It is an everyday cleanser for face and body. Black soap is traditionally used in Ghana to wash both skin and hair, and many people use Aloe Calm 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.

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.

Real African black soap is made by hand from plant ash and oils, not from a commercial soap base with colour added. Baraka’s bars are cooked by hand by the women of the Konjeihi Women’s Enterprise Centre in Ghana, with traditional potash made from the ash of cocoa pods and plantain peels. That is why every bar looks a little different: the colour runs from dark brown to near-black, and the texture is soft, slightly uneven and naturally a little crumbly.

Our products are tested periodically by the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Ghana’s national standards body and a member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Testing is carried out in GSA laboratories accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, using internationally recognised ISO and CEN test methods, against the Ghana Standard for each product. Product specifications and our latest Ghana Standards Authority test summary are available on request.

Learn more in How Traditional African Black Soap Is Made and Real vs Fake African Black Soap.

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.

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

Q: How is it different from the other Baraka black soaps?
A: Every Baraka black soap is made from the same traditional ingredients by the same women artisans. The names reflect cultural and botanical traditions, not different formulas, so choose the bar whose name and format you like. As Baraka puts it: an ancestral recipe, expressed through many traditions.

Q: How do I tell this black soap is real?
A: Real African black soap is cooked by hand from plant ash and oils, so each bar varies a little in colour and texture and is naturally soft. A perfectly smooth, uniform, jet-black bar is usually factory-made. See Real vs Fake African Black Soap.

Q: Can African black soap go bad?
A: Kept dry, it keeps for 2+ years. Store it in a cool, dry place and keep the bar you are using on a draining soap dish.

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.

Q: Has this soap changed its name?
A: Yes. Aloe Calm African Black Soap was sold as Aloe Vera Black Soap until October 2026, when the bars got new labels. The soap, its traditional recipe and the women who make it are the same; only the name has changed.

Where can I buy aloe vera black soap?

Right here at barakasheabutter.com. Aloe Calm African Black Soap is traditional African black soap made with shea butter and aloe vera leaf powder, cooked by hand by women at the Konjeihi Women’s Enterprise Centre in Ghana. We ship across the US and Canada.

Is there African black soap with shea butter and aloe vera?

Yes. Every Baraka black soap bar is made with shea butter and contains aloe vera leaf powder; this bar is named for the aloe.

Is it made in Ghana, and who makes it?

Yes. It is made by hand by women at the Konjeihi Women’s Enterprise Centre in Wa, Ghana, using the traditional method.

Which pack size should I choose?

Start with 1 or 3 bars if you are new to black soap. Larger packs of 5, 8, 12 or 24 bars suit families, gifts and anyone who wants a steady supply. Baraka’s other bars are made from the same traditional recipe: Classic, Hard, Mango, Banana, Fruit Blend and Turmeric & Honey.

Every order supports the women of the Konjeihi Women’s Enterprise Centre. See how in our Impact Report.