Monday, June 7th, 2010

About African Black Soap

African black soap is a handmade product created by the people of Africa (typically Ghana) There are a number of regions within Africa that produce the substance, of which its name may vary. As of the recent, the dark brown african soap product has become very popular in the west for its skin rejuvenating properties.

A bit about its background:

- Black soap, also known as ose dudu, anago soap and alata simena, and has been created by the female members of various African tribes for hundreds of years. 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 is well known for adding its own ingredients and secret additions, causing the texture and color of the soap to vary between tribes (however, not too immensely different). However, the product is sometimes manufactured in areas of Europe and the USA, but only the West African Black Soap can be considered authentic given the unique climate conditions in Africa.

The following includes the make up of the product:

- The soap contains water, the bark of the shea nut butter tree, palm tree leaves, the bark and leaves of the banana tree, the plantain plant and the pods of cocoa. 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.

The black soap benefits include:

- 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. Because of its ability to reduce the number of wrinkles and fine lines on your skin, many people have used it as a skin enhancing cleanser.

Pure black soap is typically produced by the following process:

- 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 work is all done by women by hand and the mixing process takes an entire day. After this, the soap is left to set outside for approximately two weeks.

Availability of the black soap resource:

- 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 packed like your typical soap bar, and can be found in the form of lotions and creams as a supplementary ingredient.

Jonathan is a Pure Black Soap enthusiast, looking to promote the most ethical and integrous aspects of the resource and its application in society today. He has recognised that social responsibility and product quality are inseparable entities to compliment our lives. Click to check out a body pleasing Pure Black Soap Product.

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