It is common for a charcoal mask to make your face tingle or sting. A tingling feeling usually occurs because exfoliants in the charcoal mask are dissolving dead skin. In contrast, a stinging feeling indicates that the chemicals in the mask are irritating your skin.
It's generally okay if a face mask tingles. In fact, tingling can be very beneficial. As we've established, you may feel a tingling sensation after applying a face mask due to the exfoliants in the mask dissolving dead skin.
Charcoal masks tingle for the same reason that other face masks do: exfoliants. The exfoliants in charcoal masks—whether chemical or physical—dissolve dead skin, making skin tingle.
As mentioned earlier, stinging indicates that the chemicals in a face mask are irritating your skin. The irritating chemicals that cause stinging are acids and retinol.