Raw African Black Soap Review & Experience
My personal review
Black Soap Talk
Authentic Raw African Black Soap imported from Ghana, Africa contains nourishing, 100% all-natural- certified organic, ingredients including: palm kernel oil, ashes from plantain skin, palm oil, cocoa pods and unrefined Shea butter.
This unscented soap has no irritating additives or fragrances
Why I love it:
I am especially interested in dermatology and skincare. Although I have much to learn about the skin and proper acne treatment, I experienced adult cystic acne, scarring and the lack of confidence that comes with it. Not everyone has access to a dermatologist, or want to go through the process of finding something that works for them in fear of making any visible symptoms worse. Additionally, many people prefer the naturopathic route for their skin routine. In Africa, 100% raw African black soap has been used for centuries for its ability to deep cleanse, gently exfoliate, repair and protect aging skin. I experienced a noticeable difference in complexion and the size of pores in a 3-4 weeks with dramatic differences as I continued usage. As with most skin care treatments, I didn’t expect instant results. In my self discovery I learned the ingredients target acne, hyper pigmentation, oily skin, and fine lines. If you are taking medication, or are currently on a medicated acne routine, consult a dermatologist before prior to using.
Effective & Fast Acting.
In the market today, there are a variety of African Black Soaps either crumbled or in liquid form. I recommend trying this product in the raw soap in bar form, that is easy to crumble as opposed to a commercialized form with added ingredients. It is a natural multi-functioning cleanser for the face, body, and hair. The ingredients are packed with antioxidants and vitamins, to help heal, soothe, and alleviate problematic skin. The soap has antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, great for deep cleansing and removing makeup, and excess oils.
With continued use ingredients claim to target & address the following issues:
Helps treat symptoms of Eczema, Psoriasis and cystic acne
Unclogs pores reducing breakouts, and the appearance of large pores
Antioxidant heavy; reduces signs of aging
Reduce acne spots, and hyper pigmentation
Aids in the prevention of stretch marks during pregnancy
Reduces razor irritation and bumps after shaving
Ingredients:
Plantain skins and leaves have a high concentration of iron and vitamins A and E. These vitamins moisturize the skin to improve the overall texture and tone.
Cocoa powder has antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties to fight against free radicals, repairing damaged skin and renew skin cells overtime.
Cocoa butter contains vitamins that fight against environmental damage and reduce the signs of aging and hyper pigmentation. Cocoa butter helps retain moisture and improves skin elasticity and is often used to improve the appearance of stretch marks.
Coconut oil contains fatty acids which reinforce the skin’s barrier and locks in moisture. It has cleansing and antibacterial properties, which makes it useful for removing makeup, excess dirt, and oils.
Shea butter promotes cell renewal to diminish the appearance of wrinkles. Shea butter is used to heal burns, sores, and scars, and to treat skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis.
Palm oil is rich is extremely rich in antioxidants, which reduces cell damages caused by environmental toxins, stress,
Palm kernel oil is extracted from fruit seeds from the African palm tree. The high concentration of hyaluronic acid is useful in anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.
Directions:
Wet face. Lather your soap using a sponge or washcloth and apply the foamy sponge to your skin in a gentle, circular motion. Be careful when applying the soap directly to skin; may cause irritation if not cleaned off entirely.
Cons:
Over use of this product will dry the skin out; it is natural exfoliant, and is not meant to be used with a exfoliant brush. It way cause burning sensation if vigorously applied. Be careful during the first usage, a little goes a long way. I needed less than a dime sized around for the entire face.
Results:
As stated earlier, from my personal experience with African Black Soap, I found the best results using the purest form (hard soap). Skin must be wet in order for soap to foam. I found it to be too drying for everyday use; I started with every other day. And eventually only used it once or twice a week, depending on oil production and weather. I needed extra moisturizer to counterbalance the drying and peeling effects. I found my face to slightly peel if I used too much or too often. I found it to be a strong exfoliant, and do not recommend using it with other exfoliants or using it under the eyes as skin is fragile. It quickly healed my acne (1-2 days), reduced oil secretion (immediately) and took a bit longer for noticeable effects on hyperpigmentation (3 weeks). I now use it 1-2 times a week or when I have any individual outbreaks, I specifically concentrate it on that area. Over all, it did visibly reduce my dark spots with continued use giving me a clearer complexion.
Dermatologist reviews African black soap: Dr. Dray YouTube
The Use of Shea Butter as an Emollient for Eczema : PDF here
Sources/ References
Arun, K. B., Persia, F., Aswathy, P. S., Chandran, J., Sajeev, M. S., Jayamurthy, P., & Nisha, P. (2015). Plantain peel - a potential source of antioxidant dietary fibre for developing functional cookies. Journal of food science and technology, 52(10), 6355–6364. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-015-1727-1
Lin, A., Nabatian, A., & Halverstam, C. P. (2017). Discovering Black Soap: A Survey on the Attitudes and Practices of Black Soap Users. The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology, 10(7), 18–22.
Lin, T. K., Zhong, L., & Santiago, J. L. (2017). Anti-Inflammatory and Skin Barrier Repair Effects of Topical Application of Some Plant Oils. International journal of molecular sciences, 19(1), 70. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19010070
May, C. Y., & Nesaretnam, K. (2014). Research advancements in palm oil nutrition. European journal of lipid science and technology : EJLST, 116(10), 1301–1315. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejlt.201400076
TY - JOUR AU - Ikotun, Adebomi AU - Olalere, Christiana AU - Adekunle, David AU - Dawodu, Modupe PY - 2017/07/01 SP - 354 EP - 359 T1 - Phytochemistry and Antimicrobial Studies of African Black Soap and its Modified Samples VL - 2017 ER - PDF
Scapagnini G, Davinelli S, Di Renzo L, et al. Cocoa bioactive compounds: significance and potential for the maintenance of skin health. Nutrients. 2014;6(8):3202‐3213. Published 2014 Aug 11. doi:10.3390/nu6083202
Varma, S. R., Sivaprakasam, T. O., Arumugam, I., Dilip, N., Raghuraman, M., Pavan, K. B., Rafiq, M., & Paramesh, R. (2018). In vitro anti-inflammatory and skin protective properties of Virgin coconut oil. Journal of traditional and complementary medicine, 9(1), 5–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcme.2017.06.012
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