Review: Zit- free, Japanese style: Camaru Naturals Bamboo Charcoal Soap

Here’s a review on Camaru Naturals Bamboo Charcoal Soap

PRICE: P125.00

PLACE BOUGHT: Free

OTHER LOCATIONS: Please inquire via Camaru Naturals on Facebook

THE VERDICT:

I prefer facial foams over facial soap bars because I find soaps annoying and unhygienic to use. But since a lot of people swear by the brand’s Bamboo Charcoal soap, I gave it a shot to find out if the effects are indeed true, even if I was having second thoughts about it 'cos it's soap.

According to the brand, Bamboo Charcoal is one of the best-kept secrets of the Japanese. It has been legendary for its powerful anti-microbial, clarifying, and antioxidant properties. It's also one of the brand’s cash cow (alongside Acerola Soap) for a lot swear by its smoothening and brightening effects. So how did I fare with the product? Find out after the cut.

Let’s go over the technical stuff first: The soap is made from 100% natural ingredients: from base to extracts. That means it has no preservatives, extenders, and the likes. It has a very, very, very faint fruity-ashy smell (if that makes sense), borderline fragrance- free. It lathers up well, more so if used with a foaming net. Its texture is sorta’ gritty due to charcoal particles, and it makes a great gentle exfoliator. However, since it has no preservatives, it melts down pretty quickly. I’ve also observed that it’s quite water absorbent, thereby having the tendency to breakdown and become gooey and slimy if stored in a wet or damp container. So I make sure I place it on a dry, holed soap dish after every use.

Camaru Naturals claims that their Bamboo Charcoal soap is:

- Excellent in fighting acne and pimples

- Great for unclogging blocked pores

- Effectively cleanses and whitens the skin

- Helpful in exfoliating dull, dead skin cells

- Helps clear up, remove impurities, and absorb toxins and pollution

- Ideal for reducing wrinkles

- Revitalizes and tightens skin

- Best for normal to oily- skinned people

I’ve used the soap for the whole month of March. Here’s my detailed experience with the product:

Initial reaction: I’ve noticed that the soap imparts a mild stinging sensation if left for quite a while on skin. But I don’t mind because I trust that it's how it's supposed to work. And work it did for it magically dried up my existing zits in no time at all! No kidding! Well, I got around 2- 3 zits during my first week of usage and actually thought of quitting the product. But I decided to continue because I felt that the product still has something for me. And boy, I’m glad I did! If I didn’t continue, I wouldn’t be able to experience its awesome zit- zapping prowess.

So how does Bamboo Charcoal clear up skin? The zits I had were not allergic reactions, but spewed- out buried impurities. Bamboo Charcoal induces pores to spew out dirt for clearer skin in the long run. As I’ve said in one of my entries, clear skin doesn’t necessarily mean healthy skin, and it is really inevitable that we’d have to go through the breakout stage in order to achieve flawless skin, no?

Moving forward. The thing I really love about this soap is how it magically dries up zits overnight. On smaller zits, the soap turns ‘em into dry surfaces the next morning. While on bigger, bulging, and more painful zits, it takes around two days for the soap to clear ‘em up. On the first day, you’ll already see the ‘eye’ (where the white, creamy stuff is) of the zit poking through, which means it’s already ripe for plucking. Then on the second day, voila! The freshly- popped zit is dry and almost gone for good!

But this overnight action requires a technique. Here’s what I do to speed up the drying time of my zits using Bamboo Charcoal:

How I use Bamboo Charcoal: I work the soap into a lather, cleanse my entire facial area for a minute, and then rinse the suds off thoroughly with clean water. I work it into a lather for the second time, apply the rich foam on parts with fresh zits, and then leave it on for 5 minutes. The foam imparts a pricking and stinging sensation which is quite tolerable (at least for me). After 5 minutes, I rinse the suds off with clean water, and then pat my face dry with a clean towel.

It also tightens up pores. It’s a good thing because it prevents your pores from accumulating dirt. Tighter pores means smoother skin surface too. FYI, you can use it on your body as well since it has antimicrobial properties.

My skin by the end of March: tighter pores, smoother skin surface, and look! Pinkish skin! (Alas, this skin is no more. I'm battling with post- acne marks as of the moment) I’ve also noticed that my skin has become more luminous with this soap. But it didn’t whiten my complexion as advertised. (thank heavens) It gives more of a ‘brightening’ effect, a term often confused with ‘whitening’ or ‘lightening’.

However, if you’re concerned about having major breakouts with this product, I can’t say because we all react differently to a certain product. This experience is from my vantage point only. If you want more testimonials, just visit them on Facebook and read away. Skin reactions are hard to predict, but one thing’s for certain: the soaps are manufactured by a company that is duly- registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and have undergone rigorous research, development, and skin compatibility testing before retailing.

Overall, this is good stuff—so good that I recommend it to just about anyone who wants tighter pores, clearer complexions, and radiant skin.

Perhaps you’re all wondering who is Camaru Naturals or where did the company originate. Here’s a short and sweet background about the brand:

Camaru Naturals is a proudly- Pinoy company owned by Ruth and Mark Serapio. They offer high- quality Japanese- inspired products (which is very evident in their selections) at budget- friendly prices. In a dinner date with the couple, I asked Ms. Ruth to tell me a brief history about the brand.

The brand was inspired by their love for their teenage daughter, who can’t seem to find the perfect cleanser for her skin. This has moved Ruth to create a soap that would end her daughter’s search for that perfect facial cleanser. Ruth and Mark have traveled across the globe, educated themselves on aromatherapy and skin care, and attended beauty convention per convention to equip themselves with the right know- how in creating safe and effective skin care solutions.

Ms. Ruth also believes that nature is the source of all things beneficial and beautiful. That's why she turns to Mother Nature for the most potent, safe, and efficacious ingredients. Camaru Naturals brings the goodness of nature to everyone through their four all- natural products: Rice Bran Soap, Acerola Whitening Soap, Bamboo Charcoal Soap, and Camellia Beauty Oil.

ADDENDUM: The soap effectively removes surface oil on skin. While this may be a positive thing for combination/oily- skinned people, it may irritate people with dry to extra- dry skin due to its drying properties. But don't lose hope. You can still use it! Just make sure you follow up with your favorite moisturizer right after cleansing your face with Bamboo Charcoal soap. :)

To know more about the brand, visit Camaru Naturals on Facebook.