When searching for shea butter in Ghana, Ghanaians turned out to be just as enthusiastic about the black soap.
I didn't know it, but I was certainly very interested when the Ghanaians explained that there were only natural ingredients in the soap. I wanted to know more about a soap without chemical additives.
In this blog I briefly explain what black soap is, what it does, how we use it at home, what it replaces and where we buy it.
What is Black Soap
The Dudu Osun (African black soap) is a brown, greasy bar of soap of 100 grams or 200 grams.
At Namashea the block is available with or without a net.
The black soap is handmade in Ghana and can be used as a shower product, facial cleanser and as a shampoo.
The soap consists of 50% shea butter, 25% coconut oil and 25% ash from local plants from Ghana: banana leaf, cocoa leaf and palm leaf.
Plant ash? Of course. It cleanses and exfoliates the skin and forms the basis of the soap.
After collecting, the leaves are dried and then roasted. Water and oil are added and shea butter (which we also sell in its pure form). The process takes days and is very labor intensive because it requires constant stirring.
The black soap is 100% natural, made with only organic products, biodegradable, vegan, not tested on animals and contains nothing but good for your body. Pure nature! Therefore, do not expect a wonderful lavender or rose scent, but an earthy scent.
What does it do
The soap strengthens the skin and is packed with vitamin A, which produces collagen, and vitamin E, which improves the skin structure. In addition, it heals the skin through the healing effect of the shea butter.
The soap removes dead skin cells and stimulates blood circulation. After using the dudu osun / black soap / black soap, the skin will regain its natural shine and feel wonderfully soft.
The soap can also be used as a shampoo, but I will not recommend it for thin, fine hair because of the high fat content. It's a treat for curly, thick and dry hair!
The black soap is suitable for all skin types and ideal for impure skin.
How do I use it
The soap can be used like any other bar of soap. But where other soaps remain hard, the black soap softens a bit. It doesn't fall apart, but we use the soap in a storage bag. After use, we hang it on a hook outside the shower, so that it can air and not melt further. The soap remains quite soft, which makes applying it very easy and pleasant.
The 100 gram black soap lasts a family of 4 for about a month.
What replaces it
The black soap replaces chemical soap, shower gel, all acne creams and washing gels, scar creams, scrubs and in some cases also shampoo.
Where does our black soap come from
During our search for shea butter in Ghana, we ended up at an Organic Shea Butter farm where we had a very nice contact with the owner with the beautiful name Prince. He explained that the women who work there can decide for themselves how much they work. And that the women get paid and not their partner.
This organic farm works in a very beautiful way that I, as the owner of De Weerdhoeve & Namashea, can fully support. We serve the women's community by purchasing their product.
It is a very beautiful product that is good for your body, made with love by the women in Ghana. Oh yes, nature is grateful to you too!