African Black Soap
African Black Soap
Black Soap is a traditional beauty product from Ghana with rejuvenating properties. It is know for curing acne and healing dry and cracked skin. Black soap is a deep pore cleansing soap crafted from natural ingredients using a process developed centuries ago.
We sell authentic African black soap made from water, oils and potash handmade in Ghana by Nongtab Nangtaab women's cooperative. They make potash from cocoa pods husks and banana leaves and add coconut oil, palm kernel oil and shea butter.
Weight of bar: 145g
Ingredients: Potassium (cocoa bean husks, plantain leaves and coconut oil), water, palm kernel oil, shea butter.
Handmade in Ghana by Kongo Nagbok Nongtaab Shea Butter Production
About the Artisans
Kongo Nagbok Nongtaab Shea Butter Production unites more than 100 widows in the community. Shea butter is often called African women’s gold, and is a skill that is passed on from mothers to daughters and every woman in the area knows how to make it for household needs. The partners of Mamaa Trade are located in Kongo village in Nabdam District, Upper-East Region of Ghana which is one of the poorest regions of the country. The area’s dry soil, coupled with erratic rainfall and harsh weather conditions, makes farming challenging.
Tips & Tricks
Producing oil from shea-tree nuts (also known as karité) is a traditional skill of the West-African women that is passed down from mother to daughter. It provides an extra income to the widows of Kongo village in Northern Ghana who produce all the unrefined, raw shea butter sold by Mamaa Trade.
Shea butter contains vitamins A, E and F and various useful fatty acids. It also has anti-inflammatory properties. Unrefined shea butter is particularly valuable because it is produced manually through a labour-intensive process which preserves all the good qualities of shea butter.
Use shea butter:
to moisturise your skin
to moisturise dry areas of skin (heels, elbows, chapped lips)
to protect against wind, cold, sun (especially face and lips)
as after sun cream to alleviate sunburn
to restore the natural shine of hair
Rub a small quantity of the shea butter in your palm until it has melted, then apply to the skin or hair.
Note: Keep shea butter away from direct sunlight, in a dry and cool place. Avoid repeated melting and cooling. Shea butter does not contain preservatives – it will have a longer life span when you use it with clean hands or a spatula.