One of the biggest DIY beauty trends right now is making peel off charcoal blackhead mask using Elmer’s glue. Seriously, glue! Google “charcoal glue mask” and you’ll see what I’m talking about. I think it’s strange to put glue on the face. I wonder if people know that Elmer’s glue is made with chemicals originated from “petroleum, natural gas and other raw materials.”
A few months ago, I shared a glue-free recipe for DIY peel off charcoal face mask that has worked great for both me and my always game husband (I sometimes try out new recipes on him). I have since received many questions and comments about that recipe. Some people have told me that when they peel the mask off, it cracks and breaks into pieces. This updated charcoal blackhead mask recipe solves this problem by laying a paper towel strip on the mask. The updated recipe makes a peel off charcoal blackhead mask, that’s super cheap and easy to make, but it’s as effective as many store bought pore stripes. Want to know how to make it?? Read on!
Peel Off Charcoal Blackhead Mask, Totally Glue-Free
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Yields: 2 uses on the nose and chin areas, or 1 use on the entire face
Ingredients for Peel Off Charcoal Blackhead Mask
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- Activated Charcoal – 1/2 teaspoon. I use Zen Hardwood Activated Charcoal. You can also try Nature’s Way Activated Charcoal Capsules, or Starwest Botanicals Activated Charcoal.
- Unflavored Gelatin – 1/2 tablespoon. I use Knox Unflavored Gelatin. You can also try Great Lakes Unflavored Beef Gelatin, or Now Foods Beef Gelatin.
- Distilled Water – 1 tablespoon. Get it at your nearest supermarket.
How to Make Peel Off Charcoal Blackhead Mask
Here’s a short YouTube video I’ve posted that shows how I make and use this peel off charcoal blackhead mask.
(1) Mix activated charcoal, gelatin, and hot distilled water in a small glass or ceramic container. I use a shot glass. I also use a long bamboo skewer to mix the ingredients into a paste.
(2) Make some 1 to 2-inch wide stripes with a piece of paper towel. If the paper towel is two-ply, then separate it into a one-ply paper towel.
How to Use Peel Off Charcoal Blackhead Mask
Before using any new products, including DIY ones, it’s a good idea to do a patch test. So you can know if the new products will affect your skin negatively. Also, it’s best not to use this peel off charcoal blackhead mask on broken skin.
(1) Before you use the peel off mask, you should try to open up your pores. For me, taking a warm shower or bath works well in opening up my pores. You can also try putting a warm towel on your face for a few minutes.
(2) Make sure your charcoal blackhead mask is not too hot when you apply it on your face. You don’t want to burn your face with the face mask.
(3) Use a facial brush to apply the mask on your nose and chin areas. I only use this mask on my nose and chin, because like most people, I have most of my blackheads there. The mask might appear very thin at first, reapply 2 to 3 times.
(4) Place a strip of paper towel on the nose area, and one on the chin area. In the video, I used the charcoal blackhead mask on my dear husband’s nose and forehead.
(5) Apply 1 to 2 additional layers of charcoal blackhead mask on top of the paper towel strips. Make sure that the mask fully covers the nose and chin areas.
DO NOT apply any mask near or on your eyebrows. The mask can pull your eyebrows off.
(6) Wait for your charcoal blackhead mask to dry completely. This can take a long time. I usually let the mask dry for at least 45 minutes. When the mask is completely dry, it will become very hard. So if your mask feels rubbery or soft when you touch it, it’s not completely dry.
(7) When your charcoal blackhead mask is completely dry, peel it off slowly. The paper towel will keep the mask intact, and it will prevent the mask from cracking and crumbling.
Take your time peeling the charcoal blackhead mask, because you might experience discomfort (pain!) when peeling off the charcoal blackhead mask. For me, the level of discomfort is similar to the discomfort I felt when using Biore Pore Strips, which is totally tolerable.
Remember, you can always wash the charcoal blackhead mask off with warm water if you don’t want to peel it off.
(8) After you peel off your charcoal blackhead mask, wash off any mask that you can’t peel off. Once the mask is completely off your face, you might notice some redness on your face. But don’t worry, it should go away on its own. I have been applying argan oil to calm the redness after peeling off the charcoal blackhead mask.
So, do you want to see how effective the charcoal blackhead mask is in getting rid of blackheads? Here are some pictures of the blackheads and yucky stuff that the charcoal blackhead mask pulled out of the pores of my (always game) husband’s nose.
That’s it. That’s how you make and use this DIY peel off charcoal blackhead mask. I hope you find the YouTube video helpful. With only 2 all natural ingredients, you can make a deep pore cleansing mask that works great, especially on your nose and chin areas. So have the pictures above convinced you to give this recipe a try? I’d love to know how it goes. Please feel free to comment below if you have any questions or if you run into any issues when making or using this peel off charcoal blackhead mask. I’d love to help. So, reach out! As always, please share and pin this recipe if you like it!
I am a college student and I am very much worried about my pimples due to my skin. My skin is very oily and I had used different fresh wash and cream for the treatment of this. But I have not got any good results and resulting is too much-deteriorated skin and acne. After reading this article I think I have some hope to eliminate acne problem permanently. Is there any information on how to prepare it at home.
Instead of paper towel strips, what do you think about round rice sheets or wrappers?
Mmmm…interesting suggestion. I wonder if rice sheets/wrappers will be strong enough to remain in one piece when being peeled from the face. Have you tried? If you have, I’d love to know if it worked. When I have some free time, I’m gonna give your suggestion a try too. Thanks!
Thanks for this amazing DIY mask. I’ve been looking for something effective and easy to make for a very long time so was very happy to find this post.
Word of advice: I found that it turns into a jello like consistency very quickly so I make just enough for my nose and forehead area and then some more if I need it for other areas. Also, have paper towel cut and prepared beforehand because you won’t have time to do this after you have made the mask.
I would be interested to know if anyone tried doing this after exfoliating first?
Great tips, Anja! I agree, it’s a good idea to have the paper towel strips prepared before mixing the charcoal blackhead mask. Also, opening up the pores before applying the mask can increase the mask’s effectiveness.
I’m not sure I’d exfoliate before applying the mask, because exfoliation followed by a peel off mask might be too much action for the face. I’d exfoliate, wait a few days or a week, then use the charcoal mask. Thanks for sharing your tips!
do i have to use paper towels?
Great question! I have used this recipe without using a paper towel, and it worked fine. In fact, for my other DIY charcoal face mask recipe, I don’t use a paper towel at all. However, some people have told me that without a paper towel, the mask tends to crack and crumble. So if you want to be absolutely sure that your peel off charcoal mask will come off in one piece, using a paper towel is a good idea. Please let me know how it goes when you try the recipe!
Finally found how to make NATURAL peel off mask!! Thanks.
I want to make 4-5 times use amount but it must have expiry. Do you think it’s OK to keep the mixture in a glass jar for over a month?
Thanks for reaching out! If you want to make a bigger batch, I recommend that you mix all the dry ingredients and then keep the mixture in an airtight glass jar, in a cold and dry place. Your dry ingredients should stay fresh for about a month. When you are ready to use the glue-free DIY charcoal mask, add water and warm everything up (or you can try adding hot water). Keep me posted on how it goes please!
Could you not add hot water to the gelatin and skip the double broiler method all together?
Great question! You can certainly give hot water a try. Another DIYer commented that she used hot tap water to make DIY charcoal mask, and had great results. I’d probably use hot distilled water. Keep me posted on how your charcoal blackhead mask turns out please!
I currently have the mask on! I believe it’s working, I used boiled water from my kettle. Also for those of us that only have caps of charcoal it takes 2 to get 1/2 a tsp
Great! I’d love to know how you like the charcoal blackhead mask.
Hi Silvia!!
I’m so glad to see a version w/o glue. It works partially for me I guess… It worked fine on my nose. But my chin is a problem, even though I steamed it. It feels nicer… but I can still see most of my blackheads, especially on the sides. It’s as if they have a thick layer of skin on top. They’re just closed I guess.
Anyway.. how often do you advise this? Once a week?
Glad to hear that this DIY charcoal blackhead mask recipe works well on your nose. As to your chin area, I recommend using this mask once a week. Give it a month or so and see if it will work on your chin as well as it works on your nose. Keep me posted please!
This mask was great, super easy to make and it really works. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for reaching out! I’m so glad you like the recipe!