A vegetable-based soap known as African black soap has been used by women of West Africa for hundreds of years. This soap was able to gently cleanse skin and hair and was made with secret recipes passed down from generation to generation.
Today, there are several formulations of African soap on the market and you must know that the core ingredients of traditionally made African black soap include native plants like cocoa pods, shea tree bark, or plantain skins.
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WHAT MAKES AFRICAN BLACK SOAP SPECIAL?
Learn something more about the core ingredients found in traditional African black soap and their benefits.
Plantain Peels
Musa paradisiaca or cooking bananas are a great source of protein, thiamine, folic acid, riboflavin, antioxidants, potassium, and vitamin C.
Cocoa Pods
The shells that house the treasured cocoa bean are rich in antioxidants and have strong anti-inflammation properties.
Coconut Oil
It cleans and moisturizes the skin. Also, helps kick-start collagen production.
Palm Kernel Oil
This oil is rife with few types of fatty acids.
Palm Oil
Also known as red palm oil. It is abundant in vitamin E, essential fatty acids, and alpha and beta-carotene and other antioxidants.
Shea Butter
Contains beneficial fatty acids which makes shea butter a prized ingredient for silky smooth skin. It boosts the body’s ability to generate collagen and help repair damaged skin tissues.
African Black Soap for beautiful skin and hair:
Natural Skin Cleanser
This soap is an effective topical cleanser which will clean your face and body without stripping oils from the skin, due to the presence of shea butter. The coconut and palm kernel oil contains lauric acid which creates a nice lather and is naturally antimicrobial.
Good for All Skin Types
African black soap works wonders for every skin type. It adds moisture to the skin which helps correct and balances an overactive sebaceous gland, and that’s why this soap is excellent for oily skin. Moreover, this soap counteracts dryness by deeply hydrating the skin, due to the presence of coconut oil.
Gentle Exfoliation
You shouldn’t be surprised if your bar comes with fine particles of vegetative matter inside. This soap is unprocessed, raw, and organic and the grainy quality of this soap makes it a fantastic gentle exfoliator.
Reduce Fine Lines & Wrinkles
Cocoa pods and plantain peels are a rich source of antioxidants. African black soap contains phenolics and flavonoids which help fight free radical damage.
Evens Skin Tone
Cocoa pods can offer some added protection from sun damage that causes dark spots to form in the first place and also can inhibit tyrosinase activity, resulting in lighter skin tones.
HOW TO USE AFRICAN BLACK SOAP:
Authentic African black soap should be organic, made in Ghana, and free of any preservatives. It has an earthy scent and is brown in color. Sometimes it is packaged as a whole block and you’ll need to slice it to make bars of soap. It is raw and unprocessed and that’s probably why some users report a burning or stinging sensation when applying the bar directly to the face or body.
Don’t worry because there is a solution for this issue, just squeeze off a small piece of African black soap and before rubbing it onto the skin, create a lather in your hands. Then, nicely rinse with cool water and follow up with your favorite moisturizer for best results. Keep the soap in a sealed plastic bag.