is just a passing fad or really beneficial.
This mask is a blast to put on. There is something very satisfying about completely covering your face in an opaque, black goo. If you are looking for a face mask that will help you deliver silly snapchats to friends, look no further.
There is nothing scrub-like about this mask, nor is it overly runny. It glided on easily, but left a lot of the product on my hands. I layered it on fairly thick, but it was still completely dry within minutes.
The first thing I noticed about the mask once it dried was how tight it made my face feel. I have never worn a tighter face mask, and this made my 30-minute waiting period quite unpleasant. The pain didn’t stop here.
This mask was not nearly as fun to take off as it was to put on. As I should have anticipated from the unprecedented tightness of the mask, peeling it off actually brought me to tears. I made the mistake of putting this mask all over my face. If I were to do it again, I would definitely spot treat instead, and I would also avoid areas such as above my lip and my temples. Through no fault of the mask, I accidentally got some of the mask in my eyebrows. When I went to peel it off, some of my eyebrow hairs came with it. I would implore you to just wash it off if this happens to you instead of peeling it. There was a good part to taking it off, which was seeing all of the stuff hiding out in my pores lift up as I pulled off the mask.
Despite all the trauma of removing the mask, the end result was very desirable. It left my skin feeling smooth for days after, and based on what was left on the mask after I took it off, it successfully unclogged my pores. However, these skin benefits may only be appealing enough to those with a high pain tolerance. Recommended use is one to two times a week, and I don’t think I would feel emotionally ready to put this mask on again for at least another month.
Zoe Stitzer is a freshman studying journalism news and information at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Have you tried a charcoal facemask? Let Zoe know by tweeting her @zoe_stitzer.
