Oddly enough, some of the most beneficial soap products on the market today still remain undiscovered by many. Black Soap is one such product. This soap is known by many names: African Black Soap, Dudu Osun, Alata Samina or Anago Samina, to name a few. Whatever you decide to call it, this could just be West Africa’s best kept secret. The tribeswomen are well aware of this too, and have guarded their secret soap-making recipes closely for centuries.
Conflicting reports suggest this is the only soap in the world that doesn’t use any lye. Whether or not this is true will be left open for others to debate. However, the use of black soap can yield several healthy rewards. And that part is a fact. Black soap is naturally rich in vitamins A and E, and a great source of iron. But it also helps fight many skin diseases, and can restore the damaged areas to a healthier appearance.
Where does Black Soap come from?
There are some variations of the recipe for black soap. However, the most common, and also considered the original source of this soap, stems from Ghana using roasted plantain peels as the main ingredient.
The plantain is a fruit closely related to the dessert banana. Although it looks the same, the tastes are vastly different. Plantains are also generally cooked or prepared before eaten, unlike their relatives. These fruits carry out a long list of uses including: primary food supplies, beverages, dishes, seasoning, medicinal, and of course soap making.
Plantains grow in abundance in West Africa, and more directly in Ghana. Depending on where you are in this country, you’ll hear the terms Alata Samina or Anago Samina being used in lieu of its western black soap name. Most are nowadays simply referring to it as Alata Samina. The same goes for a lot of the surrounding countries as well.
Other variations of the black soap making recipe can be found throughout South America and the Caribbean. While some in these parts still use plantains to make the soap, others have been known to use cocoa pods, palm tree leaves, and Shea bark to produce similar results.
How is African Black Soap Made?
The first thing the tribeswomen do is dry out the plantain peels for the desired texture. The peels are then roasted over a consistent and precise heat, often times in a clay oven or kettle. This roasting process gives it the color. The longer they’re roasted, the darker the soap will be. The next step, again depending on the tribe making the soap, is to combine the ash of the plantain peels with water, palm oil, and Shea butter. And sometimes this mixing process can take as much as a day to perfect. Once the desired mixture is met, the soap is then hand crafted into bars or balls and left up to 2 weeks to cure in a cool dry place.
What are the benefits of using Black Soap?
As previously mentioned, the plantains used in this type of soap give us vitamins and iron. But outside of this, there’s a whole lot more we can benefit from by using black soap. Here’s a short list of some of them below:
- The ash in the soap is also credited to the battle against eczema and even psoriasis.
- Alata Samina has proven to be a great treatment against acne, rashes, and other surface disorders.
- Black soap is versatile, and can be used as a body cleanser as well as a shampoo for your hair.
- Speaking of hair, not only is it a powerful cleanser, but it also works great against dandruff and dry scalp.
- Unlike most soaps bought in the U.S., black soap is made up entirely of natural substances.
- Leaves the body well moisturized and is even known to curb wrinkle lines. Thus, it is useful in prolonging youthful looks.
- Black soap is used by many to lighten scars and blemishes from skin disorders.
Are there any risks associated from using Black Soap?
So far we’ve discussed the many benefits of using the soap. But are there any risks? Obviously, if you’re allergic to any of the ingredients associated with making the soap, you would want to double check any labels. This is probably more the case with the recipes using cocoa pods as an ingredient. If you have troubles with caffeine, the soap made from these pods could pass on the caffeine directly to your body.
Outside of that, you’ll want to protect your wallet. There are many fake black soap manufacturers out there that are very crafty and tricky with their advertising. Real African black soap is actually a brown color and can easily be indented with the push of your finger tip. The midnight black colored soap that is hard to the touch is more than likely a knock off. They achieve this color by adding dyes or other substances. And thus, these imitation products are not nearly as beneficial and often contain all of the chemicals we find in our normal soaps. You’ll also likely pay a premium for the real stuff. But the various benefits are certainly worth it.
The importance of Black Soap in our society.
With so much emphasis put on our personal appearances these days, the demand for beauty products has yet to reach its peak. Curiosity for youthful looks aside – the health benefits of using black soap make this a product to certainly have in the home. And a tradition worth passing along.
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