African Black Soap Benefits For Your Skin
What is African Black Soap and how is it made?
African Black Soap Origin
Alternative names: Ose Dudu, Alata Samina, Anago Samina
African Black Soap is a natural body cleanser handmade by women in Africa using traditional recipes passed on for thousands of years. It is indeed an ancestral natural skincare product that was used to heal various skin conditions and to give flawless, smooth skin for people of all ages.
It originated from Yoruba women residing in Nigeria, Benin Republic and Togo who produced this soap for their families including new born babies, using natural and plant-based ingredients available in their environment.
There are accounts that indicate that African Black Soap was introduced to other regions in Africa during the movement of agricultural produce like tomatoes and pepper. Ghana in particular nicknamed the soap ‘Alata Samina’ which is translated into ‘pepper trader’s soap’.
Ghana and Nigeria are now the major producers and exporters of African Black Soap. It is also produced within various regions in Africa using plant-based materials and botanical ingredients that are easily accessible within those environments.
Authentic! African Black Soap – Zawadi Naturals
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African Black Soap Production
African Black Soap is produced by a laborious process which entails drying plantain leaves, cocoa pod husks and other ingredients found in the environment. These ingredients are then roasted to produce ash. The ash is then combined with water and the liquid is strained, which is then hand-mixed for 24 hours with heated oils like Shea Butter, Palm Oil, Palm Kernel Oil and/or Coconut Oil, depending on the recipe.
Once the mixture hardens, it is left to cure. African Black Soap is packed with all the good stuff like Vitamin E and saturated fatty acids that can will heal your skin naturally and clear toxins from your skin.
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African Black Soap Benefits
African Black Soap is one beauty secret that has become extremely popular in the beauty industry and has been used for centuries in Africa to give people smooth, forever youthful skin. It is highly effective due to the natural herbs and plant-based oils that are used to produce this ancestral skincare product. It has numerous benefits including:
- Multi-purpose - Face, Body, Hair
- Helpful for eczema, rashes and hyperpigmentation.
- Exfoliating, Deep Cleansing and suitable for all skin types
- Rich, bubbly, cleansing lather
- Clears minor skin inflammation, soothes irritation and reduces stretch marks
- Sweeps away dead skin cells
- Gradually fades dark spots, good for acne and 'bacne'
- Specially Handcrafted and made with Organic unrefined Shea Butter. Having African Black soap and shea butter gives all the benefits earlier stated such as skin healing, antioxidants, anti-aging properties.
How to spot real African Black Soap
Traditional African Black Soap is not black but has a brown/golden brown color, just like the picture below. It is also soft and can be a bit crumbly because it is formed using ash from cocoa pods and/or plantain peels.
If the soap that you purchase is quite hard and has a uniform color like black, then it is not the authentic African Black Soap and has not been made using the traditional methods. There is nothing wrong with this, but the soap may not give you the results that you seek.
The name itself is also referred to as:
- Organic Black Soap
- Black Soap
- African black!
How to store African Black Soap
We recommend rinsing your African Black Soap bar after use and placing it in a draining case after use. It should also be kept away from heat and water, to ensure that it lasts longer.
After Use: African Black Soap is essentially an exfoliating soap because it helps to sweep away dead skin cells and rejuvenate your skin. This may feel drying, depending on your skin type and weather conditions. So it is essential to keep your skin moisturized after use by applying a natural face oil on your face or body butter on your body. What most people do not know is that African women use a lot of raw plant based oils and butters on their skin and are known to slather these on their babies as well after bathing.
Always remember to do a patch test for at least 72 hours when using any new skincare product!
