Never Used Black Soap? Here Are 8 Surprising Reasons Why You Should Try It
- Ayo AL
- October 25, 2017
- Beauty
- advantages of african black soap, benefits of african black soap, why you should use african black soap
- 0 Comments
Known as African black soap to the West, locally it is called alata simena, sabulun salo, ose dudu, and anago soap.
There are several formulations of African black soap on the market today but the core ingredients of traditionally made African black soap include native plants like plantain skins, cocoa pods, shea tree bark, or palm tree leaves.
Once plant matter is collected, it is first sun dried and then roasted at a consistent temperature until it turns into ash. The ash is then added to water and various fats like palm oil, coconut oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, and palm kernel oil.
This mixture is then heated and hand-stirred for a least 24 hours until it begins to solidify before it’s scooped out and left to cure for two weeks.
Here are 8 surprising Benefits of the African black soap
1. Reduces Inflammation and Skin Irritations
Black soap helps reduce inflammation and skin irritations. It is soothing on dry and irritated skin, relieving dry patches, rashes and red areas.
2. Helps to Heal Skin Problems
It eases the symptoms of skin conditions like acne. Users have said that black soap helps lessen, treat and clear acne, gets rid of blackheads, psoriasis and eczema.
3. Deep Cleansing Action
Black soap has antibacterial and anti-fungal properties and is great for deep pore cleansing. It also is effective at removing makeup because of the oils and butters.
4. It’s an Effective Exfoliant
The ashes in black soap provide exfoliating properties to remove dead skin cells and thereby improve fine lines, soften and rejuvenate rough skin.
You Would Never Hesitate To Steam Your Face After Knowing These 5 Benefits
5. Fights Acne
In addition to the cleansing powers of lauric acid, African black soap also contains other nutrients and fatty acids that make it a robust acne fighter. Coconut oil is an excellent acne treatment since it is comprised of caprylic acid, capric acid, and vitamin E, which work in tandem to balance the skin’s pH levels and calm inflamed and irritated skin.
Likewise, palm oil can help prevent and heal acne breakouts since it is rich in beta carotene, oleic acid and linoleic acid. These fats also have anti-inflammatory properties that create an occlusive barrier that keeps moisture in, while vitamin A is an essential nutrient for all-round healthy looking and feeling skin.
6. Reduce Fine Lines & Wrinkles
Utilizing two ingredients that are frequently discarded as waste products, cocoa pods and plantain peels are both a rich source of antioxidants. Cocoa pods are composed of gallic acid, tannins, and catechins while plantain peels contain rutin, protocatechuic acid, and quercetin. African black soap can help fight free radical damage that contribute to the physical signs of aging.
7. Good for All Skin Types
Whether you have dry skin, oily skin, or a combination of the two, African black soap works wonders for every skin type. Because of the addition of coconut oil, this soap counteracts dryness by deeply hydrating the skin. It’s excellent for oily skin too since it adds moisture to the skin, which helps to correct and balance an overactive sebaceous gland.
8. Improves Skin Tone
Black soap firms and tones skin and improves skin texture, for more glowing skin.
