Simple Beauty - Black Soap

I love a good hot shower, especially when I am stressed. But hot water can dry out skin, so I have to be careful how I cleanse. I also don't like complex beauty rituals, so when I find a product that can solve several issues at once, I gravitate towards it. My latest obsession is African Black Soap.

African Black Soap is just what it sounds like - a black bar of soap, and the recipe originated in Africa. While it was originally created from plantains to nurture Nubian skin, it has been found to be fantastic for those of us with super fair and sensitive complexions. It helps control acne, improves eczema, and it moisturizes. It is even gentle enough to use on your face.

I am at the age where acne and wrinkles meet. Since I began using the black soap, I have noticed that that my skin is not as dry and flaky, my wrinkles have slightly smoothed, and my blemishes have decreased. I still have to use a moisturizer after I shower, but it is for maintenance. I no longer feel like my skin has to be soothed directly out of the hot water.

Soap stored upright in a cup

I also love the black soap because it is free of a lot of additives and it doesn't have any synthetic fragrance. Since one of the main ingredients is plantains, it has a faint banana smell. The soap does make black lather, but don't worry; it won't dye your skin or your bathtub. Just remember to rinse your tub well after using it or you may be scrubbing later if you are like me and don't like stray marks!

Black soap isn't as cheap as the national brands. At about $1 an ounce, I want to make it last as long as possible. To keep soap from melting away, I store it vertically in a cup so it can dry as completely as possible between uses. Storing it in a tall cup also helps to keep it dry while the shower is on so my soap bar isn't being washed down the drain.

My children are just as fair skinned as I am, and I have used the soap on them occasionally when they had eczema outbreaks that I felt like were from environmental factors. I noticed great improvement with just one or two uses.

I picked up 2 8 ounce bars from Amazon for $15.95. Target has 3.5 ounce bars for $3.97, and I noticed that Wal-Mart is getting ready to stock it. Look for this soap in the skin care aisle, not with the nationally branded soaps.

Have you ever used African Black Soap? If you have, I'd love to hear your thoughts, so leave a comment!