African Black Soap has many benefits for your skin.  It's suitable for most skin types, including oily skin and dry skin.  It's exfoliating, moisturizing, and is a great natural soap to use for acne.  Learn more about the benefits, how to use it, and where to buy it.

When I first heard about African Black Soap, I was intrigued.  It's said to be an excellent bar of soap for most skin types.  I have combination skin, so I wanted to learn more and try it.

African Black Soap may be an ugly bar of soap, but many people swear by it.  It's an excellent bar of soap to use for acne prone skin on the face or body.

This soap is unique in that you don't use it directly on your body.  Instead, you have to wet it and get the lather and use that to cleanse your body or face.

Learn more about the African Black Soap benefits for skin, how to use it, and where to buy it.

African Black Soap Benefits for Skin

What is Black African Soap?

Black African Soap is now one of the go to products for radiant, glowing skin.  African black soap benefits are for more skin types, so it's a great buy if you are limited on space or don't like to buy different products for different skin needs for your family.

African black soap is made in West Africa, commonly Ghana.  The recipes are passed down for generations.  It's a handmade bar of soap, and each purchase supports a real person and a community.
Most people find African black soap to be moisturizing and their holy grail natural beauty product, but it can be too drying for some people.  A few people even report that it burns their skin.  
Of course, each soap maker will have their own recipe and ingredients, so if one bar is too drying, another bar might not be.  

What is African Black Soap Make Of?

African black soap has a variety of recipes, however most of them will use shea butter, cocoa powder, tropical camwood tree and plantain skin ashes, among other things. Traditional black soap is made from a water and the ashes of several native plants.  

Although each region and even family has their own recipe, the soap recipe is generally the same across the region.

They start by drying plantain peels in the sun.  Then the plantain peels and sometimes palm leaves and cocoa pods are dried in a clay over to make ash.
They add water to the ask and then filter it.  They combine this ash mixture with palm kernel oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, and coconut oil.  This mixture is headed and stirred by hand for 24 hours.
The soap turns into a solid and rises to the top.  They scoop out the soap and let it cure for two weeks before it is ready to use. 

What are the Benefits of African Black Soap?

African black soap has many benefits for your skin.  It's one of those rare products that can be used by most skin types, on the face or on the body.  

Reduces Acne

The many fatty oils within the soap such as lauric, oleic, vitamin A and Vitamin E will balance the pH of your skin and prevent breakouts. 

Not only does it clean your skin with its antibacterial properties, it has been found to be more effective in reducing acne than banzoyl peroxide.
If you have oily or combination skin you don’t need to worry about adding more oil to your face. 

Reduces Wrinkles

One of the unique ingredients in Black African Soap is plantain peels. 
These are extremely high in antioxidants. In fact, you can eat them and get the benefits of them as well. They have 32 percent of your recommended Vitamin C intake in just one cup!

This particular vitamin is the main ingredient in many anti-ageing creams and serums. Long-term use of products with high levels of Vitamin C can regenerate collagen and reduce wrinkles. 
But that’s not the only ingredient that will work to reverse the clock.
Research shows that Cocoa pod ash extract target the enzymes that break down collagen and elastin in your skin. 
The Cocoa pod ash contains garlic acid and quercetin, they work with the rutin and quercetin in plantain peels to produce a mixture of flavonoids and phenolics that work together on your skin.

Reducing Hyperpigmentation

Skin hyperpigmentation is harmless, it can be caused by exposure to the sun and acne. 
Melanin is the pigment in your skin that gives it color. It’s a tan, however, some patches just won’t go away.
When you are exposed to the sun’s rays you produce more of it, when this happens it can clump together and form dark patches on your skin.
Cocoa pods can naturally help reduce hyper pigmentation in the skin.  These little pods regulate tyrosinase, which is the enzyme that produces melanin in your skin. 

Another ingredient that encourages your skin tone to glow is Red Palm Oil, which contains Vitamin E. This Vitamin will help reduce the ageing effects of sun exposure, as well as help fight acne and psoriasis.

Eczema Treatment

This condition can cause itchy, dry, flaky skin. Not only is it painful and difficult to manage, but it can be embarrassing to those who live with it.

Unlike most treatments, which contain artificial ingredients and chemicals that can irritate the skin, Black African Soap is made from natural ingredients. This makes it one of the best solutions for skin irritated by Eczema. 
The moisturizing ingredients include coconut oil, red palm oil and shea butter. They soothe and hydrate the skin to reduce the itchiness, inflammation and irritation.
For more natural ways to manage the symptoms of eczema, check out my homemade body butter for eczema, my DIY eczema hand soap recipe, or my handmade eczema salve recipe.

Treats the Scalp

Lots of things can contribute to a dry and flaky scalp. From using shampoo too often, to using too many styling products, dandruff and a dry scalp is another source of embarrassment and irritation.
Black African Soap works against dandruff in the same way it works to soothe eczema. It can even be used to help greasy or dry and damaged hair. 
To treat greasy hair, all you need to do is dilute a small amount in water, lather it into your hair and wait for ten minutes. Why not give yourself a nice head massage while you wait? There’s evidence to suggest that head massages promote hair growth. 

For dry and damaged hair, mix a small amount of soap with a conditioning oil like shea butter, and massage it into your hair and scalp. The soap will be quite strong, so rinse this off immediately after.

Exfoliates the Skin

There are lots of products out there that are designed to exfoliate your skin, it’s an important part of anyone's daily routine.
Many of these products are made of chemicals that can be harsh to your skin. Using them regularly and over exfoliating can lead to redness, irritation and inflammation.

As Black African Soap is handmade with organic, unprocessed ingredients, it acts as a gentle exfoliator. The raw, grainy nature of the soap will scrub away your dead skin cells without irritating it. 
This really is an all-in-one treatment!

UV Protection

Although Black African Soap does provide some protection against the effects of UV light, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wear sunscreen.

When exposed to UV light without the correct protection, your skin can burn and tear. The soap, which is rich in antioxidants - remember the plantain peel - can provide additional protection from the sun as well as promote healing. 

Use On Any Skin Type

As previously stated, African Black Soap can be used on all skin types. 
If you have oily skin, and you’re worried about adding more oil, worry no more. Coconut oil in the soap will not only work to stop overactive oil glands, but the moisture in it will heal skin that has been dried out.  

If you have sensitive skin, African Black Soap won’t be causing you any issues either. As outlined above, not only are the ingredients natural and clearly labelled, they all work to fight irritation and look after your skin! 

Hair Removal Aftercare

All of the above properties also work together to reduce razor bumps. The irritating spots on your skin after you’ve shaved or waxed. 
Our skin is very vulnerable after we go through any hair removal process, so why not treat it a little? The last thing you would want to do is apply artificial products to skin that is in recovery. 

So take advantage of the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory characteristics of Black African Soap to give it a little TLC. 

Is African Black Soap Good for Your Face?

African black soap is excellent for some people, but other's find it too drying.  You'll have to try it and see how it works for your skin type.  This soap is great for dry skin, oily skin, combination skin, and most people with sensitive skin. 
Sometimes people with oily skin may feel like their skin is tight or dry after using this soap as a facial soap.  This can last up to a week and is said to be caused by the soap pulling out oils and impurities from the skin.  Your skin's pH balance should adjust in a few days.
Some people may experience burning or tingling or even redness.  This can last for a few days.  Always do a patch test on your inner arm before using it on your face. 

How to Use African Black Soap

Read African black soap has a rough texture.  This is great for exfoliating, but it's not so great for an every day bar of soap or your face.  Do not use African Black Soap directly on your skin!
Before you use the soap,  pull off a piece of the soap and wet it in your hands.  This will help it get smoother so you can use it.  Or you can use a washcloth to get soap off of the bar and use that to cleanse your body.  
 

Rinse the soap with warm water after each use and let it dry completely between uses.  If it doesn't have time to dry, it can get mushy.  I really like this metal soap dish because it's so easy to clean.

After rinsing off the soap, use your favorite lotion or body butter on your skin while it's still damp.  

Where Do You Find African Black Soap? 

Here are a few things to think about when purchasing African Black Soap: 

• Make sure yours is genuine, otherwise it may not be all natural, raw product.
• If your skin is really dry, begin with a really small amount of soap and follow it up with a moisturizing cream.
• Do not use if you are allergic to latex or caffeine.

For a genuine African black soap, I recommend the following.

Our Earth's Secret Soap

This is Raw African Black Soap imported from Ghana.  This is for one pound of soap, which will last you for a long time.
The ingredients are: Palm Kennel Oil, Coconut Oil, Stearin Oil, Cocoa Pod Husk, Unrefined Shea Butter, Plantain Skin Ash, Natural Vitamin E, Natural Sodium, Water.

Melaku Aromatherapy

This African Black Soap  is handmade and imported from Ghana. 
Ingredients: Water, Coconut Shell Powder, Plantain Extract, Plantain Ash, Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, and Palm Oil

Plant Guru Liquid African Black Soap

If you'd rather have a liquid African Black Soap, Plant Guru has one that's natural and made from a bar of authentic soap.
Ingredients: Cocoa Pods, Palm Kernel Oil, Coconut oil, Unrefined Shea Butter, Plantain Skin Ashes, Purified Water, Vitamin E.

Plant Guru African Black Soap Paste

Plant Guru also has an African Black Soap Paste available.  This may be easier than using a bar for some people.  
Ingredients: Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Raw Cocoa Pods, Unrefined Palm Kernel Oil, Plantain Skin Ashes, Unrefined Shea butter, Purified Water and Vitamin E.

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