What is African Black Soap ?
African black soap looks dirty, but it is miracle soap. African Black Soap is made in West African countries, most in Ghana. Each community has its own unique recipe and special methods for soap making. This soap is hand made from shea butter, palm kernel oil, the ash of plantain (a type of banana) peel, cocoa peel, banana leaves and bark of the Agow tree. The soap is not really ‘black’, it is dark brown with black spots in it. Because this is a handmade product, no piece of African Black Soap looks the same. African Black Soap has some great features. It seems to work very well against acne, impurities, eczema, psoriasis, rashes, and wrinkles. You can use it for your body, but also for your face and hair. Consistent use as a part of an all-natural skin and hair care regimen will provide benefits like:
- Even skin tone from fading dark spots and other skin discolorations
- Reduction in the skin’s oil production so that skin is less oily and more balanced.
- Elimination of acne breakouts.
- Treatment of eczema and razor bumps
- Reduction in the visibility of fine lines
- Deep cleansing and exfoliating
How does African black soap smells?
Opinions are different about how African black soap smells. Some people love it and others hate it. In my opinion, it does not smell super nice. With is logical because there is no color and fragrance substances are added. i think the smell is clean and it has an earthly under toon to it, i do not like it very much but i certainly don’t mind, it doesn’t stop me from using it. but then again the smell is very personal. If the smell bothers you a lot, you can consider using it with essential oils.
Who is African Black Soap for?
African black soap is for everyone. A lot of people like to use it for their skin and hair. In the natural hair community, its mostly used for hair. African Black Soap cleanses the skin very deep and makes the pores very small, they are not or hardly visible after use. Perfect for skin that is plagued by blackheads, pimples, large pores, and excess sebum. Because African Black Soap contains no chemical additives, it is also suitable for sensitive skin. It is claimed that people with psoriasis or eczema also benefit from the use of African Black Soap.
African Black Soap as a shampoo?
African Black Soap shampoo is especially suitable for people who are allergic to chemical additives, have a sensitive (flaky) scalp or want to use something natural for their hair. This soap is a must for people with hair type 4 (curly kinky hair) because it helps to preserve their hair from drying out when cleansing the scalp. My experience with using it on my hair is great. it makes my hair soft but shaky clean. some people do experience dryness when using this on their natural hair. That is why it is advisable to add oils and/or butters to it. I have a blog post where i share how i make my soap and how i use it on my hair. Here is the link.
How should I use African black soap on my face?
If you read the beginning of this blog post then you can imagine that with such a handmade product sometimes hard pieces remain in the soap. For example scraps of charcoal, small pieces of cocoa bean peel, etc. I really do NOT advise rubbing the soap directly on your delicate face! Any hard pieces in the soap can damage your face.
There recommended ways to use it on your face:
1. Foam
There are three good ways to clean your face with the African Black Soap. The first way is to rub the soap between your hands until there is a lot of foam. Wash your damp face with this foam. This way of cleaning is a pretty wet way (water splashed around), but works great during showering.
2. Cotton Pad
This method is handy if you are not planning to shower but you want to clean your face. wetting your cotton pad with warm water under the tap and rub the African black soap a few times on the cotton pad. Then gently clean your face with the cotton pad, you will notice that it will foam slightly on your face. Remove all soap by washing your face with a warm wet washcloth.
3. Liquid
The third way is the liquid version. All you need is a sealable bottle, distilled water, possibly skin care oil and a piece of African black soap. Follow the same instructions from the African Black Soap shampoo tutorial. You can use the liquid African Black Soap as a foam or put it on a cotton pad to clean your face.
The perfect combination for both hair and skin care is to use a tonic afterward and moisturize the skin. African Black Soap is known to increases the pH of your skin and hair. With a tonic, you can bring the pH back to balance and with a cream you ensure that your skin or hair retains moisture. Therefore always use a tonic and a cream after using the African Black Soap. Shea butter is a perfect moisturizer.
Here are a few examples of how i make it and how i use it on my natural hair.
My name is Adede` and I want to welcome you to my blog. Click on about if you want to know more about me. Love&Light
