African Black Soap
African black soap has long been used in West Africa for both skin and hair care.
It is made from the ashes of plantain skin, cocoa pods, palm tree leaves, palm oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, and shea butter.
Black soap is believed to have many benefits for hair including cleansing the scalp, reducing dandruff, moisturizing hair, and reducing frizz. You may be wondering how black soap is able to provide all of these benefits.
- Excellent scalp cleanser without being drying. It is thought to have a gentler lye than synthetic shampoos, meaning it is less harsh to the hair.
- Keeps the hair follicle healthier by providing antioxidants (vitamin A and E) as well as methylxanthines and polyphenols found naturally in the skins and pods used to make the soap.
- Moisturizes the hair through the shea butter and cocoa butter used to make the soap.
How to make your own black soap shampoo
You will likely need to break up the black soap and then try to dissolve in water before adding the other ingredients for the shampoo.
Black soap – ½ bar
Apple cider vinegar – 1 tablespoon
Tea tree oil – 4 drops
Peppermint oil – 4 drops
Lavender oil – 4 drops
If you are not interested in making your own black soap shampoo, you can also buy it in the beauty store or online. Two popular brands right now are Melanin and Shea Moisture. They both carry a black soap shampoo that works well.
Apple cider vinegar – 1 tablespoon
Tea tree oil – 4 drops
Peppermint oil – 4 drops
Lavender oil – 4 drops
If you are not interested in making your own black soap shampoo, you can also buy it in the beauty store or online. Two popular brands right now are Melanin and Shea Moisture. They both carry a black soap shampoo that works well.