African Black Soap

[not_ally]

Trix, I am really glad you are here meandering about your experiences in Africa! I do it, too (about other things) and sometimes wonder if people just want me to shut up. But I like the meandering when others do it, so meander on, I say! I am kind of freakish, but when I read your posts in the future I will remember what you said here, and they will mean more to me.

 

[commoncenz]

Thank you all for the wonderful compliments on my kids. They may look like angels, but looks can be deceiving. In reality, they are smart(alecks), Wise(a**es) and good (when sitting still). But they are mine and I love them fiercely.

As for meandering. It's a good thing that we meander. If we kept it all technical, some of us would fall asleep. Kinda like sitting in a library reading an old text book.

 

[not_ally]

I suspect I would love them fiercely, too, from everything you have said. They seem v. lovable, I think you got an especially good batch

 

[Saponista]

Commoncenz's kids and not_ally's sisters kids pics were the best part of this thread. I tried to watch nutt job's video and I only made it past all the stupid adds. Then she started speaking and I could bear it no longer. I was reading some reviews of African black soap on a seller's site and several people had said when they put it on their face when they first got it, it burned and a few weeks later it seemed fine. That really concerned me that they were selling uncured soap.

 

[not_ally]

Thanks, Sap, Livi would be preening now. "I am beautiful, I know, but do you think I look better in the fairy princess outfit or the pirate one? I think the pirate one is moe convincing. You had better agree."

Nut-job is right, that woman is intolerable. ABS is one of those things that seems to have a momentum of its own from the back-to-earth-movement. Which is all well and good, but one of the wonderful things about living in a big wide world where you don't have to use things that you can find w/in a few miles is that we have a lot of choice. I am grateful for that.

 

[vmakkers]

N_A, not to worry about the race issue. Personally, in my gene/dna pool I have African, Native American and Caucasian. Made for an interesting development when I had children with my ex-wife (Caucasian) as my oldest looks "bi-racial", his sister looks Caucasian and the youngest of the three looks "latino".

True story: When the younger son was about 5 he was acting up in a store. I stopped to chastise him and noticed a latino lady looking at me funny. Eventually she couldn't contain herself anymore and came running over to ask me what made me think I had the right to "discipline someone else's child". She then began asking my son where his family was (in Spanish, which I "somewhat" understand). My son looks at her and says "I'm sorry, I don't understand you", looks at me and says "Dad, can we go now?"

The lady's husband came up and says "see, I told you. That's his son. He looks just like him. Always butting into other people's business". He then took her by the arm and "maneuvered" her out of my way.

My son and I laugh about that to this day and for the longest time, we called him "Chico".

And since no story is complete without a pic ... Me, my daughter and younger son.

I've had multiple occasions where that used to happen to me when I was with my dad. I'm full chinese but my dad always worked outside so he was super dark. I remember in 1st grade, I was waiting for my dad to pick me up from school and was sitting on the bench with all the other kids. My dad shows up and someone goes "Who's dad is that? There's no Mexican kids here." I quietly raised my hand.

Another time I was getting my hair cut at an Asian salon, and my dad comes in to use the bathroom....he usually always waited in the car. He spoke to the ladies in Chinese and when he went to the bathroom they all start saying "Wow, the Mexican guy knows Chinese."

I'm the lightest, shortest, and pudgiest out of my siblings so we just started calling me the milk man's baby. I'm like the odd man out in the nicely tanned Chinese family. I just tell them that if we were in China, they would kill for my fair skin.

BTW, your kids are gorgeous!

 

[PrairieLights]

Lol when i was ina certain African country as a kid, there were street vendors all over frying them, and adding a type of fish to them i thought it was amazing....too bad i neverbreally knew what i was eating so no recipe. But may give youna starting point to start looking for recipes!

I'd better look for recipes if I make this again. I fried them and they were quite starchy, even with ketchup. #4 ate them though...:shock:

 

[Trix]

I'd better look for recipes if I make this again. I fried them and they were quite starchy, even with ketchup. #4 ate them though...:shock:

Ooh, that doesnt' sound like fun!!!

Anyway I remembered the name of the dish they used to sell "alloco" here is a recipe to try, and lets you know the secret is in the spicy sauce

https://arousingappetites.com/alloco-ivorian-fried-plantains/

 

[TwystedPryncess]

Lol that lady in the video. Are we sure she isn't from where I live? I have to listen to that twang every day. The commercials..... But wow, yes, lots of work to go into that soap. Definitely one to be respected. Loved seeing everyone's babies!

 

[PrairieLights]

Ooh, that doesnt' sound like fun!!!

Anyway I remembered the name of the dish they used to sell "alloco" here is a recipe to try, and lets you know the secret is in the spicy sauce

https://arousingappetites.com/alloco-ivorian-fried-plantains/

Yay! Thanks, Trix! Now I can't wait to try making the black soap again!

I think this time I will use my own recipe... for the soap... since this one seems flaky. I still have to wait until next Tuesday to try it out - along with some friends and family who are willing guinea pigs. But now I have an excuse to try it "my way"! Double fun! Better soap recipe and better plantain recipe! Thanks!

p.s. - it was MESSY to make this recipe. just sayin. that blackened plaintain powder what like using charcoal - a mess. bleh.

 

[Arimara]

Yay! Thanks, Trix! Now I can't wait to try making the black soap again!

I think this time I will use my own recipe... for the soap... since this one seems flaky. I still have to wait until next Tuesday to try it out - along with some friends and family who are willing guinea pigs. But now I have an excuse to try it "my way"! Double fun! Better soap recipe and better plantain recipe! Thanks!

p.s. - it was MESSY to make this recipe. just sayin. that blackened plaintain powder what like using charcoal - a mess. bleh.

I know this is a month old but did you get green plantains? if that was the case, if you fried them for two minutes at most, took them out, smashed each plantain chip and finished frying them, you'd have some tasty plantains.

It's admirable you guys are considering doing all that work, though. I don't have the luxury of space to attempt making ash with plantains but I'd relish the opportunity to fry up some sweet ones anytime.

 

[cmzaha]

I'd better look for recipes if I make this again. I fried them and they were quite starchy, even with ketchup. #4 ate them though...:shock:

I find the outside of the plantain has to be very dark before they are ripe enough to cook and enjoy. They are extremely starchy to almost woody before they are ripe. I love them on the grill yum
LOL, Commoncenz aren't most of our kids evil at times, mine are grown and still are You have a great looking family

 

[PrairieLights]

I think I needed to do one or the other - let them get very ripe or smash and re-fry. I want to try making the soap again after the holidays! So far it is a very hard piece of soap - flaky almost - and is lasting a very long time. My DIL loves it. No one else has raved about it (fam) - and I haven't asked what they did think. It doesn't lather well. It does seem to leave the skin softer than normal... but it isn't getting rid of my wrinkles - dagnabit. ;-)

 

[PrairieLights]

Made the ABS again - but in liquid form, per daughter's newest challenge. The "grit" from the ground (finely) plantains and cocoa nibs are floating in it. We will see in a couple of weeks how it tests out.
Trix - made the plantains RIGHT this time and YEOWZA!!! DELICIOUS!!!
p.s. - for those interested, 2 daughters and 1 son say this is their favorite soap for their faces (the bar). It's worth a try.

 

[PrairieLights]

Going to follow up again, in case anyone in the future wants this for information. (I cannot say "future" anymore without thinking of spongebob.)
The ABS in LS was so thick at first, I had thought I might have to dilute it at week 1 of cure. However, it became so thin!!! By week 4, it is almost as thin as water! Still VERY concentrated, though, which presents a challenge to the users, but they all like it. I do not.
I cannot thicken it, due to my daughter's skin condition. They are all using it just as it is.
I found the thinning interesting........passing on the info........ blessings to all!