There’s a soap on my stall that always start a conversation. Dark, rustic-looking. Nothing like the pretty bars lined up next to it.
This is Ose Dudu Africa black soap.
A recipe passed down through generations of women.
Ose Dudu -“black soap” came from the Yoruba people of West Africa. In Ghana it’s called Alana Samina “the pepper traders soap”. Named for the Yoruba women who traded pepper across the region and shared their recipe.
This soup travelled across West Africa in the hands of women traders, centuries before reaching the western world. Every bar sold carries that history.
How it’s made
Plantain skins, cocoa pods, palm leaves and Shea bark are sun-dried then roasted down to ash. That ash is mixed with water and natural oils - palm oil, shea butter, coconut oil - and hand stirred for hours, sometimes up to a full day. Then the soap is left to cure.
No chemicals, no preservatives. Just plant ash, oils and patience.
Black soap is a natural exfoliant - it cleanses deep and leaves skin feeling truly clean, not stripped. Generations of West African families have trusted it for clear, glowing skin and the rest of the world is catching on.
As the colder months roll in and the air starts to dry our skin, a gentle natural cleanser like this is exactly what your skincare routine needs.
How to use it
A little goes a long way. Lather a small piece with water, wash as normal, rinse well, and always follow with a moisturizer. Shea butter work well with black soap. Between uses, keep your bar somewhere dry so it last longer.
Find it at my booth
I carry black soap at the Orlando outdoor market on most Saturdays, alongside Shea butters, teas, coffees and bakes. Can’t make it to the market? Meet and pick up is available in the West Colonial Drive area. Just DM me to order.
Stay
Natural, Healthy & Wholesome🌸
Geraldine
Exotic Indulgence Wellness