Beauty blogger Annie Atkinson, 30, recently added an ugly step to her beauty regime: gray juice.
Made from activated charcoal and greens, the juice doesn't exactly look appetizing, but Atkinson, who previously worked as a stylist for Michael Kors, swears it's good for the appearance.
"It really affects your skin," she says.
Forget regular old kale juice. For the health- and beauty-obsessed, black is the new green.
Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop recently highlighted charcoal lemonade as one of the "best juice cleanses." And in November, popular NYC chain Juice Generation launched a line of drinks packed with activated charcoal — Activated Greens (nearly black in color), Activated Lemonade (gray) and Activated Protein (creamy slate) — at $9.95 a pop.
"It's one of the most popular products that we've ever introduced," says Juice Generation founder Eric Helms, who says he was inspired by the popularity of charcoal in cosmetics.
Still, he admits the "taste was a big challenge," requiring months of testing to make its "grit" palatable.
Activated charcoal is made from burnt organic matter — Juice Generation uses coconut hulls — that's processed to have a negative electrical charge. That negative charge allows it to bind to toxins (which have a positive charge) in the body, and, proponents say, help aid detoxification.
It's long been used in hospital emergency rooms to treat severe poisoning cases, but is it really beneficial for your average Lululemon lover? Or even safe?
It's one of the most popular products that we've ever introduced. - Juice Generation founder Eric Helms
Dr. Jeffrey A. Morrison, a Manhattan-based family practice physician and certified nutritional specialist, says it's "very safe" if used correctly, though he wouldn't recommend consuming it daily.
That's because activated charcoal will bind to medications and nutritional supplements — not just toxins — rendering them ineffective. (Medications should be taken at least 30 minutes before or two hours after consuming charcoal juice.)
"Most people are going to be quite capable of eliminating toxins on their own," Morrison says. But after a night of heavy drinking or a fried-food binge, he says, it's not a bad idea.
Beth Warren, a registered dietician-nutritionist based in Brooklyn, is less positive about the trend. She notes that adding charcoal to vegetable juice doesn't make sense because the charcoal — not the drinker's body — will absorb the juice's nutrients.
"I don't really see a purpose," she says. "I think it's going on the fad of 'detox, detox, detox.' "
If you do decide to brave the carbon concoctions, just don't stray too far from the toilet. Morrison says that charcoal will "help bring on certain actions," and notes those actions can be looser than usual.
It's so powerful, T.J. Bolden, 25, a Juice Generation regular, only opts for a charcoal juice once or twice a week.
I don't really see a purpose. I think it's going on the fad of "detox, detox, detox." - Brooklyn dietician-nutritionist Beth Warren, on the viability of the charcoal cleanse
He's noticed clearer skin and better digestion since he began drinking charcoal a couple of months ago. And, he enthuses, "It flushes you out."
As for Atkinson, she says she started out with a good complexion so it's hard to say if there have been any big improvements.
"I'm lucky I don't have acne issues, but just knowing I'm putting something into my body to remove the toxins and bacteria, that's what I'm liking about it," she says. "I think just knowing that I'm doing something good for my body makes me feel better."
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