African black soap is created and used throughout West Africa to cleanse and nourish the skin. It has become so popular that people use it all over the world for its purported skin benefits. African black soap is made from ingredients found in nature, predominantly natural essential oils and various forms of plant life such as plantain skins, palm leaves and cocoa pod powder.
Cleansing
African black soap can be used to cleanse the body and face without stripping the skin of its own natural oils. African black soap contains essential oils that can help break down dirt and debris on the skin's surface so they can be rinsed away. Black soap's essential oils such as palm, coconut, and shea are purported to be non-comedogenic, so people with acneic skin may also benefit from using black soap for cleansing.
Nourishing
African black soap contains both shea and coconut oils. The coconut oil found in black soap may help improve the appearance of dry skin and provide nourishment for the skin by helping restore essential medium chain fatty acids. According to an article on CoconutOilCentral.com, aging, dry skin lacks the medium-chain fatty acids found naturally in sebum and coconut oil can help replenish them. Because African black soap is made from dried plantain skins, the soap naturally contains vitamins A and E and iron. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, topical preparations of vitamin E may help decrease skin roughness. Vitamin A is also known in the skin care industry to help smooth out skin texture.
Soothing
African black soap is all natural and does not contain the many chemicals, fillers and fragrances that conventional soaps have that may lead to skin sensitivity. African black soap's blend of essential oils may also help relieve sensitive areas on dry skin. However, according to an article on TreeHugger.com, black soap often contains caffeine, so those with a caffeine sensitivity may want to avoid soaps that contain cocoa pod powder. As always, there is always a risk that you may be sensitive to a particular ingredient in any soap, however natural, so discontinue use if you experience any irritation.
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