Healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp—but what makes a scalp healthy? A healthy scalp is rooted in the products we’re applying to our hair, the ingredients in our scalp and hair care routine, and how we cleanse and treat our scalp.
If you’ve ever struggled with a dry, flaky, oily, irritated scalp you’ve most likely come across a list of ingredients that are scalp care heros: tea tree oil, aloe vera, and argan oil, to name a few—but let’s talk about the unsung detoxifying hero that is Binchotan charcoal.
Charcoal is no stranger to the beauty space—it’s one of the top ingredients in skincare and haircare due to its healing, anti-itch and deep-cleansing properties. But what sets aside Binchotan charcoal from typical activated charcoals and why did we add it to our fan favorite Scalp Revival™ lineup? Let’s take a deep dive into what makes Binchotan charcoal so special.
What is Binchotan charcoal?
Binchotan charcoal (often referred to as white charcoal) is a traditional Japanese charcoal made from the branches of the Ubame Oak, that’s known for its strength, density, and resilience.
To convert the wood into charcoal, the wood is burned low and slow to regulate the flow of oxygen. Then, the temperature is raised to a scorching 1,000º C (1832º F) to burn away the impurities and the embers are covered with a mixture of earth, ash, and sand to cool it down. This process helps Binchotan charcoal develop small pores that absorb deep-rooted impurities and build-up from the hair and scalp.
Binchotan charcoal has numerous tiny pores allowing it to absorb deeply embedded impurities and build-up. The highly absorptive quality also gives Binchotan charcoal a potent detoxifying effect on the scalp.
What are the benefits of Binchotan charcoal for your scalp?
Charcoal-infused products are sought after in skincare and scalp care because of its effectiveness when it comes to exfoliation, detoxification, and extraction of impurities. Binchotan charcoal acts like a sponge when it comes to absorbing toxins, oil, dirt and buildup, making it a dream ingredient for any skincare product and a magical ingredient for your hair and scalp.
Additional scalp benefits include:
Soothing and balancing properties: Binchotan charcoal works as a powerful calming agent for itchy and painful skin and scalp conditions like oily skin, seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff), scalp psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis, and balances oil production.
Magnetizing toxins: Binchotan charcoal attracts and absorbs toxins, dirt, oil, buildup and dead skin cells that hinder our overall scalp and hair health.
Resets and refreshes volume: Flat, limp strands that are lacking body can regain fullness and appear thicker with the help of Binchotan charcoal.
Why is scalp care important for healthy hair?
The rise of skinification of hair has launched a strong connection between high-performing ingredients, treatments, and benefits of our skincare routine (think: oils, serums, masking for hydration and exfoliation to remove excess dry skin and debris ) and how they also relate to hair care. For instance, we exfoliate our face to unclog our pores and create the optimal environment for reaping the benefits of other products—the same thing goes for our scalps!
“At the end of the day, our scalp is an extension of our face. We should treat it the same way by nurturing it with ingredients that detoxify, hydrate, and protect to create the perfect foundation for healthy hair,” explains Nancy Twine, Briogeo CEO and Founder
Meet our Scalp Revival™ ingredients
Healthy hair is rooted in scalp scare—that’s why we designed our Scalp Revival™ collection with powerful, naturally derived ingredients to address common issues that exist in skincare and scalp care. Binchotan charcoal is able to remedy common issues like scalp build-up, itchiness, dryness, irritation and flakiness—and that’s why it’s a key ingredient across the entire Scalp Revival™ collection:
Scalp Revival™ Charcoal + Coconut Oil Micro-Exfoliating Shampoo Scalp: Our scalp scrub shampoo that detoxifies, exfoliates, soothes, and balances your scalp for optimal scalp health.
Scalp Revival™ Charcoal + Tea Tree Cooling Hydration Scalp Mask: Our hydrating scalp mask that nourishes and soothes an itchy, irritated, flaky scalp with an instant cooling and refreshing sensation.
Scalp Revival™ Charcoal + Tea Tree Scalp Treatment: Detoxifies and removes dirt, oil, dead skin cells and buildup from the scalp and soothes an itchy, irritated, and flaky scalp while delivering essential hydration to prevent dryness and flakiness.
Scalp Revival™ Charcoal + Biotin Dry Shampoo: Detoxifies and draws out impurities from the scalp, and normalizes oil production to provide a long term fix for oily scalp.
Bonus: Cleanses and refreshes your hair to extend the life of your blow out.
In order to formulate our best-selling Scalp Revival™ collection, we blended the highly absorptive and detoxifying Binchotan charcoal, along with other scalp-happy ingredients for optimal scalp health:
Coconut oil: Penetrates the hair shaft to lock in moisture, protecting against breakage and heat damage.
Tea tree oil: Reduces flakiness, itch, irritation and inflammation for a revived and revitalized scalp.
Peppermint oil: Soothes itchiness and supports a healthy scalp pH.
Biotin: Supports the hair shaft for overall hair health.
Witch hazel: Normalizes oil production to balance overall scalp hydration.
Clay & tapioca complex: Absorbs excess oil to refresh and extend the life of your blow out.
By combining charcoal with a classic slew of reliable ingredients like biotin, tea tree oil, peppermint oil, etc., we created a formula that soothes scalp irritations while removing any dead skin, impurities, and product built up. As a result, the hair and scalp feel more balanced, moisturized, and clean.
