Product Review: Shea Moisture African Black Soap

Shea Moisture ain't playin' no games! They've already blazed a trail for themselves in the natural haircare world, and are making major headway in the total body care arena. They've rolled out body scrubs, body washes, oils, a baby care line, and soap bars. I was at Target recently, searching for a new face/body product to try since I'm fresh out of Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Body Wash (sidebar: me likey... I just wasn't in the mood to go on a TJ mission). When it comes to face and body cleansing, I like to treat them as one in the same. If it's not good enough for my face, then it's not good enough for my body. Crowded amid Dove, Softsoap, Caress, and the like, were three rows of large soap bars, by Shea Moisture. Two of them piqued my interest immediately -- because they were named and labeled after two of my favorite lines -- the Coconut Hibiscus and African Black Soap. As soon as the bars hit my hands, there was no turning back. No I wouldn't decide between the two. I would have both. And for about $10 total, I did. So far, I've only tried the African Black Soap. Stay tuned for part 2 of this review, featuring the Coconut Hibiscus bar.

Ingredient List: African Black Soap Base, African Shea Butter, Oats, Aloe, Plantain Extract, Vitamin E, Essential Oil Blend, Vegetable Glycerin, Palm Ash, Rosemary Extract, Iron Oxides.

• African Black Soap Base: Touted for skin detoxifying, healing and conditioning.
• African Shea Butter: Extracted from the nut of the karite tree. Proven effective moisturizer, natural anti-oxidant, improves skin elasticity, and treats a variety of skin conditions such as psoriasis and ecszema.
• Oats: Coats and protects skin, normalizes pH and reduces inflammation.
• Aloe: Moisturizes skin, and is believed to stimulate collagen and slow down the effects of aging on skin.
• Plantain Extract: Obtained from leaves of Plantago major. It promotes renewal of damaged skin cells, and stimulates collagen synthesis to improve elasticity and firmness of skin tissue. Helps to eliminate excess water from body tissue. Creates a protective and moisturising layer on skin.
• Vitamin E: Anti-oxidant vitamin that protects and repairs skin.
• Essential Oil Blend: Shea Moisture's proprietary oil blend (unknown).
• Vegetable Glycerin: Humectant that helps skin retain moisture. It also has anti-bacterial properties that assist in clearing up acne and facial breakouts.
• Palm Ash: Used to eliminate scaly skin, often associated with conditions such as psoriasis and ecszema.
• Rosemary Extract: Protects skin from damage caused by aging, delaying wrinkles and sagging skin.
• Iron Oxides: Colorant.

Availability: There's a Target store within 10 miles of your house, right? Thought so.
Affordability: $5.99 for an 8oz bar. It doesn't seem like a lot, but the bar is HUGE in comparison to the standard sized soap bar. Too bad I bought soap dishes for both bars, and neither one fits. But considering the size of the bar, the quality of ingredients, and my face-washing use of it hasn't even scratched the surface of the bar, I can see this thing lasting a LONG time. Definitely worth it.

Product Claim/Description: For acne prone and troubled skin. African Black Soap, made from palm ash, tamarind extract and plantain peel has been used in Africa for centuries to treat eczema, acne, oily skin, psoriasis and other skin ailments. Combined with the healing and hydrating propetries of Shea Butter, this healing soap should be used daily to balance and resolve problem skin.

Performance/Delivery: After just one use, my skin felt smoother, softer, and more moisturized. Bar soaps tend to be filmy in thee aftermath, and I got NONE of that with this product. Not to mention, my trouble spots are going bye-bye!

Bonuses: If you're a fan of the African Black Soap hair line, you'll like this bar. It smells just like the shampoo and the purification masque. The plantain definitely comes through sweetly, and has subtle floral-esque undertones. It goes on easy, and rinses off just as easy. The natural ingredient list is a super bonus for someone like me, who has psoriasis. Synthetic fragrances and harsh chemicals are a no-no for me, and this superbly natural ingredient list is just awesome.

Drawbacks: Awkwardly sized bar. Really, it's like the Hulk of the soap bar world. I'm not sure if they even make soap dishes (that close) big enough to fit this gargantuan hunk. Maybe they should consider packaging it as two smaller bars? Til then, looks like I'll be housing this awesome bar in a Ziploc bag.
Bottom Line: If you like Shea Moisture's hair products, you'll be happy to know they invest just as much quality in their body line. I say give it a try. $5.99 can't hurt -- and the bar is huge enough to last a long time. I can't wait to move on to the Coconut Hibiscus bar!!!


Have you tried any of Shea Moisture's body products? How do you like them?