You may be wondering what is special about the African black Soap whether it’s in bar, paste or liquid form. By the way, similar to Shea butter, it used to be a must have back then in west Africa until the quest for modernization and the fact that the producers then did not evolve quickly pushed it off the shelves.
It was usually sold in cake form and depending on household size, you could buy a half kilo form wrapped in leaves or paper that our mother would then cut portions for use.
The natural black soap is not black in color , it is usually a kind of dark brownish color as a result of the ash used instead of lye.
Typical ingredients include : Shea butter, palm kernel oil, palm oil, cocoa pod ash/banana skin ash/palm bunch ash, coconut oil, wild honey, cam-wood etc.
The plant ash serves as the natural lye (Potassium carbonate) which is very gentle on the skin and hair.
Now the choice of oils or plant ash depends on the what is available locally hence the variation in hardness, lather and sometimes color but it does not take away the fact that it’s 100% natural.
There are modern day variants like Dudu Osun which include Aloe vera, Lime Juice and Fragrance. Otherwise, African black soap should not have artificial colors added and should not be solid black color.
The African black soap helps deep cleans, nourish, protects and refreshes the skin. It is used for bathing and hair wash.
And if you find the bars drying, then try the paste or the liquid forms as they are made for more sensitive skins.
Will leave you with below formula from one our esteemed customer (thanks Dessi!). In her own exact writing;
“Absolute must have!!! I can’t imagine using anything else as a face wash. Here is how I prepare my Black African Soap FACE WASH:”
200 ml Distilled water/Rose water
2-3 TBSP Black African Soap
3 drops Tea tree oil
5 drops Lavender
Enjoy is and Pass it on.