Unlisted Brand • Authentic African Black Soap-Product of West Africa • Cleansers

Where To Buy?

*TOP REVIEWER* Kalya on 2/10/2013 6:17:00 PM more reviews by Kalya

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Medium   Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This review is for the real black soap, which is more of a brown hue. I got it from caravanserai.
I had purchased alaffia liquid black soap, but that did not work at all, for my skin. It caused zits and unattractive marks on my face..
Recently i got a sample of black soap - the type that comes in chunks and does not look like soap at all. THIS product is amazing.....it leaves the skin squeaky clean. Gets rid of all the blackheads, blemishes and evens out skin tone. I could be wrong but it also helped reduce fine lines on my face. Literally makes the skin glow. I usually put a nourishing moisturizer after using black soap as it is quite drying.

Alaffia, nubian, etc black soaps did not work for me but this did.

Update - nopes....this too does cause blackheads...

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

tempescape on 6/10/2012 1:17:00 PM more reviews by tempescape

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Dark, Warm   Hair: Black, Kinky, Coarse   Eyes: Black    

I tried this before from a different BBS seller where i live a few years ago and it made my naturally skin extremely dry, burnt and basically was so strong for my skin I had to get rid of it. 2 years laster I tried again. I started getting a break out from something 3 days ago and ventured into a Muslim store to see if they had anytihng natural ot use and spotted it again. This time instea dof being wrapped in cellophane it was wrapped in newspaper so I bought the smallest block for $2.50 and washed ym face with it for 2 days. My clean felt clean, no burning, no overpowering burnth smell like the last batch and miraculously after 2 days washing with it and using pure shea butter to grease with all my facial blemishes are fading amazingly quickly........... I found that even without using the shea butter my face doesn;t need a moisturizer at all and as I said I have the dryest skin. I've also been showering with it and it's beter than any soap I've tried. My skin feels smooth and soft afterwards. The piece I bought is soft and has dark and lighter brown mixed of what definitely looks like banana. The first day before i sued it it was soft and crumbly kind of like dry dough. After showering with it for 2 days and leaving the lid off it seems ot have got softer. It's excellent for me anyway.One persons review seems ot show that what I bought was black soap from Ghana.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

nikkimorrissey on 6/5/2012 8:05:00 AM more reviews by nikkimorrissey

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily, Fair, Cool   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I'm really iffy about this soap. I've used it several times on my face and I haven't felt that great about it. My skin is super oily and when I use this soap, it becomes very parched and tight feeling. I just cut a small chunk off and put it in my shower, away from the water. It seems to work up a nice lather but I don't like how it makes my face feel. Maybe it would be better if used on the body.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

hanmu on 1/28/2012 8:21:00 AM more reviews by hanmu

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

To say that this didn't work for me would be a huge understatement. I bought two types (one with the normal shea butter and palm oil, and one with added papaya) and both severely dried out my skin, causing cystic acne. I'm currently using it in place of shaving gel for my legs and haven't encountered any problems, but I wouldn't repurchase for that use. I may try using this again in the summer when my skin is oilier.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

katesloan on 1/27/2012 5:45:00 PM more reviews by katesloan

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

I bought some African black soap from a seller on Etsy (AstridaNaturals). I intended to use it as a facial soap, but I found it was far too drying for my skin.

I also tried out using it as shampoo, but it doesn't seem to get my hair very clean at all, even when I use a lot of it.

Now I'm just using it as hand and body soap. It smells lovely, it's just too drying for me.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

lpetty22 on 11/27/2011 4:34:00 PM more reviews by lpetty22

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Dark   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

After doing a little research online for something to help cure my blotchy, bumpy skin, I came across african black soap. I was excited to find it in the local beauty supply store, but since there was no price tag on it, I assumed that it must be expensive since it was imported. I nervously took a bar to the checkout counter and it rang up $2.34! I was shocked! As soon as I got it home I was excited to try it so I 'googled' how to use black soap. I cut off a corner,which was more than enough, an anxiously jumped into the shower. I lathered the soap in my hands and began washing my body. It has a very rich, creamy lather that you cannot get from ANY regular bar soap, and I absolutely love the natural earthy scent. I washed my face with it as well and it easily rinsed away, leaving my skin feeling squeaky clean. After I dried off, my skin felt baby soft. It works great as shampoo too! It's been only 3 days of using the black soap day and night....with african shea butter as a moisturizer....and my stretch marks are disappearing along with the facial bumps and dark spots! I also find that I don't have to use deodorant when I use this soap. I love it and will never use another soap again!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

predhead33 on 10/19/2011 3:46:00 PM more reviews by predhead33

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Green    

I was really excited to try out my black soap, having read some good reviews about it. I couldn't believe how cheap it was and how it was supposedly some miracle product! I should have known that if it sounded too good to be true, it probably was. At first I thought it was really going to work well. It made my skin feel very soft even before applying moisturizer, and it lathered very nicely. However, after about a week my face looked and felt like an oil slick, which is very out of character for me, I only have a few slightly oily spots on my face. The oil was quickly followed by several stubborn pimples that took me another week and a half to get rid of. It might work well for some people, and they should consider themselves lucky, but it is not the product for me! I guess my skin needs something with a little more oomph in it!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

lilmi on 8/17/2011 7:52:00 AM more reviews by lilmi

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Firstly, I am using genuine pure organic African black soap. The kind that's earthy in colour and texture etc

My skin-type is olive, combination [some dry patches, some slightly more oily patches] I do frequently get small spots on my face and have some uneven skin-tone issues. All which black soap claims to help.

The soap itself lathers well but I find I have to cut it into small chunks to use it since it virtually melts under water and goes gooey pretty quickly when it's wet. I used the soap on my face. After washing your skin feels pretty tight and dry so it's a good idea to moisturise straight away. Apparantly black soap can be more effective when combined with pure shea butter as an after-treatment. So I moisturise with organic shea butter, not a lot just enough to balance my skin out.

Have I noticed a huge difference? No. It's relatively cheap, I paid about £4.50 for a bar.

UPDATE: I tried sticking with this to see if my skin just needed to get used to it and it hasn't improved my skin at all. It's made it worse. It's very drying and something about it just feels too harsh, don't let it anywhere near your eyes or it will really sting. Think I should have known better to wash my face with 'soap' & believe all the hype. I don't even want to use it on my body, wont repurchase and wouldn't reccommend.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* besidetheocean on 6/13/2011 3:36:00 PM more reviews by besidetheocean

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I love natural and organic beauty products, and after reading all the great reviews of African black soap I had to try it. I ordered mine from Ebay seller natureandherbs because it was listed as "handmade in Ghana West Africa". It was delivered on a 90-degree day when I was out of town, so when I opened up the plastic tub the texture was very mushy. From what I read about it, it's supposed to be a solid chunk of soap. It's still mushy even after being in the air conditioning, but I actually like it that way. It makes it very easy to scoop out and apply. I only use a dime-sized amount for my face and that is plenty. It lathers very well and I absolutely love the smell. It's hard to describe, but it's exactly what you would think natural soap should smell like. After rinsing, my skin was a little tight and stung the tiniest bit, but it was not uncomfortable. I'll have to wait and see if it helps with breakouts and acne scarring, but so far I like it a lot. I plan to start using it as shampoo also, and will update when I do.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

wbwilliams1 on 3/17/2011 2:47:00 PM more reviews by wbwilliams1

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I have Makeup Alley to thank for introducing me to African Black Soap. The stuff I bought is from Ghana and contains shea butter. It came in a one pound brick that looks like a half-circle, and was super cheap to purchase. The soap itself looks scary, but it smells pleasant enough. I took the soap out of its plastic wrap and cut off a small corner to use. I placed the remainder of the soap in an airtight ziplock bag. The small corner I cut off I keep in my shower in a small tupperware with the lid. I lather the soap up in my hands and then rub my face in circular motion with the lather. It's gentle enough to even remove my eyemakeup without stinging or burning my eyes. The soap leaves my face squeaky clean. I follow up with a couple drops of jojoba oil to restore moisture post-cleansing with this wonderful all-natural soap.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

wonderblue on 2/14/2011 2:50:00 PM more reviews by wonderblue

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

This lathers up really well, when I wash it off it feels as though there is some residue on my face (there isn't I've wiped it with cotton wool - it just feels that way) but when my face has dried my skin feels soft and isn't stripped!!
Is this a miracle acne cure? Well honestly I haven't found it to be, but it leaves my skin clean, smooth and soft so I still like it.
I cut my bar into small chunks to use and it lasts for ages - seriously one bar is going to last me for many many months.
Will definately repurchase, it's a excellant and simple cleanser :)

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

llamadu on 2/2/2011 2:00:00 AM more reviews by llamadu

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I've been using this soap for about a month and my skin has been doing well. Actually, my whole family has been using this soap, me, my baby, baby's dad, the dog even. We use this to wash faces, bodies and hands/paws :)

At first when I started using the soap my skin seemed to be getting a little dry around my blemishes, then as they cleared up this was no longer a problem and my skin looked great.

I follow up with a good moisturizer, usually almond oil or raw shea butter, on both face and body.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Ehrial on 1/20/2011 10:47:00 AM more reviews by Ehrial

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Dark, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

Background Info: African Black Soap is made out of the ashes from burned cocoa bean pods and plantain peels and then palm oil and shea butter are added to the ashes. This process is time consuming and requires much attention. It is hand stirred for a full day and then set to cure for 14 days. There are no chemicals added and no lye. The soap was originally made to wash new born babies.

This stuff is AMAZING! Before buying it, I made sure that I did all of my research because I didn't want to end up with a bad quality soap. I needed a cleanser because the honey-sugar scrub I made was all that I was really using on my face and well, over-exfoliation just leads to more oil production. I've read reviews on many cleansers but, when I checked them into EWG's website, they had TOO many chemicals to count. I also have sensitive skin and slight eczema (allergic to fragrances--including essential oils) so, I needed something as natural as possible. And I must say, there is NO cleanser out there that is more natural than African Black Soap. This stuff cleans EVERYTHING off, it evens your skin tone, removes makeup, clears acne, reduces oil production..it even cleared the cystic acne bumps on my friend's nose! My skin glows now, there is no dead skin anywhere and there is no need for exfoliation anymore. I have only used this for 2 weeks and I'm never using anything other than this on my skin. I can't wait for my Dove soap to be done and over with so I can make the transition to this as my regular multi-purpose soap. The chunk of soap I bought was from an African store for $5 (CAD) and this stuff does NOT melt. All you do is wet your face, wet your hands, take a small piece of soap and lather away. Rub the lather all over and rinse off. Like I said, the size of that piece you were using will look untouched. It doesn't melt. A chunk will last you a while.

Real African Black Soap is solid. If it is liquified, it is because certain ingredients were added to it (so, you may want to find out what those are before buying it). The chunk I bought looked like it was literally chiseled off a huge block of the stuff and it was plastic wrapped. Because of the amount of natural glycerin in the soap, it absorbs moisture from the air so, whatever is not being used should be stored in a Ziplock bag. I personally liquified mine because I have drier skin and I needed to add some moisture to it. I added: glycerin, jojoba oil and hot water to a chunk of it and made a cleanser out of it. I still have 2/3 of the bar left and I'm sure this stuff will last me a year.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

gate403 on 1/6/2011 1:36:00 AM more reviews by gate403

Age: 19-24   Skin: Very Oily, Olive   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

African black soap is amazing. It really did a number on my acne. I'm a skincare junkie and this is my cleanser of choice for my face and body. I have oily, acne-prone skin and I noticed a difference after the first time I washed with it. The price is simply great because a little goes a long way. Add to that the fact that it's all natural and includes several skin nourishing ingredients, and you have a home run! Definitely try a few different brands to see which one works best on you. The quality really varies between soap companies. Aim for an authentic, heterogeneous looking bar and not something that looks uniform in color and dyed black. My favorite bar is from Ra Cosmetics.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

carolmelapple on 2/18/2010 9:15:00 PM more reviews by carolmelapple

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

I LOVE this soap bar. I use it as my facial cleanser. At first, it really felt like my skin was suppperrr dry and ripped of all natural oil and moisture. I hated it at first. But after a while, I figured out it felt tight and dry because it was just expelling out all the chemical cleanser that I used before. Now, it doesn't feel like that at all. It's all natural ingredients and super soft and convenient because it's such a quick bar soap kind of thing.

The best part is it's only like 3-5$!!

I bar of soap lasts FOREVER. I just cut the bar into 4 quarters and put one piece in a small tupperware container and get it wet so it turns somewhat soft. From there I just use a small amount everyday and night. Love it :]

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* lotusfairy on 11/18/2009 7:43:00 PM more reviews by lotusfairy

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I like this just as much as a I do for Dr. Bronner's soaps. It lathers well, cleans my skin without overly stripping, and takes care of breakouts on my back and chest. It leaves my skin soft, but I still follow up with lotion to seal moisture in. It might be harsh for those with sensitive skin on their body, so use a little bit at first to see how you react. My skin looks noticeably brighter too which is a plus. Will continue to buy.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Jackie0219 on 9/3/2009 2:30:00 PM more reviews by Jackie0219

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Well maybe it's a bit soon to rave about this soap since I've only used it twice but... it's wonderful! I ordered it on eBay for $7.50/8oz. and was anxious for it to arrive since my skin was out of control. So finally it arrived and I balled up some soap to gave it a try. It was a medium brown shade, soft and crumbly, smelled a little "smoky", sounds funny I know but I definitely noticed a roasted scent. Anyhow, I lathered it up and applied to my hands first, the lather felt creamy smooth and rinsed off completely with no oily residue... Then I applied it to my face to remove all my makeup and it stung a tad, I felt the sting a little more intense after I washed my face the second time. Even more so after I applied moisturizer! But the stinging faded and I went to bed... So I woke up this morning and quickly ran to check out my skin.... My face looked a little red BUT my breakout was almost completely cleared! Needless to say, I'm thrilled :) I can see this as my "go to" soap whenever my skin goes crazy and breaks out like mad... Funny, I was researching "Coalface" soap by Lush and the concept is essentially the same except this soap is completely natural!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

tapa on 8/31/2009 6:06:00 PM more reviews by tapa

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I've been slowly turning to more natural products and, after a bit of research, decided this sounded like a good option for my sensitive, easily broken out (annoying) skin. So far so good! It gives me a proper 'clean' feeling which is essential for me but doesn't leave my skin totally dried out. I also like to gently exfoliate a few times a week and always follow up with a moisturizer (shea butter and aloe cream at the moment). I should also mention that I've upped my water drinking quota which can't hurt so it might not only be this soap but generally my skin's been pretty happy lately.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* Missy on 7/21/2009 11:35:00 AM more reviews by Missy

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Warm   Hair: Red, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

About me: Oily, acne-prone, subtype II rosacea, extremely sensitive to most things.

I was in a desperate state when I purchased this soap. My skin was breaking out in huge, painful cysts, extremely red and irritated and overly oily. I had been using Dove bar soap for sensitive skin for months with great results until everything sort of hit all at once. I'm not sure if I should attribute any of that to the Dove soap, but seeing that it does contain all sorts of chemicals, it just may be the culprit.

Anyway, back to this amazing soap. The very first time I used this, I honestly noticed a difference in my skin's texture the next morning. It was tighter, brighter and most of the tiny whiteheads had completely disappeared. Nothing has ever made my skin improve so quickly! I also had this huge, disgusting pimple on my cheek and this soap made it scab over and turn a reddish-black color. It took a few days, but it finally fell off and the spot is fading. I've been using this soap for a a few weeks now and it's been amazing. My rosacea hasn't flared at all (the redness is just GONE) and if I get any pimples, they're very small and go away quickly. NO new cysts. It does dry out my skin a bit, so moisturizer is absolutely necessary. If not, my forehead develops those tiny telltale bumps. I will update again when necessary.

UPDATE 9/11/09: Okay, so this stuff is definitely overkill when used every day. It will start irritating my skin if I use it consistently, but when my face is breaking out, I'll use it for a few days and then switch back to a normal gentle cleanser. It's really helpful during breakouts and especially TTOTM.

UPDATE: 1/24/11 So, I decided to try this again after Cetaphil moisturizing lotion turned my skin into a hot mess. I used it for a few days, but my skin seemed more irritated and rough after I used it. I don't think I'll be attempting to use it again. Oh, and I saw a video on youtube about using it as a shampoo. BIG mistake. First, it didn't even feel like it cleaned my hair at all. It just made it feel dry and dirty at the same time. Yuck! I think I'm going to be throwing the rest of my bar away.

5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

SweetDreamsBeautifulNight on 6/20/2009 9:35:00 PM more reviews by SweetDreamsBeautifulNight

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I decided to give this a try late 2008. I was desperate to even out my complexion (still am!) and I heard many good things about this soap. I liked the fact that it is really a natural/organic soap. Within two weeks my bf told me my skin looked more even and maybe about a month later, I had a glow. A summer glow in the dead of winter. LOL. This soap can possibly dry out your skin, it does when I first begin to use it each and every time and then my skin adjusts. It deep cleans tremendously. It takes off every bit of dirt, makeup and oil. There a times when I think it leaves a slight film and for that I use a gentle toner. I moisturize or put on my nightly treatment afterwards. I don't end up dry, irritated, or oily after using this soap. This soap helps with acne marks/scars. pore size, breakouts, irritation, and skin imbalances. Very nice. Highly recommended.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No