How Long Does It Take for Black Soap to Clear Skin?

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Natural treatments for acne and other skin issues have grown in popularity and show no signs of slowing. One treatment that many swear by is African black soap.

One of the top questions people want to know is the time it takes for a treatment to work on acne, scarring, and other skin issues.

How long does it take for black soap to clear the skin? By using black soap once or twice a day, you can clear your skin in 1 to 3 weeks.

The time it takes depends, of course, on the degree of severity of your acne or other skin issues you may have. It may not clear your skin fully but can help minimize and prevent acne.

My dermatologist wife decided to ask three of her most regular patients, each having a varying degree of acne, to try African black soap for a period of time and to make notes of the results.

It’s not a professional, scientific study but gives some insight into the effectiveness of the soap. Each patient followed a slightly different routine and took their own notes to document their experience.

The below soaps were used by my wife’s patients to find success with their skin. The below black soaps are some of the best black soaps, if not the best soaps on the market.

Read on to see the experience of those who tried this soap and how long it took to clear their skin, if at all.

Also, for an excellent black soap to clear your skin, take a look at our top pick, the Our Earth’s Secret:

Click here to see it on Amazon.

Patient #1 Result: Clearing after Day 10

My wife first told me of one young girl who came to see her for help with her acne every couple of months. Her acne was not that bad. She had sprinkles of pimples on her cheeks but was able to successfully heal her acne from time to time before it came back.

She mentioned her routine included the following:

  • Gently scrub the face with the African black soap each morning, upon waking, and at night, before bed.
  • Do not use any other facial cleanser while using the soap so as to not have an unwanted chemical reaction which could affect the results.
  • After washing, gently pat dry the skin and then use an effective moisturizer on your face after each wash to deal with the dryness.
  • Drink plenty of water and following her same diet.

By following this routine, the girl started to see results in only about 5 to 7 days. She said by the 2-week mark, with the exception of some tiny and faint dots, her skin had cleared.

She advised anyone using black soap to use it for at least 2 weeks to start seeing an improvement. She said if there is no sign of improvement after 2 weeks, stop and try a different treatment.

She said she experienced some dry skin and sensitive skin as a result of using the black soap, especially on her first day. After the first week, she said her skin was fairly rough. At about the 10-day mark, her pimple heads started to dry off and clear.

She said she uses black soap about three times a week now to help her maintain her clear skin and keep any acne at bay.

Patient #2 Result: Signs of Improvement after 3 Weeks. “Best She’s Seen”

Patient #2 had far more severe acne and acne scarring than patient #1. She was a bit older and told my wife that she had tried several different treatments with no success.

She said most of what she had tried had been cheap, chemical-based products that she felt were marketed to her under false advertising.

She then started using the African black soap, the first natural treatment she had used for a while. The soap she used, like normal, had all-natural ingredients, including shea butter and coconut oil blended in.

My wife advised her to make sure not to use any other cleansing product during the study to test the effectiveness of the black soap.

Patient #2’s routine included:

  • Use raw African black soap every morning after waking, and every night before bed. Although she said some nights she just used water.
  • After washing and drying, she applied Cetaphil moisturizer on her face.
  • She also said she continued drinking plenty of water and following her same diet.

She said she was very surprised to see in only about 3 weeks; her skin started to show signs of improvement.

She said that throughout her experiment, she had some breakouts and a lot of redness on certain parts. At the 2-week mark of using the soap, her skin stopped becoming inflamed, which was a very good sign. The skin under her eyes and all around her nose also were the best she’s seen in years, she said.

Patient #3 Result: Possibly Helped, But Did Not Fully Clear His Acne

Patient #3 was a young man who battled with acne all through college. He sought help from my wife when he was experiencing some of the worst breakouts he’s ever had on all areas of his face.

He was at his wit’s end but found some relief in the tea tree oil he was using, saying it was starting to heal it a bit. For this African black soap experiment, he put the tea tree oil on pause to test the effectiveness of only the soap.

Patient #3’s routine included:

  • Use raw African black soap every night before bed.
  • After washing and drying, apply a moisturizer such as shea butter, coconut oil or jojoba oil.
  • He also confirmed that he drank plenty of water and following her same diet.

He had more oily skin and was excited to try the soap as it is recommended for dry or oily skin. For a while, he only used soaps that were for dry skin or sensitive skin.

He said he tried different types of African black soaps from Amazon, including one with Shea butter or coconut oil mixed in, which he said he liked. The combination of black soap with shea butter (or coconut oil) felt great for his dry and oily combination skin, he said.

He said it wasn’t the most pleasant smell but was tolerable. He rolled it into a ball and lathered it up, avoiding sensitive areas like near his eyes; otherwise, it would sting.

By day nine, he said he spotted some fresh new pimples and some stubborn pimples that would not go away. He also could see the leftover scarring from past breakouts.

My wife advised him that some see it getting worse before it gets better, as all the bacteria and toxins rise from the pores to the surface to be eliminated. So he did not give up hope. If you have sensitive skin or dry skin, you can use black soap to see results over time.

By day eleven, he noted that he couldn’t tell if the African black soap worked for his acne or not. The blemishes that came up in the last two days were successfully flattening out and draining, but the redness was still there.

It was the middle of summer with 90-degree weather, and wondered if this was also keeping his face oily through the day.

By the 15th day, he said that despite the weather was cooling, he wasn’t sure if the African black soap was doing much for his acne. He still had very oily skin throughout both the day and night.

He said his skin did look a bit different with some faded blemishes but wasn’t as happy as he thought from the results.

He was glad he didn’t get any big breakouts but was hoping for it to fully clear. He stopped using the black soap after about 3 weeks. Last my wife spoke with him, his skin has improved, and he’s glad he didn’t have to use chemical products with side effects such as Accutane.

One of the big reasons why black soap causes acne is if people leave it on their skin for too long. Black soap does not cause acne; it clears oil from the skin, which prevents acne.

But if you leave it on your skin for too long, it will irritate it and cause breakouts. I describe in a post how the soap made my face burn when I first used it, and my solution was to not leave it on for so long.

Patient #4 Result: Cleared after a Week. Gets Some Breakouts but Manages Them

Patient #4 was a woman who had a mild form of acne around her chin and forehead. She had tried natural treatments before but never African black soap. When my wife mentioned it to her, she jumped on it as she loved anything natural. She ordered a giant chunk of black soap and started using it daily when she received it.

Patient #4’s routine included:

  • Use the black soap every morning and night.
  • Mix with different essential oils to test the effectiveness of each.
  • Use a moisturizer after to prevent the skin from drying out.
  • Drink plenty of water and follow the same diet.

After using it for about a week, patient #4 said she noticed her skin was much softer, and her pimples and other spots started to fade. She said she was happy with how effective the soap was at being a natural makeup remover.

She said her makeup came off with ease and left her with a squeaky-clean feeling with little to no residue left over.

She said she broke smaller chunks of the black soap off and left it in hot water so it would melt into liquid soap. Then, she mixed into this liquid soap some essential oils such as orange, lavender, and peppermint separately so as to experiment with each.

She said the lavender oil was her favorite due to the smell, and she believed it worked faster at clearing her skin, leaving it free of blemishes.

She said her acne cleared in only about a week, which she was ecstatic about. She uses it every day now. She visits my wife for recommendations and advice about twice a year.

She has noted sometimes she gets small breakouts but believes the breakouts would be much worse if she didn’t use the black soap on a regular basis.

Final Thoughts

So to revisit our initial question: How long for black soap to clear skin? The results vary, with some seeing their skin clear in just a week or 2 weeks, where it took another longer or not at all. When starting any new treatment, remember to be patient and consistent.

Black soap can take time to see results. These were only the experiences of four people. You could be very different from them. I recommend using African black soap for at least 3 to 4 weeks to see results.

It is also important to buy only authentic, raw African black soap. Many “black soaps” made in the USA or Europe have artificial chemicals in them and simply won’t give the same results as the real stuff. Also, try an African black soap that is labeled to include shea butter.

Shea butter is one of the ingredients often found in real African black soap and helps to replenish the skin and helps to block harmful UV rays, acting as a natural sunscreen. In West Africa, black soap and shea butter are often paired.

I also advise testing including essential oils such as lavender oil into liquid African black soap. You can combine these ingredients with African black soap to make your own African black soap shampoo recipe. And after cleansing with the African black soap (and shea butter), gently pat dry, and then use a good quality moisturizer to prevent your skin from drying out.

African black soap has a number of antioxidants; also vitamins A and E. Black soap has been a treatment for many people for thousands of years and is well-known to heal a wide array of skin problems, including acne, psoriasis, and eczema.

Black soap also helps to tone the skin, smoothes out the texture, and hydrates rough or dry skin (or sensitive skin). Use it on other parts of your body, not just your face, to see benefits there too.

With consistency and patience, you should see results from African black soap. African Black soap is used for healing many skin issues, including clearing the skin, and you should see results after regular use.

If for some reason you do not, don’t get discouraged as there are many other natural treatments available. It may not clear all your acne if you’ve been battling with it for a while, but many have found an improvement, and I really hope you do too.

The soap I recommend to clients and love using myself is Our Earth’s Secret. We’re not sponsored by this company; we’re just big fans of their soap.

Click here to see it on Amazon.

Those who use it say it has greatly cleared up blemishes and acne. It is organic, all-natural, and has great ingredients, including shea butter. The company is charitable as well.

Related Questions

Does African black soap lighten skin? The black ash found in African black soap improves the texture of the skin and can lighten it. It is not made specifically for skin-lightening, but many who use the soap notice how it evens everything out, giving it an overall lighter appearance.

Does African black soap cause breakouts? African black soap prevents breakouts by clearing oils from the skin. Acne is caused by glands in the skin that produce too much oil. Because black soap is known for clearing oils from the skin, it will prevent breakouts.

Does African black soap clear acne scars? Black soap helps clear old acne scars, tones the skin, and improves its overall texture. It also moisturizes the skin, keeping it hydrated. And with consistent use over time, it will also help clear scarring.