In Asia, the use of bamboo charcoal for health purposes is very popular. People in Japan, Korea, and China find the uses of bamboo charcoal to be very beneficial for many other uses too.

It was discovered that the porous structure of bamboo charcoal helps absorb bad stale air amongst many other benefits.

Bamboo charcoal is  made by placing cut and dried bamboo stalks into a kiln.  Cooked in high temperatures, the charcoal is then collected and cut into small pieces.  The pieces have found their use in the health and beauty market.

The following benefits of bamboo charcoal include:

Removes odor from kitchens, shoes, and other places.

Extracts humidity from the air and turns it into negative ions.

It’s also useful in help absorb formaldehyde.

Also helps fight electromagnetic waves from electronic items. So it’s best to place bamboo charcoal near your computer and other electronic items.

It’s also recommended to add bamboo charcoal and water to a vase of cut flowers. This helps extend the life of the flower.

So far I have added bamboo charcoal to my potted plants (which are near my computer), and also to my flower pots outside.  It’s only been 1 week since I’ve used it, so I can’t say if I’ve seen any improvements yet.

I have also put some bamboo charcoals in a basket and keep it in the bedroom.  This is to help clean the air. I’m hoping it’s making some difference.

I get my bag of bamboo charcoal from Daiso, the Japanese discount store for $1.50. The bag is meant for soaking in bathtubs. After soaking, it helps keep you feeling warm.

Here is what the bag claimed as beneficial uses of bamboo charcoal (as written exactly from the package):

Effect of far-infrared radiation, Effect of alkaline ion, Deodorizing effect, and Effect of purification.

The instructions in the back writes: “The period of service is about two months if you use it everyday. Remove the bamboo from the bag after the service period and dry thoroughly. When mixed into your potting or garden soil, it allows the air to pass through the soil, and acidified soil will be neutralized and the soil improved. In addition, you can use it as deodorant.”

Now I’m beginning to wonder if I should add bamboo charcoal to my handmade batch of soap next time.  I have made soap using “activated” charcoal and liked it, you can read my review here. Activated charcoal is found in health food store and used to take in case you have a bad stomach.

But it’s been showing up in beauty care products too.  “Activated charcoal has the powerful ability to trap inorganic matter and pollutants. Able to absorb thousands of times its own weight in pore-clogging impurities; it helps cleanse skin of tarnishing toxins.” - DHC Purifying Charcoal Shower Gel.

I did buy Daiso’s version of charcoal soap ($1.50) - sorry no photo.  I wanted to see how it would compare to my own handmade soap, but was very disappointed. It was a very drying and hard bar. And the worst part was the scent, much too perfumery and very artificial.  Not recommend for people who don’t like cologne or strong fragrance.