African Black Soap

I ordered a three-pack of Alaffia unscented African Black Soap after reading an article on xoJane. The author sung it’s praises, and one of the best parts was how inexpensive it is (3 for $10).

I got my soap in the mail and used it for a few weeks. It says it’s unscented, but it does have a slight earthy smell. It’s nothing offensive, nor does the scent linger on your skin, but it does have a smell. The bar itself looks like mud. It’s not at all clean looking. The soap is relatively soft for bar soap, and will dissolve if left in water and it may leave residue on your bath or shower ledge. With exposure to water it is easily applied to a bath pouf or wash cloth and is noticeable. The brown color doesn’t disappear. The suds are still a little brown. 

It lathers very well, producing a ton of bubbles, and it feels good on the skin. I’ve used it both on my face and my body. It leaves your skin “squeaky clean”.

I always apply lotion after showering. Always. At the time of this experiment I was using Cetaphil on my face and plain Aveeno on my body. 

I felt a change in the texture of my skin after the first use. My face and arms were noticeably smoother and the effects continued. 

Unfortunately I'm not a huge fan of bar soap so I discontinued use after a few weeks. That squeaky clean feeling turns to tightness as your skin dries. However, I loved the way it changed the surface texture of my skin  so I might pick up a bottle of the liquid body wash version next time I come across it.