African Black Soap

This evening I visited one of my favorite spots in downtown Detroit, Djenne Beads and Art.  Djenne Beads and Art is a boutique which specializes in African-influenced trade beads, jewelry, perfume oils, incense, shea butters, soaps, African clothing and other items. I visited the boutique in search of some shampoo or bar soap to shampoo my locs.

I discovered a bag of African Black Soap, which is 100% natural.  Now I have used black soap in the past, both as a skin cleanser and to shampoo my locs, but what piqued my interest in this particular African Black Soap was the label which indicated that the soap was made in West Africa (unlike a lot of other black soaps which are mass produced in the United States and Europe).  The label also indicated the following usages:  clears up pimples, relieves acne and removes blemishes.

African Black Soap contains palm oil, palm kernel oil, and water.  Both palm oil, and palm kernel oil are highly saturated vegetable fats which are derived from the fruits of palm trees.

Palm oil is extracted from the fruit of the oil palm.

Oil Palm Fruit

Palm Oil

Palm kernel oil is derived from the kernel (seed) of the oil palm.

Organic Palm Kernel Oil

Palm oil has long been recognized in West African countries.  Known as a lower quality of oil than olive oil, palm oil is widely used as a cooking oil.  It has been used to form the basis of soap products such as Lever Brothers (now Unilever) Sunlight Soap, and the Palmolive brand of dish detergent.

The packaging for the soap, which comes in a big block (I estimate the weight to be about 1/2 pounds), is very simple:  the soap is packaged in a sandwich/snack bag, with a label attached.   The cost for a block of soap is $5.00 ($4.74 after the 10% discount and tax)!

100% African Black Soap

For the past few months I have been experiencing acne on the forehead, which may be a result of oils from my locs, I am not sure.  And while I have used a variety of over-the-counter cleansers in an attempt to address the acne (which may or may not have aggravated my condition), I decided to purchase the soap to use as a cleanser for my skin and hair.  I could not wait to get home to try the soap on my face.

To begin my new experience, I decided to break off just a tiny piece (about the size of a dime) and added some water to the soap (you can also use the entire bar to bath just as you would any other bar of soap, or you can cut the bar of soap into smaller blocks if necessary to share with others).  Much to my surprise, that tiny piece of soap produced a great lather!  So a little does go a long way.   And unlike most black soaps that I have used in the past, the African Black Soap is more brown in color than it is black.  Lord knows I have gone through a LOT of white face cloths using the other black soap, which was actually black, as I could never get the cloths white again during laundry unless I used a LOT of bleach!

I immediately noticed a difference in my skin after cleansing my face with the soap and rinsing with warm water.  My skin looked clean, and clear, and felt fresh.  I also noticed that the soap appears to have calmed the minor irritation from the acne flair up.  I then applied a small amount of Omololu International Palm Kernel Oil Hair and Scalp Treatment (which contains shea tree extracts), a sample of which I received from Djenne Beads and Art, to my face, paying close attention to my forehead, chin, and the area under my eyes.  I had expected the oil to be thick in consistency, like shea butter, but again, much to my surprise, it was very light and had a very appealing aroma!

Of course, in addition to purchasing the African Black Soap, I purchased the Vera Wang perfume oil Love Struck (also $4.74 after the 10% discount and tax)!  I love trying out new bath and personal care products. I also love fragrance. It is amazing how something so simple as soap and body oil, can lift my spirits and bring me so much joy!  I look forward to using the African Bar Soap, and the palm kernel oil on my locs!

If you are interested in personal and other items with an African influence, visit Djenne Beads and Art!  Djenne Beats and Art is located at 1045 Beaubien, Ste. 153 (International Building) in Greektown Atheneum Hotel, Detroit, Michigan  48226.  Phone:  313.965.6620.

I ♥ My Kinky Hair!

Source:  Palm oil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia