Traditional African black soap from Jeb Foods. Natural and non-GMO, 8 oz. Made in Nigeria.
African black soap has been made and used across West Africa for generations. It is still an everyday bathing bar in Nigeria today, used on the face and body by people who have never called it anything but soap.
How African black soap is traditionally made
The traditional method has two halves. First, plant material is burned to ash: usually plantain peels, cocoa pods, palm tree bunches or shea tree bark, depending on what grows nearby. That ash is what makes the soap alkaline, and it is what gives black soap its colour and its name.
The ash is then combined with oils and butters, most commonly palm oil, palm kernel oil and shea butter, and left to saponify. There is no manufactured lye in the traditional process. The reaction between the ash and the oils is what turns it into soap.
Recipes are not standardised. African black soap is a family of traditional recipes rather than one fixed formula, and it varies by region and by maker. Ghanaian soap is usually harder and darker; Nigerian soap tends to be softer and lighter. The description above is how black soap is made traditionally, not a declared ingredient list for this bar.
If you have a nut allergy or react to palm oils, contact us before ordering and we will confirm the exact composition with our supplier.
How to use
Use it as you would any bar soap. Wet the bar, work up a lather in your hands or on a cloth, wash face or body, then rinse.
Black soap is softer than most commercial bars, so it will disappear quickly if you leave it sitting in water. Keep it on a draining dish between uses and it lasts a good deal longer. Some people cut the bar into smaller pieces and keep the rest dry.
Questions people ask
Why is it called black soap?
Because of the ash. Burning the plant material is what darkens it, and the shade varies depending on which plants were used and how long they were roasted.
Is it the same as Ghanaian black soap?
It is the same tradition, made differently. Ghanaian versions are typically harder and darker, Nigerian versions softer and lighter.
Why is my bar soft or crumbly?
That is normal for traditionally made black soap. It has a higher water content than a machine pressed bar and it has not been hardened with additives.
How long does a bar last?
It depends almost entirely on whether you let it drain. Sitting in a wet dish it will go in a couple of weeks. Kept dry between uses it lasts far longer.
Net weight 8 oz. Made in Nigeria.
This product is a cosmetic. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
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