Health/Hygiene Products

[spoonybard]

I was at J-List looking for Visual Kei/J-rock magazines, and at some point, I found some charcoal toothpaste and soap. I have ordered both, but since my question wasn't answered there, I would like to know if the soap is OK for extremely sensitive skin.

My sensitive skin is coupled with diabetes and eczema(and if it weren't for Accutane, really bad acne), so I would like to know if I'll have an adverse reaction to it. Thanks for your help!

[GTJ]

A quick google reveals most charcoal soap brands are directed toward sensitive skin, but you should at least check which brand you're buying. Cuz you didn't mention it.

And then, you know, google it.

[spoonybard]

Thanks! The problem is that they ran out when I purchased it, and googling it had escaped my mind :S Anyway, I checked my e-mail, and it says that it's DX Natural Charcoal Black Soap.

[Columbine]

Seeing as you've already ordered it, it's a bit late to worry about whether it will be all right your sensitive skin.

What you can do, to be 100% sure it's ok, is test it first on a small area. Wash it off and leave it for 48 hours. If there's no reaction, then clearly it will be ok for you to use. If there is, then clearly no.

[TalnSG]

When you finally get to try them, let us know what you think of them.

One of the benefits of charcoal is that it binds with toxins to remove them, more than attempting to counteract them like other chemicals. I had a roommate once that would drink a mixture of powdered charcoal and fruit juice after a night of drinking. Seemed to help her hangover, but edible charcoal is not sold many places. At least it didn't taste as bad as it looked.

Years ago I tried making my own charcoal toothpaste after reading some recipes for it from the 18th & 19th century. Pretty nasty looking to use and far from an appetizing taste, but once I got it rinsed it seemed to work well. I don't think I want to try anything close to that again, but the soap seems like it might be a good idea.

[ozkai]

Originally Posted by spoonybard

I was at J-List looking for Visual Kei/J-rock magazines, and at some point, I found some charcoal toothpaste and soap. I have ordered both, but since my question wasn't answered there, I would like to know if the soap is OK for extremely sensitive skin.

My sensitive skin is coupled with diabetes and eczema(and if it weren't for Accutane, really bad acne), so I would like to know if I'll have an adverse reaction to it. Thanks for your help!

I wouldn't recommend brushing your teeth with charcoal, but the soap sounds clear.

I use pepermint Colgate Toothpaste on this side.

[spoonybard]

Yes. Before I purchased the toothpaste, I actually looked for articles involving the stuff to see if it was better than the stuff we have over here. In my search, I found out that apparently, when you mix charcoal with something else(can't remember what it was), it helps stop poison, if you've had anything poisonous, as previously stated by TalnSG.

Also, the toothpaste was actually made by a pharmaceutical company, so I'm sure it won't be a problem. One person actually said that when they go camping, they chew on charcoal from the previous nights fire to clean their teeth, and it does a pretty good job. The only real issue then is the taste, which many say you(obviously) have to get used to.

As for the soap, I figure that if it has any adverse effects, I'll just give it to someone else, but I would definitely like to try it out first. But thanks for your input, everybody.

[Columbine]

Yep, even in hospital today; if you've come in having swallowed something nasty they may still give you a nice big cup of charcoaly water to help soak up the toxins.

I've heard that brushing your teeth with plain bi-carb of soda works as a home tooth whitener as well. I tried it and it seemed to help. Tastes ~terrible~ though.

[spoonybard]

OK, so I got the stuff about two weeks ago, and the soap is fantastic!!! It's a little bizarre, because you feel sticky and dry right after using it, but as time passes, your skin actually becomes quite soft. If you wash your hands using a different soap after using the charcoal soap, your hands feel rough, so I'm clearly not switching back to what people here in the "new" world consider normal, because soap over here has a bad *understatement* effect on my skin, and apparently, there are quite a few soaps here that contain harmful substances.

Another interesting effect I just noticed today is that the dead skin that's been plaguing my heels for years is finally almost gone and replaced with skin that I SHOULD have at my age.

I got the toothpaste a LONG time ago, but wanted to post about the soap. The toothpaste takes some getting used to, but overall, it isn't as bad as many people think it would be. Also, when I use it, my breath can smell the same for a LONG time(can't remember, but it seemed like most of the day).

[TalnSG]

Originally Posted by Columbine

Yep, even in hospital today; if you've come in having swallowed something nasty they may still give you a nice big cup of charcoaly water to help soak up the toxins.

I've heard that brushing your teeth with plain bi-carb of soda works as a home tooth whitener as well. I tried it and it seemed to help. Tastes ~terrible~ though.

I had a roommate for a while that used a dose of activated charcoal & water as her cure for too much alcohol. Disgusting to look at, vile to smell and thoroughtly intolerable to drink..... but I don't recall her ever suffering from a hangover.

Since it was already in the house, I would mix it in OJ once in a while. I was inspecting restaurant kitchens and becoming prone to food poisoning, so my hope was that it would tackle any mild exposure. Don't know if it really did bind with the toxins, but it seemed to help. Still it was something you chugged down fast - not appetizing at all, but the OJ helped the "aroma".