While on a remote location during a film shoot recently, I discovered the use of natural Black Soap and Shea Butter quite by accident. I mean I knew about the duo previously but I never really paid much attention to them. I found myself on an Island in the middle of nowhere. The air was clean and free of pollutants and the sun was blazing hot so I desperately needed to stock up on my skincare regimen. I had run out of my usual skincare products and being in a remote location I could not access my supply for another week. In the little community market I found a lady making black soap and decided to buy some. Little did I know what I was missing, until now…
After seeing the impact the soap had on my skin within three days I decided to do a little research about the magic of this soap, hence this write up for our men Style Ravens who long for better skin.
Black soap (the name is derived from the color of the soap) is typically found in some regions of Africa mainly Ghana,Nigeria and in India. The soap is good for moisturizing, clearing dark spots and razor bumps, eliminating blemishes and evening out skin tone. It can also be used in place of your hair shampoo and conditioner and works for normal, oily, dry and sensitive skin. It also works wonders for scalp irritations and body odors – yes! all this in one soap.
Now you may wonder how this soap can claim to do all this, the answer is quite simple. It is because of the main ingredients that are used to make black soap include naturally powerful plants like burnt plantain and palm tree bark mixed with cocoa, aloe, olive oil, and the almighty Shea Butter, which has such a large healing fraction. Shea butter on its own is an all-natural cream can treat many skin problems including itching, sunburns, small skin wounds, eczema, skin allergies, insect bites, frost bite, and other skin conditions.
Like most men of colour, shaving daily often comes with skin irritations and razor bumps as the major side effects. Luckily I hardly get bumps but my advise for men with heavy beards or curly or kinky hair is if you have trouble with razor burn and razor bumps, you don’t want a very close shave, but if you have a close-up shoot that day be sure to lather up some black soap for a close clean shave the shea butter contained in the soap will give you radiant smooth skin!
You can get black soap in any health and beauty shop or pharmacy. If you prefer to get the raw soap it is also available through special order from local merchants…just ask around your area.
My black soap is now a must-have item in my grooming bag and I try not to travel without it. It’s the secret to my healthier looking radiant skin – now the secret is out!
Photo credit: Becuo.com (cover), healthyblackmen.com
