Using African Black Soap For Acne
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
- Is African black soap comedogenic? This video explains why you can have a flare up of congestion or what some people think is a purge when you use African black soap on your face. African black soap is good for acne when used following the right skincare routine protocol.
I get asked a lot by people who have sensitive skin and skin that breaks out a lot if is African black soap is comedogenic.
I have answered this in this video.
As you can see, I am passionate about African black soap having gone to lengths to learn a lot about the soap despite having grown up using the soap and coming from a long line female black soap makers.
I have very sensitive skin, but I only use ABS because I thoroughly know the soap and understand how it works. If you find that you break out after using ABS, this is the reason why.
I am a soap maker. She is 100% correct about NOT leaving soap on your skin for long periods of time. Also... Be careful using a soap where the ingredients are not properly and exactly measured (in other words, be careful who you buy soap from!).
Soap is made with lye (yes, even African black soap). There are 2 kinds of lye-- 1. Sodium hydroxide, which is used to make solid/hard bars of soap. 2. Potassium hydroxide, made from potash (ashes from wood stewed in water), which is used to make liquid soap.
African black soap is made with the second lye, potash (potassium hydroxide). The one use for liquid soaps. Which is why African soap is not hard. It is a bit soft, you can pinch off a small chunk of it to use.
The problem is, any kind of lye MUST be measured with a digital scale exactly, and it must be mixed with a very specific amount of water (also measured exactly), because each quantity of lye requires an exact quantity of water.
But also, the same applies to the oils and butters you use to make your soap (olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, etc.). Each oil/butter must be measured and weighed individually and entered into a soap calculator to find out how much water and lye they need.
Every different kind of oil, requires a different amount of lye in order to turn the oil into soap.
As a basic scientific formula: Water + lye + oil/fat = soap.
And NO, you cannot make soap without lye. If you don't use lye, the oils will never become soap. They will simply be a soupy, greasy puddle of mush.
Even if you don't see "lye" on the list of ingredients, you probably will see Sodim hydroxide, or potash/potassium hydroxide (again, both are lye).
But also, another reason you might not see lye on the ingredient list, is because some countries do not require soap makers to list lye (sodium hydroxide, or potash/potassium hydroxide) as an ingredient on the package, after the product has turned into soap.
Why not? Well, because if the soap was made properly with exact measurements, the lye is no longer there!
How is that? I'll explain:
After the proper measurements of oils and lye have turned into soap, their chemical composition changes and they are no longer lye or oil. Now they are soap.
Again, technically, properly made soap no longer contains lye.
That being said, if the amounts of oils, lye, and water are not calculated exactly according to their SAP value, your soap may not have enough water/lye and be too greasy...
Or it can have too much lye, meaning not enough oils/butters were added, and it can be very hash and irritating on your skin. It can even burn you. Thats because if there is not enough oils/butters, not all of the lye will turn into soap. There will still be some lye in there.
I have seen many videos of people making their own African black soap at home. BUT I am not seeing them weigh the oils, water and potash (lye made from wood ashes) exactly, or at all.
And honestly... Neither did our great grandparents when they made soap. Or earlier ancestors. Which is why those soaps DID irritate people's skin.
The reason it irritates some peoples skin, is because there was TOO MUCH lye in the soap.
Today, with our modern advancements, we know better. With our knowledge of science, and the invention of digital scales, we can now properly measure the ingredients, and make soap that DOES NOT irritate our skin.
So PLEASE, be sure that whoever is making your soap us well educated about this, and is measuring and mixing everything properly.
Thank you very much Levana Soap
My skin is sensitive and acne prone. I grated my African black soap and added alkaline water, argan oil, and jojoba oil to create a liquid soap. Then I use it in the shower for about 15-20 seconds and rinse off immediately. Then I use green tea on my face immediately after as a toner. Then moisturize with argan, jojoba, vitamin e, and tea tree oil. My skin has changed so drastically in just 1 week already.
Hey GoddessofLove, thanks for sharing. I am a bit concerned though, black soap on its own has between 9 to 14pH. Which is very high so why did you add alkaline water to your mix? Be aware of burning your skin and causing hyperpigmentation to your skin. This solution can also break down your skins natural moisturising factors.
This is the best explanation I've seen on youtube for ABS use. Concise.
Thank you so much for the breakdown. I didn’t break out when I use this so six months ago and now I know why. For the past week I have been using it in the shower. I put it on and immediately rinse it off and my skin is glowing ❤️
your voice gives me mother earth vibes.. thank you for your wisdom.
Thank you for this break down. I've use african black soap on and off for years due to not understanding how to use it and it drying out my skin and making my skin sensitive. I came here because i recently started using it again after doing some more research and seeing the benifits on my acne prone skin and hyperpigmentation. But I came to the tube to figure out why my face was peeling to the point of having a raw bleeding spot. Now I know not to leave it on for long periods of time like I was doing smh lol.
Hi Kanye, it sounds like your skins barrier is impaired. I would suggest that you do not even use black soap at all on your face.
Excellent job explaining the nature of soap and how to use it. I totally enjoyed your presentation and the materials I purchased from the Ghana Soap School. ABS is a passion of mine as well. As a shampoo it should be rinsed thoroughly and an acid rich conditioner (all commercial conditioners have a ph in the 6 range) can be left on the hair for the pH balance of the hair and scalp to be brought back to a natural state. No more dry ends or breakage that the higher alkaline pH creates and wonderfully clean scalp and hair. ABS inspired shampoos are the ONLY really good shampoo bars I enjoy personally. They are the first shampoo I reach for over any of my salon varieties. I love the creamy big bubble and lather and how squeaky clean without being stripped the ABS makes my very long hair feel.
Thank you @Jen Spice, you clearly are very familiar with black soaps and soap making in general. Im glad you find the training resourceful I hope you’ve been able to make lots if soap throughout the pandemic. Yaa x
Thank you for explaining black soap and how it should be use.
You are amazing and well loved, keep going.❤️
Yes last week I applied the soap and left it for few minutes jeez am telling my skin was irritating and dry but I kept on using it now I'm ok...I try apply the moisturizer before my skin us dry
Hi Neoh, listen to your skin. You know, not everything works for everybody. If your skin is reacting it means that the product is not working for you. ABS is great but unfortunately it doesn’t work for everyone.
How often can i use black soap, i have dry skin normally, But i use natural shes butter as a moisturizer straight after black soap. So how many times would you say i can use black soap per week
Hey I have skin congestion and large pores....would using black soap help ?? And can I use Shea better as a moisturizer for my skin type ?
I used it as a spot treatment one time and I woke up and the pimples were gone but I was left with raw burns all over my face where I left the soap ☹️they still haven't cleared up and I'm scared I'll get scars
You're not supposed to keep it overnight
Use cerave hydration soap cleared my skin. I use every morning on face best product . Go behind with a light hint of rose hip oil for moisture
Get your hands on a strong vitamin E serum. Maybe a facial toner with vitamin C and use religiously if you got scars from that.
Pls can I use the raw black soap on my face daily
Thank You for this😊
Am using a black soap and when I wash my face I feel like it's burning , should I stop using it or still continue ??
good advice
Thanks for sharing
Im using it natural without mixed it please ma is it good
No Olivia. Its not good to use soap on your face really.
Plz I wanted to know if I can use it on my oily skin as in face
Hi do not use black or any soap to stop your skin being oily. In fact excessively oily skin is the result of skin not being hydrated enough. Lots of people will wash their face and then leave out moisturising after cleansing. This actually causes our skin to produce more sebum to moisturise our skin. If you have oily skin, use an oily skin cleanser and then moisturise with an oily skin moisturiser. Over time your skin will correct itself.
i’ve been using this for a month or so, and i only use it in the shower and rinse off almost immediately. it has caused some bumps on my forehead which i normally never have, and they don’t disappear. why is it like that and how do i clear my skin?
Hi @Leah it sounds like your skin is sensitive to something in Cyspera then or your skin barrier is compromised. Which means you have to heal your skins barrier first before attempting to correct hyperpigmentation
I have the same problem rn! What worked for you?? Are you still using the soap?
Pls can I use it for my acne ad the scars as well
Hello Matilda, it depends on how severe your acne is and also what triggers your breakouts. You can contact me on instagram and I will be able to get more information so I can advice better.
@@TheBodyFayre thks sooooo much pls what's yr Instagram handle please
I 'm really grateful for yr response
Thank you so much.
Is it good for dry skin
Hi not I wouldn’t advice this.
Thank you
Youre welcome 🙏🏾
I have a few questions do you completely dry your face before you put on the moisturizer and is natural chunky African shea butter a good moisturizer? I know African black soaps can be used as a morning and night routine but should I use coconut oil or hemp seed oil instead of shea butter at night?
Hey, 👋🏾 so if you aim to moisturise your skin then using any oil alone or butter alone will not moisturise your skin. To moisturise your skin needs both water and oil. So if this is your aim then you will have to use a moisturiser. Also it depends if your skin is dry, normal, mature, oily or combo for recommending any of the oils you’ve asked about. If you have normal skin then any of the oils youve asked about will work fine. I personally would actually mix my cocnut oil, hemp seed oil and shea butter together to use on my skin everywhere but not face. Coconut oil is comedogenic for people who breakout easily. I would also not use raw black soap for washing my face. In fact if I were in your shoes, I would some of the coconut oil, shea butter plus hemp seed oil to my African black soap before using it on face. Can somebody please nudge me in the future to make a video showing how to make a face wash safe black soap later. Please🙏🏾
But it contain ingredients that clog pores. ....
Can I use it under the shower
Yes you can.
For some reason after i used black soap my face is so mor oily. I have more acne than before I’m feeling like I wasted my money
Hi Bree, are you moisturising your skin afterwards? Black soap is not ideal for washing your face as it has a high pH and it also degreases your skin. You can contact a local esthetician to help you rebuild your skins natural barrier back. I also provide virtual skin consultation where I can assist you to work through reversing the oiliness and breakouts.
best way to clean skin is to use a non foaming cleanser
Thanks for sharing your contribution. In my experiences doing over facials on 100’s of people with different skin types I know that different cleansers work ok for different skin types. I have use either foaming, gel or non foaming cleansers for people with oily skin or sensitive skin successfully to reach different skin goals. The most important thing is to make sure that the ingredients in a cleanser agrees with your skin, will not irritate or aggravate your skin, impair your skins barrier or cause your skin to react. 🙏🏾
thank you for the explanation! i suddenly have spots on my cheek since i started cleansing with black soap, but i didn‘t leave it on my face i washed it off immediately. what could be the reason?
Hi @Tessa, some people find the pH of black soap too harsh for their skin. Do you generally find some beauty products irritating?
@@TheBodyFayre hey, thanks for your reply☺️ yes my skin reacts quite bad to alot of products, could that be the pH?
Hi @Tessa I yes it sounds like it. Although you have to take a lit of factors into consideration such as environment, diets, underlining health conditions etc it could be products and it could also be that you are intolerant to something specific.
I will do a video on how to work out what you are intolerant to that causes skin flare up tonight.
@@theresaiyare They also have a "milder" more refined version of the ABS called African White Soap, you could try that as well, if the ABS doesn't work.
Oh it's a bee lol
Thank you so much for the videos. I am in Portugal i would like to visit Ghana specifically for the black soap may i have your email address. I would like search for the black soap from the ladies who are making the soap from home and encourage women to make an good income from it.
I will compensate for your time. Thank you.