Have you been wondering about using African black soap on natural hair? African black soap is commonly referred to as just black soap, and it is harvested in Ghana and other areas of West Africa.
Using this raw soap can be complicated. There are a lot of fake African black soaps on the market that doesn’t have the true strength. Plus, if you use it the wrong way, you may experience harsh side effects.
However, you can come out winning if you learn to use African black soap correctly ahead of time.
In this post, you’ll find out all about the benefits and the best ways to use African black soap so you can decide whether to buy and use it for your 4c natural hair. If you want to learn the correct way to use African black soap and how to purchase the real thing, keep reading.
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African Black Soap Benefits for Hair
African black soap is made from the dry skin of locally harvested cocoa pods, cassava, shea tree bark, palm tree leaves, plantains, and other vegetation.
It is entirely loaded with antioxidants and minerals like potassium and magnesium. It also contains vitamins A and E. This high nutrient content makes it far superior to other soaps.
Other cleansers have lab-produced bases, like phosphorous, iron, magnesium, silicon, aluminum, and manganese oxides, along with unburnt carbon and hydrogen peroxide.
Real African black soap is all-natural and, just like shea butter, harvested by local women in Ghana and neighboring African countries. It feeds nourishment to the scalp, instead of stripping the nutrients away.
Plus, it’s less harmful for your body because you’re not absorbing and inhaling toxic substances.
Here is a list of benefits of African black soap for natural hair:
- Feeds Healing Nutrients to the Scalp. African black soap is full of vitamins and minerals that your hair follicles can use to make thicker and longer hair.
- Anti-aging. The antioxidants help to combat aging of the hair follicles. This can be particularly useful if you are middle-aged and experiencing thinning or slowed hair growth.
- Defines Curl Pattern. African black soap has a high oil and glycerin content, making it the ideal cleanser for keeping your hair and scalp clean, yet moisturized.
- Softens Hair. Naturals rave about the soap’s ability to soften and moisturize the hair. You’ll still need to use conditioner after you use the soap, but it doesn’t leave your hair hard and dry as many other synthetic shampoos do.
- Cleanses the Scalp. African black soap is antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial. It effectively cleans your scalp, leaving the perfect environment for follicle cells to grow hair. It’s an excellent cleanser to use for hair loss and other conditions like eczema and itchy scalp.
- Increases Hair Growth. African black soap promotes hair growth by increasing the blood circulation of the scalp. Below, you’ll find an effective recipe for a black soap shampoo for alopecia.
How to Use African Black Soap on Hair
Now that you’ve heard about all the healing benefits of African black soap for low porosity and high porosity hair , you’re probably wondering how to use it.
Using the soap is tricky because you never want to put it directly on your scalp. Instead, you need to dilute it and mix in several oils to prevent it from drying out your hair.
It’s crucial to follow a recipe until you get the hang of it and become an expert at using this soap. Using the recipe will help you stay on track and prevent dryness or other side effects from occurring.
Also, African black soap tends to be alkaline in nature, so it’s a good idea to conclude all recipes with an apple cider vinegar (ACV) rinse. ACV will help to add acidity and regulate the pH of your scalp.
Here is a recipe for an African black soap shampoo, inspired by YouTuber, Naptural85:
DIY Homemade Natural Shampoo with African Black Soap
Ingredients:
- 1 oz
- About 1 cup Distilled Water
- 5 Tbsp.
- 1 tsp.
- 1 tsp
- 10 drops
- 1 tsp
- ½ tsp
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- 10 drops
- 10 drops Peppermint Essential Oil
- 10 drops
- Apple Cider Vinegar, diluted with water for rinsing
Instructions:
- Cut a 1-oz portion from your African black soap bar with a knife.
- Grate or shave the soap into a mason jar.
- Boil the distilled water, and then let it cool to warmer than room temperature.
- Cover your soap shavings with the warm distilled water. You may want to use more or less water, depending on your desired thickness. More water makes a thinner shampoo. Use any leftover distilled water for your ACV rinse.
- Let the soap dissolve.
- Mix in all other ingredients, except for the apple cider vinegar.
- Transfer to an easy-to-use applicator bottle.
- Apply the shampoo to your scalp and rinse.
- Use the diluted ACV rinse to balance pH.
- Condition your hair and style as usual.
Ready to try the shampoo? Here’s Naptural85’s video, for further reference:
Use the shampoo once per week for the best results and store it in the fridge. Each batch will last for three shampoos.
African Black Soap Side Effects
African black soap is very potent. It is not your average soap, so use caution and sound judgment when you prepare and apply this soap.
Some users of this soap complain of the dryness and report that it has made their skin raw or cracked. These types of side effects can lead to follicle damage and hair loss.
Every natural queen’s scalp is different, and you may want to do a test patch before using the soap. You can quickly test it on the underside of your arm to see the reaction before placing it on your scalp.
If you’ve followed the recipes and mixed your African black soap correctly, but you’re still experiencing unwanted side effects, you should discontinue use immediately.
Best Quality African Black Soap
It’s important to be able to spot fake African soap and only to invest in true quality. Here are some characteristics of each:
- Fake or Synthetic African Black Soap. This soap appears black and is very hard, like the texture of synthetic soap. Its surface is smooth and shiny, and it looks like a perfectly manufactured bar of soap. It doesn’t dissolve easily and always remains in the same rectangular or square shape.
- Real or True African Black Soap. This soap is soft and almost crumbly. The coloring is light or dark brown, depending on the roast. It is more marbled than lab-produced soap, has more texture, and is always multicolored. It dissolves quickly in water, and it is easy to shape and mold in your hands.
Below are some of the best African black soaps for natural hair. No matter if you have 3c hair, 4a hair, 4b hair or 4c hair. It’s best to make your own concoction if you want shampoo, but there are also products like a ready-made purifying hair mask and a dandruff control conditioner on the market.
The most cost-effective African black soaps are found online. Here are the best soaps to choose from:
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Here are a few of the best African black soap hair mask:
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Here is the best African black soap conditioner:
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African black soap can be a great addition to your regimen if you use it correctly by diluting it with water (or rice water) and oils (see also my post on the LOC method). Always look for real African black soaps to get the most healing benefits.
Using the soap on a weekly basis will give your hair a natural shampoo treatment that can strengthen the hair follicles and promote longer and thicker hair growth.
What about you? Have you tried African black soap on your natural hair?
Hey Curl Friend, I’m Patrina Haupt the creator and author of Natural Hair Queen. I hope you find my healthy hair care tips helpful in your hair journey. Healthy hair care practices are definitely, what helped me to achieve waist length hair.
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How often Do I use the shampoo? For I have Areata Alopecia and I am using onion juice and I do not want to over do this Shampoo if it could cause issues for me to use. For I use the onion juice every other day and i rinse it out. So can i use the shampoo every other day or just use it for when I wash wash my hair??
I always recommend naturals to wash their hair once a week and to clarify their hair every month of product build up. Unless you are using the LOC method every day when shampooing it’s best not to shampoo more than 1x a week even if you are battling alopecia. Have you also tried Jamaican Black castor oil and peppermint for hair re growth? https://www.naturalhairqueen.net/jamaican-black-castor-oil/
Please does this black soap bleach the hair. I’m scared. I don’t want my natural hair to turn brown.
Hello Goodness, If you have an all natural black soap it should not bleach your hair.
Can you use other oils like coconut, gapeseed, or olive oil
You can always switch out things, nothing is set in stone. You can use an alternative oil that your hair likes.