Real Talk // African Black Soap: Skin miracle?

African Black Soap- it seems to be the latest trend in skincare. 

I am always up for trying a new skincare product, especially when I see such raving reviews all over the blogosphere. People (with all skin types), have said that it has cured their acne, evened there skin tone, and given there skin a glow. I haven't tried it for anything except my face, but apparently you can use this stuff as shampoo, body wash, and even to shave with. I got this soap about a month ago, but I wanted to wait at least 4 weeks, to give my skin proper time to adjust and react to it. 

I did a lot of research on this bar before I went out and bought it, and here's what I found out:

-For centuries Ghanaians have used African Black Soap, as it has been known to help to relieve acne, oily skin, clear blemishes, and various other skin issues. It is also known to help soothe skin irritations and conditions such as eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis. African Black Soap is excellent for removing makeup, dirt, and oil. (Source)

- African black soap is made from dried plantain skins, palm leaves, cocoa pod powder, and kernel oil. Plantains skins are largely what make this black soap so effective. It is a natural source of vitamins A & E and iron. When black soap is made, the skin of the plantain is dried under the sun and then roasted in a clay oven. Afterwards, cocoa pod powder is added. Cocoa pod is the shell of the cocoa fruit and also has natural healing properties. The roasted plantain skin is then mixed with palm and palm kernel oil to form the soap. (Source)

With this in mind, I set out to buy myself a bar. I found my bar at Walgreens, but I had to go to two different Walgreens to find one that had the soap. 

The brand I found is called "Shea Moisture," and has Shea Butter added to it, is never tested on animals, and has all certified organic ingredients, which is a huge plus for me. This bar cost me $5, which I'd say is less than any face wash I've ever purchased.

So here's the low down:

I have been using this bar for 4 weeks now, every morning and every night. I've found it to do a great job at removing makeup, oils, and dirt. It really does give you that "squeaky clean" feeling, without drying out your skin. I have very oily skin, so I just need to use a tad of moisturizer after washing with this soap. 

Over these 4 weeks, I haven't exactly seen a miraculous difference, but I can tell a different in my acne and acne scarring. I still break out, but the breakouts are contained, and generally pretty minor,  (knock on wood). My skin tone has really evened out, and the redness is definitely clearing up. My scarring hasn't improved majorly, but I expect that to take longer than a month to improve.

So, to summarize, this product probably isn't going to clear your skin a week, but with consistent use, you will definitely see a difference, and I highly recommend this soap to people with acne and acne scarring.

Blessings,
-Cassidy