Activated Charcoal: The Natural Remedy That Actually Works + How to Make It Yourself

Over the years I’ve tried all sorts of natural remedies from colloidal silver to essential oils and none of them has been so effective, so true to what it was advertised as activated charcoal. It took me a long time to try this natural remedy because if we’re being honest, many natural remedies just don’t work as well as they’re supposed to.

But charcoal is the exception. Depending on how you use it you can experience relief immediately with things like nausea if you take it dissolved in water. It helps with virtually every digestive issue and more. If there’s one thing you should constantly keep in case of emergency, it’s activated charcoal.

The only drawback? If you take it with medication it might make it so the medication doesn’t work. Activated charcoal has more than 70 known drug interactions. This has been proven directly with things like birth control so if you’re on birth control, don’t take charcoal within 3 hours of when you take the pill or you risk deactivating the pill. Likewise with vitamins, if you take your charcoal with your vitamin regimen you’re basically just wasting money.

Editors note – my doctor told me to take activated charcoal before bed at night to absorb toxins while you sleep and not interfere with nutrition or supplementation absorption. 

Some of the advertised (and true) uses of activated charcoal are:

ANY digestive issues (from stomach cramps to nausea to constipation, literally all issues)

overdoses (NSAIDs, sedatives, calcium channel blockers, malaria medications, stimulants)

skin care

water filtration

teeth whitening and oral health

deodorant

skin infections

hangover cure

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Made from burnt organic matter (could be coconut shells, bone char, peat ect), it is activated at high temperatures which is what makes it a health product instead of something you can only cook with. Those temperatures change the internal structure increasing the surface area which is what makes it effective as a natural remedy. Regular coal contains carcinogens that aren’t present in activated charcoal because of the activation process. It works because it absorbs toxins to flush them from the body. It’s texture gives it a negative electrical charge which is how the toxins are attracted to it in the first place, effectively removing them from the body before they can cause too much damage.

It can be used topically in masks or soaps. It’s added to natural toothpastes for it’s teeth whitening benefits. Internally it can be taken by capsule or dissolved in water. When dissolved in water it can fix feelings of extreme nausea, immediately, as I know from experience. One swallow of water with charcoal and you feel it. In capsules there’s a wait time of about 20 minutes for the capsules to dissolve but I have encountered any digestive health issue that it hasn’t helped with. Many people add it to food, especially during Halloween as it makes things spooky colored while being non-toxic or actually anti-toxic.

Editors Note: My favorite toothpaste is My Magic Mud, made with activated charcoal and bentonite clay. My teeth have stayed white and toxin free. Its the only toothpaste I have ever purchased for my children and their dental health is spot on!

The best part is you can make it in a pinch if you have the stuff and a little know how! It takes time but has a huge cost difference which makes it worth it when you use it on a farm or for things like water filtration. You can make it using hardwood charcoal but you can also make your own charcoal in survival situations.

To make it you need:

calcium chloride

charcoal (with no additives)

glass jar (or non aluminum container)

glass bowl or non aluminum container

water and measuring cup

cheesecloth

cookie sheet

and a storage container.

1) Make or get the charcoal.

2) Turn the charcoal into powder with a hammer or something like that.

3) Make a solution of water and 25% calcium chloride in the jar. Be careful the jar will become extremely hot during this so use gloves or something when handling it. A recommended size for a solution is 100 ml of calcium chloride to 300 ml of water.

4) Make a spreadable paste by adding the solution a little at a time to the powdered charcoal in a bowl just until the paste is formed.

5) Allow to dry in the bowl for 24 hours.

6) Spread on a clean white sheet/cheesecloth. Make sure the fabric has no scent or detergents on it as the activated charcoal will absorb that stuff.

7) Rinse with clean water

8) Bake for 30 minutes at 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

9) Cool and break to store in airtight container.

Now this is something that’s only really advised if you need a lot of activated charcoal or are in a survival situation. This is for farmers who have a lot of animals as it’s great for helping to keep them healthy and for those who just like to do everything themselves, like me. Print this out and save it for the future just in case you don’t have access to the internet when you really need to put it in use!