African black soap is the new fad. Everyone’s raving about the skin benefits of traditional soap. In fact, it’s the latest skincare and beauty product that has reached a rather “holy grail” status. Not without a great reason, though.
Black soap is being hyped up as a one-size-fits-all solution to flawless skin. Whether it’s blackheads, stretch marks, breakouts, or anything in between, African black soap tops the skincare list for people on a budget.
Read on to know all you need to know about African Black Soap and its potential health benefits.
What is Black Soap?
African Soap, black soap, or African Black Soap, is a natural cleanser. Traditionally, it was handmade in West Africa. Many people called the Yoruba people in Nigeria and neighboring Togo the first makers of the original African black soap.
Unlike synthetic products, authentic and raw African black soap contains abundant antioxidants. It’s traditionally made from natural plant extracts, like palm leaves, plantain skin ashes, shea butter, coconut oil, palm oil, etc.
Organic African Black Soap packs anti-bacterial phytochemicals and oils found only in plants. Due to this, the product gives a profoundly nourishing and cleansing effect to all skin types.
Yes, it’s safe even for people with sensitive skin because it contains no additives.
How to Use Black Soap?
As with any other skin product, experts suggest doing a little patch test for a few days before using black soap for the face and other sensitive areas. If your skin shows no irritation, you can go ahead with incorporating it fully into your skincare routine. Below are the steps to use African soap on your face:
- Wet your face, grab the soap, and make its lather in your hands
- Gently massage your face with the black lather in circular motions for about one and a half minute
- Before rinsing with water, use a washcloth to gently exfoliate the skin
- Rinse with cold water afterward and apply some moisturizer if you want to.
If you are a beginner, you can use it about 2 to 3 times a week along with a gentle cleanser. However, you can increase your use once your skin gets familiar with the black soap.
African Black Soap Benefits for Skin
Let’s take a look at the potential benefits of African Soap for the face and other areas of skin:
1. Safe for Most Skin Types
As real African black soap contains no fragrance, dyes, or additives, it’s safe for use on most skin types. That means people with sensitive skin or those who are allergic to perfumes/additives can use it instead of modern soaps.
2. Protects Against Photo-Aging
Black soap contains several antioxidants. It can potentially reduce the impact of free radical damage such as premature skin aging, facial lines, wrinkles, etc. Plus, it may also help remove dark pigments of skin cells caused by UV damage.
3. Reduces Skin Irritations
It may also soothe irritation and itchiness due to eczema, skin allergy, or contact dermatitis. It clears rashes that are most commonly related to psoriasis or eczema.
In order to reduce your skin irritations and turn them into a raw African detox soap cleanser, combine the black soap with an oatmeal (or detox) product.
4. Alleviates Razor Bumps
Ingrown hair and razor bumps are major problems most people face after shaving or getting waxed. According to multiple studies and research, people who used black soap reported a major reduction in razor bumps, ingrown hair, and other blemishes.
5. Cure Fungal Infections
Another study published on Academia dot com highlights the antifungal properties of African black soap. Accordingly, black soap can help prevent the spread of fungal infections.
These include severe infections like the Candida albicans yeast. Therefore, it’s suitable for athletes or anyone struggling with a fungal infection.
6. Gently Exfoliates the Skin
As African black soap contains plantain skin ashes, it can provide physical exfoliation and remove any dead skin cells. Thus washing the skin with black soap can leave the skin fresher and clearer after every use.
7. Can Be Used as a Makeup Cleanser
Like dissolves the like, right? Because of all the oil and butter components, black soap can also be an excellent makeup cleaner. It’s also a natural exfoliator, cleansing the skin and removing any leftover makeup debris.
8. Has Anti-Bacterial Properties
Studies suggest that black African soap can help remove harmful bacteria from the skin. It works better than some medicated soaps when removing bacteria like Bacillus spp., Escherichia coli, staphylococcus aureus, corynebacterium spp., etc.
Side Effects of African Black Soap
While the best African black soap works like magic on all skin types, using it the right way is essential to avoid any side effects. Let’s look at some common risks and side effects of using African black soap.
Dry Skin
Black soap leaves some people with dry skin. You can reduce your risks for this by adding some raw honey to your soap mix. Simply break a piece of the bar, break it down into smaller pieces in a mixing bar and add some honey.
Skin Allergy
Every person has different skin. Your skin may be allergic to any ingredient of black soap. So, if your skin shows any signs of irritation or rashes after use, discontinue your use immediately and consult a skin specialist.
Skin Breakage
Natural black soap is very rough. It can break your skin if you are not careful with using it. So, to avoid skin breakage, make leather of the black African soap and use it gently on your skin.
Final Thoughts
Black African soap is an excellent anti-bacterial and antifungal skincare product for most people. The potential benefits of black soap far outweigh the risks.
However, look for authentic all-natural black African soap without additives or dyes. Check the label carefully to understand what other ingredients may also be present.
There are several potential health benefits of African black soap, like reducing skin allergies, soothing skin irritations, and leaving you with glowing skin.
