Clean Ingredient Spotlight: Activated Charcoal

If you're in tune with the beauty and skincare world at all, then you've likely heard of the benefits of activated charcoal. I love using products with activated charcoal, as they work wonders for my oily skin. I've got four great products featuring this ingredient to share with you today.

*Disclaimer: These products were sent to See, Shop, Love! in exchange for an honest review.

Activated charcoal helps draw dirt, oil, and other pollutants to the surface of skin, helping fight acne and achieve a clear complexion. I have very oily skin and activated charcoal is a miracle ingredient for me! I've been using products with charcoal in them for a while and they really help balance out my skin and remove excess oil. These four products are an easy way to add activated charcoal into your beauty routine.

The Bambusa Blackhead Banisher Pore Perfecting Nose Mask is available at Dermstore.com, Amazon.com, and HydropPeptide.com at $22 for a pack of eight. These pore cleansing strips are made from bamboo extract to smooth uneven roughness and charcoal and volcanic ash to remove excess dirt and oil.

Now, I know pore strips are a little controversial and a lot of dermatology professionals will tell you not to use them. I've also heard from other professionals that they are fine in moderation. I don't like to use them more than once a week or every two weeks, but I do like them for removing excess sebaceous filaments and dirt. These strips adhered well to my skin and did not hurt when removing, and since they are black you could really see the results on the strip.

One of my favorite ways to use charcoal is in a face mask. The G.M. Collin Charcoal Mask is $48 and is available at GMCollin.com. This mask helps capture and eliminate micro-pollutants, revitalize and replenish skin, and purify skin texture while evening your complexion. Ingredients include bamboo charcoal and Persian Silk Tree to increase skin's radiance and Coral Seaweed to revitalize.

The mask has a thicker texture and spread onto my skin smoothly. A little goes a long way. It's appropriate for all skin types and worked great with my oily skin. I left it on for about 10-15 minutes while it dried, and after rinsing off my skin felt clean and refreshed but not overly dry.

The Ethique Charcoal, Kaolin, and Oatmeal Bodywash Bar is great for cleansing the rest of your body. It's available at Target.com and Ethique.com for $11.50. It's vegan and cruelty-free and made without palm oil, and has kaolin clay and activated charcoal for natural cleansing. It also has oatmeal and coconut oil to soothe skin.

I've used other Ethique products in the past and they are excellent quality. I love that they use sustainable ingredients. I used this bar with a pouf sponge in the shower and it felt great after a heavy workout. My skin was left feeling incredibly clean.

The Dr. Natural Activated Charcoal Soap is another great way to use activated charcoal to cleans your body. You can get a huge 32 fl oz bottle from Amazon for only $10.99. It is available in Citrus, Lavender, and Mint scents and is free from sulfates, parabens, dyes, and is cruelty-free. The activated charcoal naturally detoxes face, body, and scalp and helps reduce pigmentation and inflammation.

I used this in the shower after working out and it lathered up well with a sponge, despite being sulfate-free (sulfates are what helps products bubble up and sometimes sulfate-free products don't lather as well). It did leave my skin feeling tightened and a bit dry, so definitely use a body moisturizer after getting out of the shower. I don't know that I would use this on my face, but it was a great body wash.

Last up is the Petite Amie Skincare Hydrating Bamboo Charcoal Masque, which is $8 at PetiteAmieSkincare.com and Amazon. It's a gentle mask made from 100 percent bamboo charcoal to balance and hydrate skin. It also includes honey for balancing and olive leaf to quench dehydrated skin. Hydrolized soy protein boosts skin's texture and luminosity.

This mask felt great on my skin and I loved the beautiful packaging. The mask itself was a black sheet mask, but I always appreciate a nice package presentation. My skin felt hydrated and soothed after use.

Bottom Line: If you want to add activated charcoal products to your routine, these five are a great place to start. Charcoal is great for all skin types and helps keep your face and body clean and balanced.

Spring Beauty Must Haves!

Spring has arrived, and I think spring weather has finally arrived in my area, too! I'm thankful that the days are longer and getting warmer, but that means it's time to prepare for shorts, skirts, and warmer weather clothes!

*Disclaimer: These products were sent to See, Shop, Love! in exchange for an honest review.

I have some great products to share with you today that will help you get ready for the new season.

After months of hiding my feet away under wool socks and winter boots, a good exfoliation is necessary. The Pumice and Peppermint Foot Polish from Ethique is a solid bar made with peppermint oil, pumice, and cocoa butter to help slough off dead skin. The company is cruelty-free certified by PETA and a B Corporation, meaning they're certified by an outside nonprofit as meeting the strictest standards of social and environmental performance.

The bar smells wonderful; I love peppermint as a refreshing aromatherapy experience. I also want to point out that I damaged the box while trying to open the bar, it didn't come that way. But back to the bar -- the little scrubbies are fine but incredibly effective. This was a real treat to use on my feet, and I would probably use it on my arms and legs, too. Definitely too harsh for face, but a wonderful way to get some exfoliation on the body.

If a body scrub sounds a bit too harsh and you'd rather ease into Spring, the Arbonne Rescue and Renew Detox Bath Soak is a great option! This lovely soak is made up of quick dissolving sea salt crystals that help remove surface impurities and cleanse skin. Turmeric root extract helps boost radiance, ginger root counteracts dull skin, and dandelion extract detoxifies.

I love a relaxing bath and these bath salts are perfect for one. They have a calming scent from only aromatic essential oils of orange, grapefruit, tangerine, eucalyptus, lavender, rosemary, and ginger root. The soak is also vegan and gluten-free. Use a palm-sized amount in your bath for a perfectly soothing experience!

Don't forget to take care of your hair once the sun comes back out! The Anti-Breakage and Repair Antidote Hair Mask from The Mane Choice is made with a signature K.O.M.B. oil infusion (kalahari, oleaster, mongongo, and baobab oils) to keep hair feeling silky soft.

This mask smells amazing! It's slightly sweet and slightly floral. Aside from smelling great, it protects, repairs, and restores damaged hair. The cream penetrates well into all layers of the hair shaft to reduce frizz and deliver shine. It's loaded with fatty acids omega three, six, and nine and leaves hair feeling soft, manageable, and more elastic.

My hair felt so soft after using this! A little goes a long way, although the instructions say to apply generously -- so do what you want with that instruction. I heat style daily, so being able to replenish moisture in my hair is essential and this mask definitely delivers.

Aside from wearing SPF on your face (which you should do regardless of the season or weather!), a great way to treat your skin is with the Dear by Renee Pomegranate Hydrating Mask. It's great for all skin types, especially for hydration after air travel or treating dry, sensitive, and rosacea skin.

The mask has a gel formula that feels very soothing on the skin. Aloe vera leaf and mushroom extracts nourish and soften while Vitamin E and pomegranate seed oil soothe redness, improve tone, and alleviate stressed, sensitive, or irritated skin.

I get stubborn dry patches on my cheeks, especially in colder weather, and this mask felt great both on and after removing. It left my skin feeling soft and supple and is a great way to unwind after a long day.

Last up is the CARA Moisturizer from mehron. This moisturizer has Vitamin E, shea butter, aloe vera, and acai berry extract to restore skin's naturla vitality. Acai has powerful antioxidants to help provide incredible hydration.

The moisturizer is really light and absorbs into skin quickly. I like that it comes in an airtight pump, meaning it won't lose its antioxidant and vitamin effects. It's been working well with my skin and is a great option for a day moisturizer.

Bottom Line: All of these products were a lot of fun to use and are great choices for pampering yourself this spring! Which products are you excited to try?