Why You Should Be Using Charcoal On Your Face

Activated carbon

The idea of rubbing something you use for your grill on your face may be off-putting at first, but hear us out. Activated charcoal, an ingredient popping up everywhere right now in the skincare and health industries, has been shown to absorb dirt and impurities without leaving skin dry. Meaning that your skin’s integrity isn’t compromised.

Since the best primer for a wet shave a is strong, resilient skin, activated charcoal is an ingredient we recommend trying the next time you’re on the market for a facial product.

What is activated charcoal?

First, a little history lesson.

Activated charcoal has actually been used for centuries in Japan, India, and Egypt for cleansing and healing wounds and insect bites. During the Ming dynasty in China, healers would use bamboo charcoal to filter water for tea and to create medicines.

And it’s been a staple of hospital emergency rooms for many years. In cases of alcohol poisoning or drug overdose, charcoal attaches to stomach toxins and flushes them out before the blood stream can absorb them.

In terms of composition, activated charcoal is charcoal that’s been treated with oxygen, causing the charcoal to become more porous. This increases the charcoal’s surface area and thereby its ability to absorb toxins and bacteria.

Activated charcoal can absorb thousands of times its own weight.

What does activated charcoal do for my face?

Charcoal is a heavyweight, all-natural detoxifier. Similar to how it draws out toxins from the stomach, charcoal acts like a magnet for impurities, absorbing oil and dirt from your pores. These impurities then get washed away once you rinse your face.

Who should be using activated charcoal?

Anyone can use products with activated charcoal, but those with oily skin or skin prone to acne will benefit most because it’ll keep your pores clean.

Here are a few of our product recommendations:

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Crux Charcoal Grit Bar

Pumice and black walnut shell exfoliate to make way for activated charcoal to absorb built-up grime. Coconut oil and safflower oil restore moisture so your skin is clean, not taut.

SHOP: Crux Charcoal Grit Bar

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Ever Bamboo Charcoal Bar

Bamboo charcoal lifts dirt while lavender essential oil calms you down after a long day.

SHOP: Ever Bamboo Charcoal Bar

bichotan

Bichotan Cleansing Facial Mask

This fancy Bichotan Charcoal, made in the Kishu region of Japan, draws out all matter of impurities while absorbing excess oil. Free of synthetic fragrances, parabens, alcohol, and dyes, this face mask only contains 5 ingredients and is a treat for oily skin.

SHOP: Bichotan Cleansing Facial Mask

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How to Get the Barbershop Experience at Home

Old school barber shop with a checkerboard floor in black and white

Few experiences are more relaxing and luxurious than a classic barbershop shave. But few of us have the time or money to visit our barbers every day. Thankfully, there are a few ways you can bring the barbershop home (or at least ease the time between visits).

Below, we’ve compiled seven ways to recreate your favorite barbershop treatments, from the keystone hot towel to facial treatments that leave you feeling like a million bucks. Shop all the products mentioned at the end of this post.

Enjoy!

Hot Oil Beard Treatment

Just think of hot beard oil as beard oil turbocharged with VTEC. Proraso’s Beard Hot Oil makes it easy: Just warm a vial in hot tap water and massage into a damp beard. The heat helps the oil’s nourishing ingredients – including aloe and eucalyptus oil – penetrate deeply into your beard hair, making even the most scraggly beards feel silky.

SHOP: Proraso Beard Hot Oil

Barbershop Hot Towel

A classic barbershop shave always includes a relaxing and pore-opening hot towel. You can DIY the hot towel at home.

There are two ways to DIY:

  1. Stick a towel in a bowl of water and microwave for a couple of seconds until warm.
  2. Roll up the towel and run it under hot water for a few seconds, then wring it out.

After the towel’s warm, apply essential oils to your liking. Try eucalyptus and lavender oils for relaxation, or sandalwood for an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect.

If you’d like a more thorough course in the art of crafting the barbershop hot towel, check out this video:

The Correct Way to Towel Dry Your Hair

Hair is weakest when it’s wet. According to head barber Rob McMillen of Blind Barber, your natural instinct to vigorously push your hair back and forth while drying is the exact opposite of what you should be doing. To dry hair without damaging hair follicles, pat your head instead, squeezing sections of hair dry.

Also, avoid heat styling if possible. McMillen says not all styles need a blow dryer’s help, and that products typically work best when your hair is half dry.

Quality Clippers for Your Beard

McMillen recommends the Wahl Lithium All in One Trimmer if you’re planning to trim your beard at home. It’s light so you can hold it for an extended period of time without fatigue. It also boasts a very sharp blade and accurate beard guides.

SHOP: Wahl Lithium All in One Trimmer

Face Mask

A good shave starts with good skin. A razor passes most easily over smooth skin, reducing your chances of razor burn and rash, ingrown hairs, and inflammation. So don’t be scared to reach for a face mask (or think it’s too “feminine”) the next time you need some R & R.

We like Baxter of California Clay Mask, which taps kaolin clay and bentonite to draw out impurities (i.e. to unclog your pores), while aloe vera and avocado oil moisturize and hydrate your skin so it’s strong and supple.

SHOP: Baxter of California Clay Mask

Hydrate, Part 1: Face Oil

If you’re a guy with oily or combination skin, you’re probably wondering why you’d want to put more oil on your skin. Face oil is actually extremely lightweight yet packed with nourishing ingredients – plus it penetrates your skin better than lotion – so it moisturizes without clogging pores. Smooth a few drops on before moisturizer for that just-got-back-from-the-barbershop feeling.

Try Jack Black Epic Moisture MP10 Nourishing Oil, which infuses skin with a blend of 10 natural oils, fatty acids, and potent antioxidants.

SHOP: Jack Black Epic Moisture MP10 Nourishing Oil

Hydrate, Part 2: Moisturizer

For all that we look forward to our daily wet shave, the fact remains that every time we shave we’re traumatizing our skin. Combat the redness and irritation by following your face oil with moisturizer.

Our tip? Look for a moisturizer with a cooling element, like Dreadnought Cooling Moisturizer, which leaves your face feeling nice and refreshed after a shave. Jojoba oil keeps skin resilient by preventing excess oil production and inflammation.

SHOP: Dreadnought Cooling Moisturizer

Product-Picks

SHOP: 1. Wahl Lithium All in One Trimmer, 2. Jack Black Epic Moisture MP10 Nourishing Oil, 3. Proraso Beard Hot Oil, 4. Baxter of California Clay Mask, 5. Dreadnought Cooling Moisturizer.

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And the Winner is…

RoyalShave

Congratulations to Egwin Loya, winner of our RoyalShave Father’s Day Giveaway!

Loya blew us away with his touching photo and caption about his service to our country and sharing the value of honor with his daughter. He will be receiving our extensive Father’s Day wet shaving prize!

Loya’s Caption:

This is my daughter and I at ground zero memorial in New York. I served and deployed in the Marine Corps for both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. It has been a privilege and an honor to serve my country. But, the greatest satisfaction comes from sharing with my daughter what it means to honor fallen hero’s and what it means to be an American. Unfortunately, I will not be teaching her how to wet shave in the future. I would not have it any other way.

We received an overwhelming number of great entries, so we decided to also select 3 runner ups, each of whom will receive a special prize pack!

Our Runner Ups:

Michael Torregiano (Facebook)

Josh White (Facebook)

Jon Hyrk (Instagram)

Thank you to everyone who entered – we appreciated all of your entries!

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Interview: Zeus Beard

Zeus Grooming Company

Known for a carefully curated, all-natural range of products and a commitment to never using harmful chemicals nor conducting animal testing, Zeus Beard has quickly become popular with beard enthusiasts since its debut in 2014. Growing a beard can be itchy and downright uncomfortable, so Zeus products aim to make managing your beard simple and enjoyable. We love how they respect grooming as a craft and keep their ingredients list simple – it’s grooming as nature intended.

Read on for our exclusive interview with Zeus Beard, including the answer the often-asked question of how the company got its unique name!

Where are you located?

We are located in Newport Beach, CA.

When and why did you start this business?

We launched Zeus Beard last year to help the bearded gentleman. We had heard a lot of complaints about the difficulties of growing and maintaining a beard.  So we decided to come up with a solution.

How did you come up with the name of your company?

We wanted our beard brand to replicate a strong man in everything he does, from growing his beard to how he makes a living to being the leader of his family. The complaints we heard from beard growers helped us understand that growing a beard is a full commitment. You have to be beard strong – stick it out through the itchy pain of growing a beard.

We found it interesting that many men in powerful positions have beards, such as Abraham Lincoln, Hercules, and of course, the Greek god Zeus. This is how we came up with the name Zeus!

What differentiates Zeus from other beard grooming companies?

Zeus is geared towards a whole different target market. The Zeus man is a strong, independent individual who enjoys the active lifestyle. He embraces his manhood and the common interests he shares with other men, especially his bearded brothers.  In addition to all things bearded, he participates in outdoor activities (surfing, camping, and hiking) and sports. He is a purveyor of current events, artisanal craftsmanship, finely crafted cars, vintage motorcycles, good food, and good spirits. He is a passionate lover of life and living.

What do you believe makes a quality product?

When it comes to developing a product, we believe in listening to our customers first. They are the ones using the product, so we are always attentive to their needs and concerns. We also believe in extensive research and development to make sure the final product performs to our standards.

What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?

When you have a dream, sit on it for a while; chew on it, and then go for it. You can do anything you put your mind to. You are the only person who limits what you can do in this life.

Where can readers find out more about your company?

Facebook: Zeus Men

Instagram: @zeusbeard

Twitter: @zeusbeardco

Blog: Zeus Beard Blog

Shop for Zeus products at RoyalShave.

Zeus beard care prestige kit

Zeus Grooming

Zeus Grooming

Zeus Men

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