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African Black Soap is also known as Anago soap, Alata Samina and ose dudu, and is produced from secret recipes in West African nations by various tribeswomen. Considered Africa's best-kept beauty secret for centuries, the benefits of African Black Soap are now widely known, prompting women (and men) across the planet to include it in their daily cleansing and beauty rituals.

African Black Soap is made from the ash of burnt plantain skin, cocoa pods, leaves, and bark, water and oils like coconut, shea butter, cocoa butter and palm.

 Black soap alleviates rashes, scalp irritations, acne, blemishes, wrinkles and other problems while it softens skin. Although it possesses strong cleansing properties, African Black Soap is gentle on the skin and recommended for infants and the elderly.

Vitamins and Minerals- The use of plantain skin in black soap recipes makes it rich in iron and Vitamin A and Vitamin E. Because black soap is rich in glycerin, it leaves hair clean, healthy and light when used to shampoo.

Ghana's Black Soap has many uses; Black Soap has been known to alleviate the symptoms of acne, oily skin and blemishes, while making skin beautiful and soft. Black Soap is also good for bathing, washing hair and removing make-up. Overall, Black Soap is great for leaving the skin supple,  clear and smelling pleasant.

 Is African black soap for all skin types?

African black soap is considered to be safe and beneficial for all skin types—dry, oily, normal, combination and even sensitive in some cases. For the most part, users of African black soap have found it to be beneficial, even healing to the skin.

But while some find the soap moisturizing, others might find it drying.   Skin will react in different ways depending on the individual and the product, especially since black soap can vary from batch to batch and can have varying proportions and types of ingredients.

There are numerous recipes and ingredients used in making black soap, which begins with potash from plantain skins and leaves and cocoa pods, mixed with palm kernel oil.  Batches vary, so it’s possible that one batch could be fine for an individual while another has more of a certain ingredient that could possibly cause a reaction in the skin.

Upon first use, even those with oily skin might notice that the skin feels dry and tight. This might last for a week.  It’s believed this is caused by the soap drawing out impurities and excess oils.  After a few days the PH levels of the skin will balance out (which is why it is believed to be good for both dry and oily skin.)

The soap can also cause a tingling, sometimes burning sensation leading to red skin.  This also seems to eventually resolve, but before using African black soap on the face, do a patch test on another part of the body, like the inside of the elbow.

Dry Skin

• For some individuals the raw black soap dries out the skin.  Other black soap that includes shea butter, or another moisturizing ingredient in the formula will probably be better for dry skin types. 
• If it’s drying out your skin, try using less.  A little goes a long way and using too much soap (of any kind) will definitely be drying to already parched skin.  If you have sensitive and/or dry skin start out by using it only once a day.

Oily skin

• African black soap is great for oily and acne prone skin.  It’s efficient for deep pore cleansing because of its natural exfoliating qualities.  For some oily skin types it seems to keep the skin hydrated without increasing oil.

Cleansing with African Black Soap

• If you are using raw African black soap, rub between hands to work into a lather.  If you apply the soap directly to the skin, do so gently, because there could still be ash granules and other debris that can tear the skin.
• Washing and rinsing with cool water can help reduce the possibility of stinging and redness.  Avoid getting the soap in the eyes.
• If you have sensitive or very reactive skin, don't leave the soap on the skin for a long period of time.
• You could experience tingling or a burning sensation in acne areas, open sores and cuts.
• If your skin feels squeaky clean afterwards, it means the skin is too dry. Try reducing the amount of soap that you use.  A very small amount (the size of a small marble) can cleanse the face, neck, and then some.

Make your own liquid body black soap

You can dissolve the soap in purified water and make your own liquid black soap to use as a body wash. A good ratio to start with is, 1-cup water per 1oz black soap (Add 1 cup of water to each 1oz of black soap) let it soak over night and liquefy. You can then screen out ash granules and other debris before bottling it up. Purified water is not necessary, but recommended because you could experience different results from tap water, since some tap water has more chlorine and can be either soft or hard.

Natural Exfoliation

African black soap deep cleanses because of exfoliating properties, so you don't need to scrub hard. Avoid rubbing the skin with raw black soap, especially on delicate facial skin.  Lather up soap in hands first before putting on face. The soap contains ash granules and other debris that might not dissolve quickly and can scratch and damage the skin.

Make Your Own Body Scrub

Mix black soap with brown or white sugar and use it as a scrub.  When making liquid black soap, you can also use the granules that sink to the bottom of the bottle as an exfoliant, but remove any sharp particles—some customers have reportedly found wood pieces (splinters) and pebbles in the raw African black soap.

 Reactions to African Black Soap

• If you break out in a rash or contact dermatitis discontinue use and consult your dermatologist.
• If you are latex-allergic you could have latex fruit syndrome and could have a reaction the plantain ash in black soap, as well as palm and coconut oil. 
• If you have a chocolate allergy or are sensitive to caffeine, also be aware that there could be a high concentration of cocoa pods (which make the ash) used in the soap.

Care & Storage of Black Soap

Make It Last

I've read complaints about African black soap not lasting very long.  If this is the case for you, you're not storing it properly.  African black soap contains a high amount of glycerin, which absorbs moisture from the air and helps retain moisture on the skin, leaving it supple and soft.  For this reason the soap can soften and start to slowly disintegrate when left exposed.

Since black soap absorbs water, don't let it sit in a puddle after use.  Keep it dry to keep it from dissolving.  Place the bar on a wooden soap dish with slats to allow the soap to drain.

Before you toss that soap…