African pure black soap is a hand crafted soap product created by Africans. It has a number of regional variations to its name (for example anago soap) Over the past decade or so, the dark brown african soap product has become a very popular skin rejuvenating remedy in the West.

A bit about black soap’s background:

  • Black soap is also known as (AKA) Ose Dude, Anago Soap, Alata Simena and has been typically made by the female members of varying African communities over the past centuries. To name a few, some of the regions of Africa where it is made include Ghana, Benin, Togo and Nigeria, where the soap is a West African specialty. Each tribe adds their own ingredients and secret formulae, which cause the texture and color of the soap to vary between tribes. Although sometimes manufactured in Europe and the United States, only West African black soap can be considered authentic.

The following includes the make up of the african soap product:

  • Black soap contains water and the bark of the shea butter tree, the leaves of palm trees, the bark and leaves of the banana tree, plantain plant and the pods of the coco plant. The soap itself also contains some other essential carrier oils such as that of the hemp seed, shea nut, olive, coconut, palm and kernel (in order to make it an effective lathering and skin product). The actual content depends on the brand of soap as well as any additional scents, herbs and fruits that are added to the base ingredients however the most effective has been found to have hemp seed oil and shea butter.

Some african black soap benefits:

  • Numerous claims have been made about African black soap (typically in the form of testimonials) including its ability to cure acne, remove blemishes, help manage dry and cracked skin. Additionally, many people use it as a skin enhancing cleanser due to its ability to reduce the number of visible wrinkles and fine lines.

The manufacturing process of pure black soap:

  • The leaves and bark of the various plants and trees are shredded and put into a metal vat or cooking kettle and burned until all that is left is ash. Then water is added to mix with the ash. The ash water is poured through a filter to remove the large ash particles. The filtered water is mixed with oils or butters to create the soap. The soap is all manufactured by the African women, and the mixing process takes a good full day of labour. The soap is then left to set for about two weeks.

Pure black soap availability:

  • Pure black soap is available for purchase online, and in specialty fair trade shops who support the women of Africa. Always check the label for country of origin and to make sure that the item has been fairly traded. The soap is typically available in block form as well as in lotions and creams as a supplemental ingredient.

Related posts:

  1. Pure Black Soap – What You Need to Know before Purchasing African Black Soap Products
  2. How to Use African Black Soap for Skin Care
  3. Where to Buy Pure Shea Butter – The Answer to that Question
  4. Best Shea Butter – Why Pure Shea Nut Butter Products Nurture Your Skin