It is an everyday cleanser for face and body. Black soap is traditionally used in Ghana to wash both skin and hair, and the shea butter in the bar leaves skin feeling soft rather than tight after washing. Many people use Banana African Black Soap as a face wash, a body soap, a hand soap or a shaving soap.

Like all true soap it is alkaline. If your skin feels tight after washing, use a little less and follow with a thin layer of Baraka shea butter. For more about where black soap comes from and how to choose it, see African Black Soap: The Complete Guide to Sourcing, Benefits, and Use.

1. Wet your hands and work the bar into a lather between them. Do not rub the bar straight onto your face.
2. Massage the lather onto wet skin in gentle circles for 30 to 60 seconds.
3. Rinse well with lukewarm water and pat dry.
4. Keep the bar on a draining soap dish so it stays firm between uses.

If you are new to black soap, start every other day and build up to daily use. Patch test on a small area first if your skin is sensitive.

What goes in: Shea butter; Palm kernel oil; Traditional potash, made from the ash of cocoa pods and plantain peels; Water; Red palm oil; Raw honey; Turmeric root powder; Cocoa powder; Moringa leaf powder; Neem leaf powder; Hibiscus flower powder; Baobab fruit pulp; Lemongrass leaf powder; Aloe vera leaf powder.

Ingredients in the finished soap: Saponified shea butter (Potassium Shea Butterate); Saponified palm kernel oil (Potassium Palm Kernelate); Glycerin (Glycerin); Water (Aqua); Red palm oil (Elaeis Guineensis Oil); Raw honey (Mel); Turmeric root powder (Curcuma Longa Root Powder); Cocoa powder (Theobroma Cacao Seed Powder); Moringa leaf powder (Moringa Oleifera Leaf Powder); Neem leaf powder (Melia Azadirachta Leaf Powder); Hibiscus flower powder (Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Powder); Baobab fruit pulp (Adansonia Digitata Pulp Extract); Lemongrass leaf powder (Cymbopogon Citratus Leaf Powder); Aloe vera leaf powder (Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Powder).

Why the two lists are different: African black soap is made the traditional way, by cooking shea butter and palm kernel oil with potash from plant ash. As it cooks, the potash turns the oils into soap and is used up in the process, so it does not remain in the finished bar. That is why the finished soap lists "saponified" shea butter and palm kernel oil, meaning the oils after they have become soap, and why glycerin appears: it forms naturally as the oils turn into soap. The second list uses the international ingredient names (INCI) that appear on our label and in our Health Canada notification.

What You'll Notice

• Colour: dark brown to near-black, varying from batch to batch because the colour comes from natural ash
• Texture: softer than commercial soap and naturally a little crumbly
• Scent: mild and earthy, with no added fragrance

Q: Does Banana African Black Soap contain banana?
A: No. Banana is the name of the bar. Banana African Black Soap is handmade using traditional ingredients and processes. There is no banana or banana peel in it and no fruit fragrance.

Q: What is Banana African Black Soap?
A: It is traditional African black soap, handmade by women artisans at the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre in Wa, Ghana. It is a soft, dark bar of 4.6 oz (130 g) with no added fragrance, essential oils or colourants, and no parabens or sulfates.

Q: How is Baraka black soap made?
A: Every Baraka black soap bar is handmade using traditional ingredients and processes, by women at the Konjeihi Women’s Enterprise Centre in Ghana. The full ingredient list for this bar is in the ingredients section on this page.

Q: How do I use it?
A: Wet your hands and work the bar into a lather between them, then massage the lather onto wet skin for 30 to 60 seconds and rinse with lukewarm water. Do not rub the bar straight onto your face. If you are new to black soap, start every other day, and follow with a little shea butter if your skin feels tight.

Q: How long does a bar last?
A: Used once a day on your face, one bar lasts about four to six weeks; used on face and body, about two to three weeks. Keep it on a draining soap dish between uses so it stays firm.

Q: Is it vegan?
A: No. It contains raw honey, so it is not vegan.

Can African black soap go bad?

For all practical purposes, no. Traditional African black soap is true soap, with nothing in it that spoils quickly, so kept dry it can be expected to last for years. (A bar dug up on an archaeological dig after 2,000 years is another matter.) Store it in a cool, dry place and keep the bar you are using on a draining soap dish; if a bar has been left sitting wet or ever smells sour, don’t use it.

Where can I buy banana black soap?

Right here. Banana African Black Soap is traditional African black soap, handmade by women artisans at the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre in Wa, Ghana, in 4.6 oz (130 g) bars. You can order 1, 3, 5, 8, 12 or 24 bars on this page.

Does Banana African Black Soap contain fruit?

It contains no banana or banana peel, and no fruit fragrance. It does include baobab fruit pulp among its plant ingredients, and banana is only the name on the bar's label. The full ingredient list is on the product page.

How do I tell this black soap is real?

Look at how it is made and how it looks. This bar is made by hand by women artisans at the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre in Wa, Ghana. Shea butter and palm kernel oil are cooked with potash from the ash of cocoa pods and plantain peels. It is dark brown to near-black (the shade varies from batch to batch), softer than commercial soap, a little crumbly, and mildly earthy with no added fragrance.

Is it made in Ghana, and who makes it?

Yes. Banana African Black Soap is made by hand by women artisans at the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre in Wa, Ghana, using a traditional West African recipe. Your purchase supports their fair trade work. Choose from 1 bar up to 24 bars on this page.

How big is the bar?

Each bar weighs 4.6 oz (130 g). You can order 1, 3, 5, 8, 12 or 24 bars, so larger packs suit households or anyone who wants a steady supply.

Is it tested?

Yes. It is tested periodically by the Ghana Standards Authority in ISO-accredited laboratories. Product specifications and our latest Ghana Standards Authority test summary are available on request.