African Black Soap from Ghana

[navigator9]

I have a friend at work who is from Ghana. A while back, his daughters, who are still in school there, came to visit, and he asked them to bring me some shea butter. It was such a nice surprise. Well, he picked them up at JFK on Christmas eve for a holiday visit, and when he came to work, he had another gift for me....some African Black Soap!

Of course, being a soapmaker, I'd heard of it, but I had never tried any. The soap he gave me comes in a jar labeled, "African Fresh Alata Samina." Not black at all, more of a dark, golden color. Since receiving the soap, I've done some research, and learned that the color of the African Black Soap depends on how long the plantain skins are roasted....the darker they get, the darker the soap.

It's a rather stiff paste, and I scraped some out with my finger and headed for the sink. Let me tell you, this stuff made tons of lather, big fluffy bubbles and fine, creamy ones. It felt sooooo nice on my hands, and afterwards my skin didn't feel dry at all. The list of ingredients are, "alata soap, honey, aqua, glycerine, perfume". The front of the jar says, "lemon fragrance". I can't say that I smell any lemon, it just smells clean. This is some very nice soap, I'm thankful my friend is so thoughtful and generous.

I decided to do some research on what's involved in making the soap from scratch, and it sounds pretty daunting. While I probably won't try to make it from scratch, it's fascinating to know the process involved in making it. This will give you an idea. http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Black-Soap

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

((said like a New York Mobster)) Well, if it contains alata soap, you're gonna have alata bubbles, am I right or am I right?

 

[MarisaJensen]

I have a love for real african black soap. The feel, the lather, the way it makes my skin feel. I have a deep appreciation to the makers of it, it seems quite labor intensive. Mine is just a little darker than yours it's malleable and has a slight nutty smell. You have a good friend Navigator.

 

[Pepsi Girl]

How wonderful to recieve so nice gift.
I looked at your link and it looks like it could be fun to try, but if I loved the soap that could cause a problem.
I have heard of plantain but living in rural America I doubt it could find any. Is it sold here in the states?

 

[JustBeachy]

How wonderful to recieve so nice gift.
I looked at your link and it looks like it could be fun to try, but if I loved the soap that could cause a problem.
I have heard of plantain but living in rural America I doubt it could find any. Is it sold here in the states?

We have them in the Grocery stores. But South Texas gets a lot of the tropical fruits.

Black soap looks like it would be an interesting soap to make.

 

[navigator9]

((said like a New York Mobster)) Well, if it contains alata soap, you're gonna have alata bubbles, am I right or am I right?

You're so right, lol...........alata bubbles!

 

[navigator9]

How wonderful to recieve so nice gift.
I looked at your link and it looks like it could be fun to try, but if I loved the soap that could cause a problem.
I have heard of plantain but living in rural America I doubt it could find any. Is it sold here in the states?

Plantains are not at all difficult to find here in the northeast, but where you are, maybe not so much. If you visit a larger city, you would probably find them.

 

[navigator9]

I have a love for real african black soap. The feel, the lather, the way it makes my skin feel. I have a deep appreciation to the makers of it, it seems quite labor intensive. Mine is just a little darker than yours it's malleable and has a slight nutty smell. You have a good friend Navigator.

Yes, he is a very good friend! I had never tried black soap before, and I was quite surprised at how really nice it is. And labor intensive....wow, it certainly is. The thing that fascinates me is that as a soapmaker, I'm really dependent on soapcalc or my soapmaking software for a precise recipe. The idea of making soap the way this black soap is made really seems more like alchemy. I would love to visit Ghana and see how it is made there. How exciting would that be?

 

[MarisaJensen]

Yes, he is a very good friend! I had never tried black soap before, and I was quite surprised at how really nice it is. And labor intensive....wow, it certainly is. The thing that fascinates me is that as a soapmaker, I'm really dependent on soapcalc or my soapmaking software for a precise recipe. The idea of making soap the way this black soap is made really seems more like alchemy. I would love to visit Ghana and see how it is made there. How exciting would that be?

Sign me up! That would be an experience of a lifetime for me. I can't even begin to try to create this kind of soap on soapcalc. It's not hard yet not runny it's the perfect consistency one most wouldn't think would work for soap. It's magical.

 

[Pepsi Girl]

Yes, he is a very good friend! I had never tried black soap before, and I was quite surprised at how really nice it is. And labor intensive....wow, it certainly is. The thing that fascinates me is that as a soapmaker, I'm really dependent on soapcalc or my soapmaking software for a precise recipe. The idea of making soap the way this black soap is made really seems more like alchemy. I would love to visit Ghana and see how it is made there. How exciting would that be?

Good you go to Ghana and check it out, then I'll come to New England and you can teach me! "Deal?"

 

[navigator9]

Good you go to Ghana and check it out, then I'll come to New England and you can teach me! "Deal?"

If I ever make it to Ghana and learn how to make the soap, you've got a deal!!!

 

[CaraBou]

Great gifts, so cool! I have never used African black soap, but in some ways it is responsible for me finally getting in to soap making. I visited a friend, who had a dark, rustic bar displayed in her bathroom. Being pretty naive to handmade soap, I asked my friend if she made it. She told me what it was, and that a friend had brought it to her from Africa. I thought it was the coolest thing, and I wondered why I hadn't made my own soap yet like I had been meaning to for a long time. A couple weeks later, I bought a book and made my first batch. Much later I looked up ABS and realized just how special it was. I would be elated if I had received this gift, so I'm super happy for you, navigator!

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

If I ever make it to Ghana and learn how to make the soap, you've got a deal!!!

((Same mobster voice as before))

You Ghana go to all dat trouble? Man oh man, but that soap must have alata bubbles if you're Ghana do so much to make a batch. Am I right or am I right?

 

[navigator9]

Great gifts, so cool! I have never used African black soap, but in some ways it is responsible for me finally getting in to soap making. I visited a friend, who had a dark, rustic bar displayed in her bathroom. Being pretty naive to handmade soap, I asked my friend if she made it. She told me what it was, and that a friend had brought it to her from Africa. I thought it was the coolest thing, and I wondered why I hadn't made my own soap yet like I had been meaning to for a long time. A couple weeks later, I bought a book and made my first batch. Much later I looked up ABS and realized just how special it was. I would be elated if I had received this gift, so I'm super happy for you, navigator!

What a cool story! This soap really is special enough to be inspirational. And not only is it special because of the interesting way that it's made, but......it's really nice soap! It's not always the case that legends live up to their hype, but in this case it's so.

 

[navigator9]

((Same mobster voice as before))

You Ghana go to all dat trouble? Man oh man, but that soap must have alata bubbles if you're Ghana do so much to make a batch. Am I right or am I right?