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5 Best African Black Soaps of 2024

Updated
If you’re into beauty trends, consider trying African black soap.

Do you want to jump into the latest beauty craze and try out African black soap? Before lathering up, you probably have some questions about what it is and how it can benefit you. No, this odd-looking soap isn’t moldy, and its dark color doesn’t mean it’s dirty. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

We’ve studied and tested this trendy product to learn the science behind it, understand its origins, and ensure its value. We’ll explain where it comes from, how it’s made, and how it can benefit you.

We’ve also taken the time to compare the top brands and bring you our honest reviews of our five favorite products. We chose these products because they are produced fairly, don’t contain any harmful ingredients, and offer good value for the money.

Keep reading to find the best African soap for your skin.

Our Top Picks

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Image
Model
Product Comparison Table
Features

Product Image of the Our Earth’s Secrets
Traditional & Effective
Our Earth’s Secrets
  • Comes with three bricks
  • Good makeup remover
  • Good for hair, body, and face
Product Image of the Allafia Authentic African
Best All-in-One
Allafia Authentic African
  • Safe for all ages
  • Range of scents
  • Keeps skin soft
Product Image of the Wonderfully Natural Soap
Popular Among Influencers
Wonderfully Natural Soap
  • Great for psoriasis
  • One brick will last months
  • Two-month guarantee
Product Image of the Shea Terra African Soap
Great for Added Scent
Shea Terra African Soap
  • Good for oily skin
  • Mom-owned business
  • Certified organic
Product Image of the SheaMoisture Skincare Kit
The Whole Shebang
SheaMoisture Skincare Kit
  • Certified organic and natural
  • Good for sensitive skin
  • Helps control breakouts and detoxifies


The Best African Black Soaps of 2024

Here are our favorite African Black soaps to consider.

Our Earth’s Secrets Premium Soap

Traditional and Effective

This soap brand is made in Ghana and uses traditional African recipes and techniques. Aside from the main African black soap ingredients, this soap also contains natural sodium.

Because it’s raw, it’s recommended to lather the soap before applying it to your skin. The soap may contain some small pieces of husk that can scratch you otherwise.

With this choice, you’ll get three 1-pound bricks of soap. A little goes a long way, and it’ll last you a while before you need to purchase again.

The product doesn’t contain any added fragrances either. It’s recommended for regular use in clearing acne and dark spots and is a good makeup remover.

Pros

  • Comes with three bricks.
  • Good makeup remover.
  • Good for hair, body, and face.

Cons

  • Soap may be a little sticky.

Our Ratings

Ingredient Quality
4.5 / 5
Skin Benefits
4.5 / 5
Scent
4 / 5
Lather Quality
3.5 / 5
Total Rating
4 / 5

User Experience

This African Black Soap is a genuine and effective product that has worked wonders for my skin. I've been using it for years and have noticed smoother, less dry skin without any breakouts. When applying it to my body or face, I use a small amount and let it sit for 30 seconds before rinsing. It also works great as a clarifying shampoo and shaving cream, providing a strong and long-lasting lather. However, if you have sensitive skin, I recommend testing a small area first to see how your skin reacts.

Allafia Authentic African Black Soap

Best All-In-One African Black Soap

The Allafia Authentic African Black Soap is a face cleanser, body wash, hand soap, shampoo, and shaving cream. For a budget-friendly price, you’re getting five products in one.

It’s crafted from a centuries-old recipe using shea butter and West African palm oil.

It’s safe for the whole family: babies, adults, and teenagers. It comes in a range of scents, which are fragranced using essential oils. However, if using it on your baby’s skin, check if the chosen essential oil is safe for them.

For example, the wild lavender option (our favorite scent!) is totally safe, but parents might choose the unscented option.

With this soap, your whole body will feel relaxed, rejuvenated, and deeply cleansed.

Pros

  • Five purposes in one product.
  • Safe for babies, children, teenagers, and adults.
  • Comes in a range of scents.
  • Keeps skin soft, even in winter climates.

Cons

  • It does not lather.
  • It’s a thin consistency, so the bottle doesn’t last long.

Our Ratings

Ingredient Quality
4.5 / 5
Skin Benefits
4.5 / 5
Scent
5 / 5
Lather Quality
2 / 5
Total Rating
4 / 5

Personal Perspective

I'm impressed with this Allafia Authentic African Black Soap as it serves multiple purposes - a face cleanser, body wash, hand soap, shampoo, and shaving cream - all while being budget-friendly. I found it safe for my entire family, with a variety of lovely scents to choose from, and it kept our skin soft even in harsh winter weather. On the downside, the soap's thin consistency means it doesn't lather well and the bottle runs out quickly, so be prepared to repurchase often.

Wonderfully Natural African Black Soap

Popular Among Influencers

This is one I’ve seen the most online. This bar of African black soap is available in a 1-pound block and is completely organic. The company is African owned and is fair trade friendly as well.

The company also offers a 60-day 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you receive the product and aren’t impressed, they will refund your money.

This soap is good for removing dark marks and pesky acne spots on your face, and people have sworn by it for their psoriasis.

Pros

  • Great for psoriasis.
  • One brick will last months.
  • Two-month guarantee.

Cons

  • Product can be drying for sensitive skin.

Our Ratings

Ingredient Quality
4.5 / 5
Skin Benefits
4.5 / 5
Scent
4 / 5
Lather Quality
4 / 5
Total Rating
4.25 / 5

Community Feedback

I recently started using this soap again during a month-long trip and noticed a significant improvement in my skin issues such as dry skin, KP, and hyperpigmentation. This soap has become an essential part of my skincare routine, and when combined with glycerin and witch hazel toner, it works wonders for my skin. Although the soap looks and smells different from regular soaps, don't be put off by its appearance. It might contain some cocoa pod bits, but you can always make a body/face wash with it and strain it if necessary. This soap is not only great for sensitive skin but also helps with acne scars, face scars, and skin tone. However, it can be drying, so make sure to moisturize after using it.

Shea Terra Organics African Soap Bar

Great for Added Scent

If you’re looking for a smaller size than the others on our list, this is a good one to consider. It comes in a 4.5-ounce bar, so you can try it without feeling like you’ve wasted it. This one is formulated to help settle and prevent acne.

It’s easy to use — the company recommends lathering and then letting it sit for five to 10 minutes before rinsing off. It’s USDA-certified organic, so it’s safe for you and your kids.

The soap is also cruelty-free, so animal lovers don’t need to worry. It doesn’t contain drying alcohol, parabens, dyes, or synthetic fragrances.

Unlike the other soaps, this one contains olive oil. Furthermore, you can choose products with added all-natural scents, including lemongrass and menthe.

Pros

  • Multiple scents available.
  • Good for oily skin.
  • Mom-owned business.
  • Certified organic.

Cons

  • You may find small pieces of husk inside.

Our Ratings

Ingredient Quality
4.5 / 5
Skin Benefits
4 / 5
Scent
4.5 / 5
Lather Quality
3.5 / 5
Total Rating
4 / 5

First-Hand Impression

Excellent results from using this SheaTerra Black Soap for both my skin and my husband's. After consistent use, we've noticed a significant improvement in our skin's softness, clarity, and the reduction of breakouts. Although it can be a bit drying for those with already dry skin, the overall benefits of this soap have made a lasting impression on us.

SheaMoisture Bath & Face Skincare Kit

The Whole Shebang

Sometimes you don’t want to mix a million products to get a clean, glowing look. If this sounds like something you struggle with, check out this whole facial system, which uses African black soap in its products.

The system comes with a body wash, a body bar, and a facial bar soap. The body bar can be used on your face too. The company also makes a toner, but you’ll need to purchase it separately.

This product helps control breakouts and detoxifies the skin. It’s made of certified organic and natural ingredients, which is nice for people with sensitive skin. It doesn’t contain any sulfates or parabens, and the company is cruelty-free.

Pros

  • A great natural alternative to other systems.
  • Contains tea tree oil for purification.
  • Good for sensitive skin.

Cons

  • Some users felt it had an artificial scent.
  • Can be hard to get a good lather.

Our Ratings

Ingredient Quality
4 / 5
Skin Benefits
4 / 5
Scent
3.5 / 5
Lather Quality
2.5 / 5
Total Rating
3.5 / 5

User Experience

Definitely one of the best purchases I've made for my skin care routine. This Shea Moisture kit has been fantastic for my dry and blemished skin, and even helped with ingrown hairs. As someone with a history of severe acne and oily skin, these products have made a noticeable difference in clearing up my face, chest, and back. The intoxicating smell and silky feel on my skin make using these products a real treat. One small drawback is that the bar soap may leave some stains on your soap holder, but it's nothing a good scrub can't fix.

How to Choose the Best African Black Soap

When shopping for this highly beneficial soap, there are some factors you’ll want to consider.

Ingredients

The best African black soaps are made with all-natural ingredients. You don’t want added synthetic fragrances, preservatives, sulfates, or other harmful ingredients taking away from the benefits of the soap.

Scent

This soap has an earthy, natural scent that not everyone appreciates. If you’re looking for a scented version of the soap, look for one made with skin-friendly essential oils or a mild, unscented version.

Color

Look for a dark brown or black soap befitting its name. There’s no reason your soap should have artificial coloring added to it.

Texture

African black soap should not be smooth or oily. The texture is somewhat rough and crumbly and may contain small abrasive particles like husks or other impurities in it. This is why we recommend you always lather the soap with some water in your hands first before applying it to your body.

Production

Hand-crafted African black soap is likely to be more authentic than soap created by large companies, who may skip steps in the production process to mass produce their soaps. Authentic African black soap uses a lengthy process of sun-drying the ingredients to get the soap’s unique texture.

Because African villagers typically make this soap, it is usually “Fair Trade Certified.” Companies that produce fair-trade certified goods guarantee that everyone involved in making a product is fairly compensated for their efforts (1).

How It’s Made

Traditionally, this soap comes from West Africa, usually Ghana (2). The dark color comes from the ash belonging to various plants and tree barks. It could come from plantains, shea trees, cocoa pods, palm leaves, and more.

The ingredients are sun-dried and then added to a kettle to roast. Water and oils like palm or coconut oil are added to bind everything together. After it sits for around two weeks, it’s ready to be used.

Ingredients and Benefits

African black soap is a great organic alternative to other soaps on the market. It doesn’t typically have any added preservatives or coloring to make it last longer, as other bar soaps do.

It doesn’t have any harsh ingredients either. Most big brand soaps have fragrance, parabens, sulfates, and triclosan added in. The ingredients in African black soap are all-natural, so your body gets plenty of benefits from it.

Palm Oil

Despite being a saturated fat, palm oil can be good for you. It’s high in antioxidants and has both forms of vitamin E, which are good for acne and eczema. It also has carotene, which reduces cell damage caused by pollution and toxic substances.

Palm oil and palm kernel oil can be confused with each other quite frequently. Palm oil, however, comes from the flesh of the palm fruit. Palm kernel oil comes from the seed.

Palm Kernel Oil

This oil is used to thicken the soap and is high in lauric acid. Lauric acid is used for treating a number of infections, including some flu strains, cold sores, and various other things (3).

This is nice because you know you’re getting at the grime, dirt, and unseen germs on your skin when you use it.

Cocoa Butter

Cocoa butter comes from the cacao bean. While it’s typically used in baking, it also benefits your skin (4). Cocoa butter is high in fatty acids, which are known for their ability to hydrate the skin and improve elasticity.

Cocoa butter is commonly used to smooth out fine lines, wrinkles, and other pesky skin marks. It can also help heal rashes caused by eczema and dermatitis.

Shea Butter

Shea butter is similar in consistency to cocoa butter. It’s commonly used to help heal burns, scars, and other skin issues like psoriasis and dermatitis. Like cocoa butter, it is highly moisturizing and can reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

Shea butter also has cinnamic acid in it. Cinnamic acid is an antioxidant with antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties (5).


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Edited by

Shannon Serpette

Shannon Serpette is an award-winning writer and editor, who regularly contributes to various newspapers, magazines, and websites. Shannon has been featured on Insider, Fatherly, SheKnows, and other high profile publications. As a mother of two, she loves to write about parenting issues and is dedicated to educating other parents at every stage of their child's development.