It's great," says Jayadev Calamur, an Andheri East resident, while discussing a face wash that he has just started using. The 35-year-old who heads the content team at a startup in Kurla says the treatment of a 2003 bout of tuberculosis of the intestine, killed not just the TB bacteria in his body, but also the good bacteria, which reflected on his skin.

"I had flaky skin, acne and several dermatological issues. I also began getting scales on my scalp, which I haven't been able to resolve yet. It's essentially a very dry scalp and if I try to do anything with it, I get wounds." Medicines, creams haven't helped. Shaving would lead to the skin peeling off, and so in 2010, he started growing a beard. This led him to stop at a Beardo stall, a company that sells skincare products for men, while at a mall. "They suggested that the activated charcoal product might just work for my skin. And it has. I don't feel like my skin is dying on me anymore."