Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I actually purchased this soap from my local Target after reading a lot about using African Black Soap to combat acne problems. I saw many brands here on Amazon but was anxious to just try SOMETHING. So after a trip to Target, I picked up this bar for $4.99 after reading generally positive reviews despite this brand not necessarily being as "authentic" as far as black soap goes. While it's only been just over a week, there's a few things I really wanted to take time to address after reading a lot of other reviews! 1. Smell: I love it, sister hates it. It is all preference. It smells natural, somewhat fruity/maybe light banana-ish, and natural. It is not over bearing or irritating and trust me I'm sensitive. 2. Staining: I keep mine in a ceramic soap dish and have no issues. It lathers very well so I have not had issues with it staining any wash cloths as I work up a lather in my hands and use from there. It has a dark grey lather and it can drip but it's nothing a quick rinse with your shower head or sink faucet can't take care of. My dish isn't ventilated but I do try to keep it dry so the bottom of the soap doesn't get gross/gummy after it sits out after use. 3. Skin Dryness: I actually went for this bar first because of all the complaints I read about dry skin from more "authentic" and concentrated black soaps (I think Dudu-Osun is what I looked at primarily). I have combination skin--oily from my Italian side and super dry from my fair mother's super Irish/Scottish/redhead side. This was definitely a concern for me because lately my skin is constantly dry after using medicated acne cleansers and products which only results in deeper cystic breakouts for me. I've truly been trying to take a more natural approach to my skin care regimen after struggling for the last few years with my acne (I'm 23 now). I figured this couldn't cause any more drying than benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, and I was right. I honestly haven't experienced excessive drying since using this soap and I use it twice a day on my face and once all over when I shower to aid with the occasional bacne breakout. If anything, my skin has been more "normal" now that I've been using it for some time and that's even during the winter where it is constantly windy and dry where I live. It's only been over a week, but so far so good with this aspect. 4. Acne: I've struggled for years. Cystic, hormonal, you name it. Over the past year, I've had constant breakouts on my chin which I've learned can be predominantly hormonal but it's nevertheless frustrating and embarrassing. However even in the short timeframe in which I've used this soap, I've noticed my pores look clearer and I haven't had any deep cysts form or clusters of stubborn pimples. Blackheads will always be stubborn but I think they do appear less prominent in the nose area. I'm looking into charcoal masks and the like to see if that helps and do have an Alba Acnedote face and body scrub that I use for this purpose. 5.Other Products: I use the Cetaphil moisturizer for acne prone skin that is also spf 30. I've actually required less now that I've turned away from heavily medicated products. I do use a benzoyl peroxide 10% gel for spot checking still but I haven't had any major new outbreaks. As aforementioned, I do use the Alba Acnedote scrub and that is also a recent investment as well. It is medicated, but not nearly as much as other products I was using and I do believe that is helping my skin in conjunction with this soap. However I am focusing my attention to this soap right now to see if it helps with my acne. I know this was long but hopefully of some help to anybody else struggling with moderate acne. I do hope to update after I've used this for some time. It's worth a shot, especially if you can pick it up at a local store for a few bucks less. It's a huge bar of soap and will definitely last a while!