In this post, you will find a brief guide on the most important points you should know about African black soap.

¿What is African black soap?

African black soap has been used for centuries in West African countries. It originates with the Yoruba people in Nigeria and Yoruba communities in Benin and Togo. In Yoruba language black soap is ose (soap) and dudu (black).

The base ingredients of black soap are: potash and a fruit derived oil, this can be palm kernel oil or coconut oil for example. You are then free to add any other ingredients to it, such as shea butter for example which is specially great for those people with dry skin because it helps by adding a moisturising effect to it.

Step by step process of African black soap making

Check this video to see the step by step process of how African black soap is made.

Uses of African Black Soap

Face

While it is generally safe for all skin types, it is specially helpful for oily or acne-prone skin. It has the ability to remove excess oil from your skin, leaving it very clean and fresh. That said, since it is more alkaline than your skin, it can irritate dry and sensitive skin types; do a patch test to ensure you do not get any skin irritation before you use it on your face.

Make up remover

This is a great alternative for a more sustainable and natural use of a make up remover. This is a two-in-one product for your skincare routine; remove your make up while you also cleanse your skin.

Watch here to see how we use African black soap to remove our make up :)

Body

You can consider it as an eco friendly shower gel thanks to its natural ingredients. Plus, it’s less harmful for your body because you’re not absorbing and inhaling toxic substances. Having said this, we still do recommend you test it before to avoid any skin irritation or allergies as it can be a little harsh on more sensitive skin types.

Hair

Using real African Black Soap can be very beneficial because it feeds nourishment to the scalp, instead of stripping the nutrients away. You just need to be careful on how you use it, specially if you have a very dry scalp as it can dry it out even more. If that is the case, we recommend you mix it with any oil of your choice.

Hand-washing clothes

Many locals in Ghana use the African black soap to hand wash their clothes. Maybe you have a few pieces of clothing that cannot be washed in the washing machine so try giving a go with African black soap!

Hand wash your dishes with African black soap!

A more ecological product alternative to wash your dishes! When one of our orders arrives, you will see that inside the box there is a type of “straw”. This is called kotsa (pronounced ko-cha) in Ghana, used as a traditional bath sponge that is natural and processed from a plant called Saporyaa. We encourage you to try it as a more sustainable alternative to the sponge!

African Black Soap benefits

Anti-inflammatory

Black soap is rich in vitamins A and E. These vitamins are both antioxidants, which help combat free radicals and attacks on otherwise healthy skin tissues. This can be helpful for people who have inflammatory conditions like rosacea.

Antibacterial

African black soap has natural antibacterial properties that are an excellent alternative to chemical cleansers, reason why its great for face, body and hair. 

Natural exfoliant 

The rough texture of unprocessed black soap makes it a mild exfoliant that works to remove dead clumped cells from the skin’s surface.

Good for both women AND men

African black soap is also great for men! Black soap can loosen ingrown hairs by gently exfoliating the affected areas. The added shea butter and/or coconut oil act as a moisturising agent and help protect the skin from razor bumps and soothe any irritation caused by shaving.

Last but not least, its safe for the environment and cruelty free!

How to use Africana Skincare African black soap?

Scoop out a small amount with clean hands or spatula. Rub in your hands to create foam. Wash and rinse straight away.

African Black soap FAQ’s