Shea Moisture African Black Soap Review

I'm a big fan of African Black soap. Of course, this is not the true soap. It looks completely different. It's basically Shea Moisture's own take on it. Or Nubian Heritage. Because the one from Nubian Heritage is basically the same. Same texture, color, very similar (if not the same scent.) I can't figure out why, if they are two different companies. Supposedly. Anyway, on with the review.

Shea Moisture claims:

ur soothing body bar soap is specially formulated with organic Shea Butter, Oats and Aloe to cleanse, moisturize and comfort irritated skin while absorbing excess oil. African Black Soap, an honored beauty secret, made from palm ash, tamarind extract, tar and plantain peel, helps to calm and clear blemishes and troubled skin. Leaves skin soft and refreshed. Perfect for helping relieve symptoms of eczema or psoriasis.

Oats - help soothe irritated skin while absorbing excess oil. Aloe - moisturizes and calms dry, sensitive skin. Vitamin E - a powerful antioxidant highly effective in protecting skin from free radical damage.

It can look quite intimidating. Most soaps are not black. But I really like the color. It leaves little gray suds but they are easy to rinse away, I would just be careful using it with a light colored washcloth. As for scent, it smells like a mixture of pears, swedish fish (a candy!), and bubblegum. If you love the scent of Lush's Rockstar soap you might like this. I'm not a big fan of it on my body...but it's not offensive. I just prefer other scents in the shower.

It lathers decently. But it has a "gummy" sort of lather that feels different from most other soaps. It isn't too drying but it also isn't moisturizing. It gets the job done, and you are definitely super clean after using this soap.

I've tried this soap a couple times on my face- and I love it for that! It leaves my face clean, soft, and smooth. And for some reason, I'm not a big fan of the scent as a body wash but when I use it on my face I LOVE it. I know that sounds a bit strange. I do need to make sure to get a moisturizer on my skin within ten minutes of washing my face because my chin area is a bit dry with this. But even so, I still love it on my face. I'll probably end up buying another down the road exclusively for my face.

Also, I had a strange reaction on my face from some other stuff I used, and this started to clear it after the first time using it on my face!

The ingredients are natural. And exactly the same as the Nubian Heritage soap I had. I think you would be fine whichever one you choose. 

Ingredients:

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

It is cruelty free, which is great for those that prefer it in a beauty product.

Overall, it's not a bad product. I love it as a face wash and it's ok as a body soap.


UPDATE- Leaves me with horrible dry patches after prolonged use......Seems to be a recurring problem with their soaps.