Charcoal has been a maaajor wellness trend for a while now and I actually can’t believe I haven’t talked more about it. But here it is, in this week’s LIVE WELL!

It seems like it started as a soap and then overnight there was charcoal everything (literally, there’s even charcoal ice cream). So if you haven’t hopped on the bandwagon yet or are curious why so many have, here’s a quick breakdown of the benefits of incorporating charcoal into your wellness routine. Plus, the (many) ways you can go about using it.

But first, what is charcoal? The wellness charcoal you see packaged up so beautifully is exactly what you think it is—it’s made from wood, coal, coconut or other organic substances by using extremely high temperatures and no oxygen. It’s crazy that the end result is something with so many positive benefits!

Now for the benefits. If you ask a friend or even do a quick search online, you’ll probably immediately see that most people (this girl included) initially become obsessed with charcoal because of its ability to draw out toxins from the body. But it can actually be used for so much more! Other benefits include:

• Teeth whitening
• Reduce internal inflammation
• Help with hangovers
• Promote kidney function
• Anti-aging properties
• Reduce bloat

Charcoal has also been used to treat people who have been poisoned or even during drug overdoses because when ingested, it binds toxins and harmful properties and removes them from your system.

To experience some (or maybe even all) of the benefits above, here are some common methods for using charcoal as part of your wellness routine:

• Toothpaste (both my husband and I use and love this)
• Capsule supplements
• Deodorant
• Empty capsules into blended recipes (smoothies, ice cream, etc.)
• Body soap bars
• Face masks/scrubs
• Cleansers
• Shampoo

How have you used charcoal? And more importantly, did it work?!