# Activated Charcoal



## AF_SOAP (Feb 5, 2014)

Hello again, I was wondering about sources for activated charcoal.   I was searching around and most sites were selling  1 oz for $3.00.  I feel like that is ridiculous but that is the common selling point unless buying in extreme bulk.

I remember years ago as a kid using activated carbon for my fish tanks.  Most of the stuff at the pet stores came in pellets but I figured I could crush it to a fine powder.   Would there be any issue on using this type of charcoal if it was made from hardwood like I remember?  The main purpose is just to have big pores and clean so if it is activated it should be somewhat helpful.  Maybe not as much as the bamboo varieties but still good. 

Could anyone shed some light on this?


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## Lin (Feb 5, 2014)

I've used the fish activated charcoal. A rather large jug from the pet section of walmart, it was pure activated charcoal pellets. I used a food processor to crush them. Next time I'll use my coffee grinder, I just need to find it. My bf was going to buy a coffee grinder the day we bought the charcoal but walmart was out. If it had been a better quality food processor and gone longer it might have been fine, but I ended up sifting out the best of the powder to pre-mix with my oil and then use to color the batch.


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## soap_rat (Feb 5, 2014)

I crushed aquarium charcoal with a mortar and pestle, then sifted it and used what looked like fine dust.  I ended up with some bigger pieces in the soap.  They don't look very large but they really hurt!  Then I bought a 1lb bag of charcoal powder through Amazon (not bamboo).  I have not noticed any amazing pore-shrinking myself.


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## TheVelvetLeopard (Feb 5, 2014)

I buy mine from Nature's Garden Candles.  Not sure the price off-hand, but at the time it was the best price I could find.


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## cmzaha (Feb 5, 2014)

I get mine from amazon under $20 for 1 lb. It is a hardwood activated charcoal


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## AF_SOAP (Feb 6, 2014)

Ha ha yeah I think I'll just stick to places like brambleberry.  When I powdered this stuff and then added water it gave off the most foul smell I have ever smelled.  I mean it knocked me back a little.  Smelled like washed up dead fish.   I guess that's why they stick it in fish tanks.


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## Lin (Feb 6, 2014)

Thats not normal, activated charcoal is activated charcoal. Unless there was something else added, there's nothing different between the stuff thats used in fish tanks, air filters, for digestive disorders and poison absorption, and soap making. 

I believe this is what I have: http://www.walmart.com/ip/AquaTech-Carbon-Fish-Aquatic-Pets/10313138 I also use it for my dog Emma, she gets some with her food to help with some of her digestive issues. And I use it for odor absorption with the litterbox. I also use charcoal filters in my air purifiers.


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## soap_rat (Feb 7, 2014)

Well, you weren't supposed to use stuff that had already been in the fish tank!  

Seriously though, I have not idea why yours would smell bad, mine smelled fine although it sat in a box for years.


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## AF_SOAP (Feb 7, 2014)

I did not use ones from the fish tank .  I went to petco and bought a little can that said activated carbon.  It only smelled this way once I added the water, FO to it.


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## Lin (Feb 7, 2014)

Wait, you added fragrance oil to Activated charcoal? There's your problem. AC absorbs odors and things.  Fragrance oils are made of tons of different compounds (can be thousands)  to give the scent.  If you mixed them together the AC probably absorbed some but not all leaving the ones left to smell terrible.


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## paillo (Feb 7, 2014)

I get some natural colorants here, always happy with SMR products: 1/4 lb for a little over $6. http://www.soap-making-resource.com/natural-soap-colorants.html


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## Seawolfe (Feb 7, 2014)

Ok Im a dork. I work at a marine science center.
There is a 55 gallon drum of activated charcoal that I can help myself to....


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## MirandaH (Feb 7, 2014)

TheVelvetLeopard said:


> I buy mine from Nature's Garden Candles.  Not sure the price off-hand, but at the time it was the best price I could find.



I just got some yesterday from NG.  $6.75 for 4 ounces.


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## Jencat (Feb 7, 2014)

Seawolfe said:


> Ok Im a dork. I work at a marine science center.
> There is a 55 gallon drum of activated charcoal that I can help myself to....



Nice!  Free is always good


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## AF_SOAP (Feb 9, 2014)

Oh no it was half peppermint eo and lavender eo.  Do you think this could still have caused the same reaction?


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## soap_rat (Feb 10, 2014)

I don't think mixing EOs and water and the charcoal should have resulted in a fishy smell.  

Play around with your charcoal, if you just add some water, how does it smell?


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## AF_SOAP (Feb 14, 2014)

I added the water to the pellets and it was fine.  When I crushed them up in a little bowl(hard by the way) and added water, there was still that faint smell of marine life.

I attached the photo of the carbon I have gotten.  I feel like that was a nice $10 lesson ha ha.

I really just want it for coloring.  I like a black soap, I don't know why.  I am seriously wondering if I can just use normal charcoal with no additives to reach my goal.

Youtube video link to see what it does when i add water to pellets.  Only reason I did this was because it said to "rinse well" before use

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oayfcr6xlQg


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## soap_rat (Feb 16, 2014)

That is weird, charcoal isn't supposed to have odor!  I think the bubbling when you added water is due to the air trapped between and within chunks making its way to the surface.

As I mentioned before, I crushed charcoal (aquarium charcoal!) very finely and strained it, and it still had some large sand-sized chunks that hurt terribly.  I think you will be happier using something like this, which is what I bought--or close to it:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0026XWKKM/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

or a smaller amount:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004DHK1KK/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Good luck!


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## grayceworks (Feb 16, 2014)

I got mine from soap-making-resource for $16/lb. And I must say, 1lb bag is HUGE. I have no idea how I'll use all of that. I had forgotten that activated charcoal is quite lightweight. lol


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## MzMolly65 (Feb 16, 2014)

grayceworks said:


> I got mine from soap-making-resource for $16/lb. And I must say, 1lb bag is HUGE. I have no idea how I'll use all of that. I had forgotten that activated charcoal is quite lightweight. lol



If you're in the USA I'll buy some from you .. pm me if you're interested.


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## Lin (Feb 16, 2014)

my bf paid $4 for the 1 lb of aquarium charcoal, and really you can use it for so many things. Doesn't have to all be ground up for soap. Put it in bags and stick it around the house for odor absorption. 

I wouldn't trust grinding it up in a mortar and pestle personally, and I didn't have luck with food processor (too much wasn't ground finely enough, but it wasn't a high quality one.) Coffee grinder works excellent though. I already had one thats for grinding up things such as pills for the dogs. And my dog Emma gets charcoal to help her tummy.


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## Elizabeth Griffin (Dec 10, 2022)

Lin said:


> I've used the fish activated charcoal. A rather large jug from the pet section of walmart, it was pure activated charcoal pellets. I used a food processor to crush them. Next time I'll use my coffee grinder, I just need to find it. My bf was going to buy a coffee grinder the day we bought the charcoal but walmart was out. If it had been a better quality food processor and gone longer it might have been fine, but I ended up sifting out the best of the powder to pre-mix with my oil and then use to color the batch.


I was thinking the same thing


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