Formulator guide
Biochar as a cosmetic ingredient
What biochar is, how it differs from activated charcoal, where it works in personal care, and what to ask any supplier before you put it in a formula.
What biochar is
Biochar is a carbon-rich solid made by heating biomass with little or no oxygen, a process called pyrolysis. In cosmetic ingredient labelling it is declared under the INCI name Charcoal Powder (CAS 7440-44-0), the same declaration used for charcoal ingredients generally. NACOA BioChar Wood is made this way from a single feedstock: Acacia mangium from sustainably managed plantations, converted in Bonao, Dominican Republic.
Biochar and activated charcoal: what differs
Activated charcoal is processed to maximise internal surface area for adsorption, commonly 800 m²/g or more (confirm against the supplier's COA), which is what industrial filtration needs. NACOA BioChar Wood measures 174.78 m²/g (Particle Testing Authority, ISO 9277, lot 072525A) and 182 m²/g (Eurofins EAG, sample BW250326). It is positioned for rinse-off cosmetic formats, not for formulas whose claims depend on adsorption.
NACOA BioChar Wood is a single-origin, traceable biochar: a drop-in replacement for traditional industrial activated charcoal (same INCI: Charcoal Powder, CAS 7440-44-0) in rinse-off cosmetic applications, with the provenance and lot-level documentation commodity carbon cannot offer.
Where biochar is used in personal care
Independent formulator trials in 2025 evaluated NACOA in rinse-off formats, including clay and mud masks and scrub formats. Cold-process soap trials have been run at a certified US contract manufacturer. NACOA is also available for evaluation in liquid rinse-off formats, including body wash, shampoo, conditioner, beard shampoo and face masks; liquid-format data will be published as trials complete. Typical rinse-off use is at low loadings. NACOA is not offered for leave-on or eye-area products.
Formulation notes
NACOA gives a grey-black shade rather than the jet black of commodity charcoal. In aqueous systems the powder settles within about 60 minutes unless the base is structured; standard rheology modifiers keep it suspended. Grade and particle size are confirmed with each evaluation.
Why provenance matters
Most charcoal sold into personal care is a commodity: origin rarely disclosed, documentation thin, sustainability asserted rather than shown. For a brand, an ingredient story that cannot be traced is a claim that cannot be substantiated. Single-origin biochar with lot-level documentation lets the provenance on the label survive a supplier audit. Pyrolysis also converts sustainably managed plantation biomass into stable solid carbon, which makes biochar carbon-sequestering by process.
What to ask any biochar or charcoal supplier
| Identity | INCI name and CAS number, and whether they match your current charcoal |
|---|---|
| Origin | Feedstock species, where it is grown, and whether every lot traces to one source |
| Process | How the material is made and where |
| Microbiology | USP <61> results as reported on the laboratory's analytical page, the laboratory and the sample tested |
| Heavy metals | Method (for example ICP-MS per DIN EN ISO 21392:2021) and the accredited laboratory |
| Surface area | BET value, method (ISO 9277) and laboratory |
| Documents | COA, SDS and TDS for the lot you will receive |
NACOA answers each of these with named laboratories and lot references; see the specifications.
Evaluate it in your own base.
Sample kits ship with the COA, SDS and TDS. Tell us the application and we will send the material and documentation your R&D team needs.