I love finding new cleansers as I believe that they make a huge contribution to the skin’s texture and proneness to breakouts, rosacea and the like. A good cleanser is a treatment in its own right. My latest discovery is Sky Botanicals African Black Soap Brightening Cleanser ($16.19) and it does all that a good cleanser should at a reasonable price.
Although Skye’s cleanser made on Martha’s Vineyard by a third generation herbalist, African black soap really does hail from West Africa. In Ghana, it is called alata soap and in Nigeria it is known more evocatively as ose dudu. There are numerous variations on the basic recipe. For example, some require all the ingredients to be roasted, while others (and this is the version Skye seems to have followed) roast only the plantain. Either way, the amount of roasting gives the soap its black color. Or, in the case of Skye’s, a dark brown.
Plantains are a very good source of vitamins A and C and they have a reputation for soothing irritated skin and even combating acne. Cocoa, the signature ingredient in the new Amala range, is a natural sunscreen and wrinkle reducer. Shea also absorbs UV light and is a ‘natural moisturizing factor’. As an NMF, it helps keep the intercellular structure of the epidermis intact, and effectively keeps bacteria out, facilitates the skin’s healing process, prevents dermal irritation and regenerates the skin.
With a zesty perfume of lemon peel, this is a lovely cleanser for skin of all ages. Those prone to breakouts or with dry, sensitive skin will find it especially soothing.
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Ingredients
Shea butter and shea bark, palm butter, cocoa butter, cocoa pods, roasted plantain skins and leaves, vegetable glycerin, lemon peel extract, lemongrass essential oil, seaweed extract.
(3 votes, average: 8.33 out of 10)
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I LOVE this cleanser. It feels so fresh, a little goes a long way and I KNOW all the ingredients are great for my skin and that there are positively no additives or unnatural substances.It goes on smooth and feels silky.
Yeah for Skye Botanicals – Her other products are awesome as well
Skye’s african black soap is wonderfully fragrant as well as fantastic on the skin. I use it as a facial cleanser daily, followed with her mositurizer, as well as for full body scrubs once a week. It leaves my whole body feeling clean and refreshed. Its also my favourite item to give as a gift to friends. It feels good to know I’m sharing something so pure that’s good for people and the environment.
I am a total fan. Not only is the product the best cleanser I have ever tried, working miracles on my pimple-prone skin, but the service from Skye Botanicals is fantastic. I ordered from http://www.skyebotanicals.com and without even asking I also got a couple of mini free samples, one of which was the chamomile facial creme which I also really loved – light on the skin and wonderful, soothing fragrance. Can’t recommend this brand highly enough.
This product is recommended for oily prone skin and i tend to have normal to dry skin. Does anyone find this beneficial for this type of skin or have you tried the Chammomile cleanser recommended for drier skin types?