About a year ago I put up a post asking for advice for people with oily skin. One of the fine gentlemen here suggested I check out African Black Soap, so I did. And this being Badger and Blade, and me being the obsessive that I am, of course I had to try just about every African Black Soap on the market. 
So here's a round-up of everything I tried, and my impressions of each.
I used each soap as both body soap and shampoo for at least a month. I'll rate their performance for each on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best. Scent is such a subjective thing that I won't try to rate it, but I will do my best to describe it.
Nubian Heritage: Skin: 4 Hair: 4
This was the first soap I tried, and inthe end it still ranked at number 2 on my list. It has a lightscent that remindedme of fresh figs. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this one toanyone. Incidently, the same company makes Shea Moisture black Soap. I didn't try the latter, but it wouldn't surprise me if Nubian Heritage is thesame product, but at half the cost.
Alaffia Authentic Black Soap Skin: (liquid soap) 3 Hair: 5
As with all the liquid soaps I tried, it didn't lather very well, even with a scrubbie, (or a more manly "detailing tool"
), so it took a LOT of product to feel that I had really gotten clean. However, it left my hair softer than any of them. I tried the citrus variety,which smelled like lemon Pledge. They also have a mint version. I would recommend this one as a shampoo, but probably not as a bodywash, unless you have very dry skin.
Dr. Woods Pure Black Soap: (liquidsoap) Skin: 2 Hair: 2
This was the only one I didn't use more than a few times. It wouldn't lather, left me feeling greasy, and the scent ...BLECH! It made my stomach churn. Very heavy incense and sandalwood smell. (Of course, I hate sandalwood, so many of you may have a very different reaction to this one.)
Dr. Woods Naturally Black Soap: (barsoap) Skin:3 Hair:3
Honestly, this one didn't stand out one way or another. Of all of them, I believe this had the least actual black soap in it, as it was kind of a cafe-au-lait color. It smelled of patchouli, which I neither love nor hate, though I realize it can be a polarizing scent.
DuDu Osun: Skin: 5 Hair: 3
I admit, I put off trying this one fora long time, given that its name and appearance brought to mind things I didn't want to smear all over my body. But finally I did try it, and this is where my experimenting ended. This stuff has cleared up my skin like no other product I've tried. When I use DuDu Osun regularly my skin is much less oily, and less prone to acne, and any zits that do pop up clear away twice as fast as usual. Plus, I love the scent. It's probably the closest to a commercial soap scent, similar, perhaps, to Dove Pure and Sensitive, but with a spicy undertone. On the downside, I do find it leaves my hair a little too dry. It's worth it.
In summary, My number one choice for oily, acne-prone skin is DuDu Osun. It's very reasonably priced, and it has done wonders for my skin. For people with dry skin, or scent sensitivities, I would recommend Nubian Heritage as a close runner-up.
So here's a round-up of everything I tried, and my impressions of each.I used each soap as both body soap and shampoo for at least a month. I'll rate their performance for each on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best. Scent is such a subjective thing that I won't try to rate it, but I will do my best to describe it.
Nubian Heritage: Skin: 4 Hair: 4
This was the first soap I tried, and inthe end it still ranked at number 2 on my list. It has a lightscent that remindedme of fresh figs. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this one toanyone. Incidently, the same company makes Shea Moisture black Soap. I didn't try the latter, but it wouldn't surprise me if Nubian Heritage is thesame product, but at half the cost.
Alaffia Authentic Black Soap Skin: (liquid soap) 3 Hair: 5
As with all the liquid soaps I tried, it didn't lather very well, even with a scrubbie, (or a more manly "detailing tool"
), so it took a LOT of product to feel that I had really gotten clean. However, it left my hair softer than any of them. I tried the citrus variety,which smelled like lemon Pledge. They also have a mint version. I would recommend this one as a shampoo, but probably not as a bodywash, unless you have very dry skin.Dr. Woods Pure Black Soap: (liquidsoap) Skin: 2 Hair: 2
This was the only one I didn't use more than a few times. It wouldn't lather, left me feeling greasy, and the scent ...BLECH! It made my stomach churn. Very heavy incense and sandalwood smell. (Of course, I hate sandalwood, so many of you may have a very different reaction to this one.)
Dr. Woods Naturally Black Soap: (barsoap) Skin:3 Hair:3
Honestly, this one didn't stand out one way or another. Of all of them, I believe this had the least actual black soap in it, as it was kind of a cafe-au-lait color. It smelled of patchouli, which I neither love nor hate, though I realize it can be a polarizing scent.
DuDu Osun: Skin: 5 Hair: 3
I admit, I put off trying this one fora long time, given that its name and appearance brought to mind things I didn't want to smear all over my body. But finally I did try it, and this is where my experimenting ended. This stuff has cleared up my skin like no other product I've tried. When I use DuDu Osun regularly my skin is much less oily, and less prone to acne, and any zits that do pop up clear away twice as fast as usual. Plus, I love the scent. It's probably the closest to a commercial soap scent, similar, perhaps, to Dove Pure and Sensitive, but with a spicy undertone. On the downside, I do find it leaves my hair a little too dry. It's worth it.
In summary, My number one choice for oily, acne-prone skin is DuDu Osun. It's very reasonably priced, and it has done wonders for my skin. For people with dry skin, or scent sensitivities, I would recommend Nubian Heritage as a close runner-up.
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and it produced a lather. I haven't tried any of the brands you refer to, so mine is just a personal observation. I get my Black Soap in South Africa from "Asili best skin care products", if you're interested.
