[little erin]

Hi all.

I've found interesting suggestions on what soaps people are using in their lightening regimen. I'm not refering to skin lightening soaps, I don't think soap can lighten skin but prepare it for products you apply on your skin. So, a soap (body wash or whatever you prefer) that prepares your skin well/best for your lightening products is what I'm set to discover, if what I'm using isn't it. Like many of you, I've used many soaps, body washes; I change sometimes for no particular reason, sometimes I change for a primary objective.

Recently started using Dudu-Osun Black Soap. I read somewhere, can't recal where, that it is good for the skin. It hasn't lightened my skin but my skin feels very smooth and so clean. Some members are using Likas kojic/papaya soap, for example, to help with their lightening. Would like to try this. At the moment, I'm not using any lightening products. What are you using to clean and or exfoliate your skin, in preparation for your lightening products? Is it working well as part of your lightening regimen?

 

[ondine]

Good question, little erin. The Likas does not contain kojic; just papaya. Could you share ore info about Dudu Osun black soap? Firstly, does it come from an African country? I know that Osun is the Yoruba goddess of beauty & love (like an African Aphrodite) & legends about her abound. What makes the soap black & is it coloured that way for a reason? What else is in it?

 

[Goatie]

The black soap sounds great for all skin types. I would love to try it what is your source??

 

[ondine]

little erin: I checked out this soap online. Apparently it has a pretty good reputation! It comes from Nigeria but, on Amazon, reviews were submitted by people of every conceivable bkgd. I like the fact that it is hand made within the community & NOT using child labour ( a concern in many economies). The list of ingredients makes it sound like a gentle soap for those using harsher stuff like RA & TCL peels. There was no explanation for the black colour,though. Nothing I saw in the ingredients list should cause the soap to be black.

I also ran across another type of soap called NEEM. It is from the neem tree in India. This soap apparently also has incredible qualities & is popular. Neem oil has antibacterial & antiseptic wualities. A goos neem soap should, from what I read, contain at least 20% neem oil & the oil should have been cold pressed: not extracted using heat or solvents. Has anyone tried this one out?

 

[ondine]

Traditional African Black Soap

Found a great link that has everything you need to know about authentic black soap. Apparently, hucksters are selling soaps that have black dye in them & passing them off as the real thing

What are you going to do? Scammers are everywhere & ultimately it is up to US to arm ourselves with accurate info & SHARE it once we get it. Anyhow, I'm off to read more about this stuff. Thanks, little erin, for putting the bug in our ear.

THey are all out of the black soap so I added my name to their waiting list.

 

[Goatie]

I did a google search for shopping for the soap then clicked on the 3 star rating or above and this was the only company with that good of a rating. Dudu-Osun African Black Soap

 

[ondine]

Thanks! I tried this source BUT when I got to check out, They wanted $20 to ship me a $4 bar of soap

. I'll sit it out on the waiting list for the other one since I only want to buy one bar to try it initially.

 

[little erin]

Ondine, seems I misunderstood likas to have kojic, wonder how I came to that, will read those posts again. I see you've done some research about Dudu-Osun Black Soap. Yes, its said to come from Nigeria. I'm not sure what the terms Dudu or Osun mean, you seem to have a clue.

What I have is not black but a dark brown.

I came across it on a forum, someone suggested it would aid in lightening or something along those lines, can't remember clearly, but by the time I was getting it, I had more information and figured it would leave my skin in good condition but not lighten it. As I was on the verge of starting a new lightening regimen, I looked it up and learnt that there are imitations, sadly. So I made the point of comparing from several sources how its meant to look like. I then went to Ebay (UK) to see if anyone was stocking it, found a source who delivered it so fast. Goatlady if you are in the UK I can pm the source when my restriction is raised. The soap was £1.30 postage, £2.50.

I have just checked and the source can ship international too just in case you want to try this source. I know some of you are from Canada, let me work out how much it would cost.

Sorry, can't find Canada on the list from the source's web page but if you're interested you can contact the source to find out. Don't think it would cost much as postage to Europe is £3.50 and to Australia £4.00. I have attached a pic of the soap.

Below is information on the soap from the source:

---START---
Tropical Naturals Dudu-Osun Black Soap150g

Dudu-Osun is the age-long African black soap made the traditional way by hand from PURE NATURAL INGREDIENTS AND HERBS from the tropical rain forest and savannah regions.

Pure Honey
Glycerine
Shea Butter
Aloe Vera
Osun (camwood)
Lime Juice
Palmkernel Oil
Cocoa pod ash
Palm bunch ash
Lime Juice
Water & Fragrance

I love this soap very much and I use it daily. It smells great! If you are used to 'normal' soap, you might find the colour weird, but this soap is much better than the soaps I used to use. I find that it doesn't dry out my skin either.
---END---

 

[ondine]

Thanks for the incredibly informative post. This is something I'm definitely going to try.

 

[little erin]

I decided to try Likas Papaya soap after hearing all the rave about it here. After my bar of Dudu Osun soap ran out, the first and only I've used, a few days later, I received my two bars of Likas. Its been almost three weeks and I'm on my second bar of Likas. About the time I started using Likas, I got a break out of sort. It wasn't terrible but being used to having smooth skin made it unsual. I wondered if it was the soap. Considering there may be other factors that could have caused the few small pimples on my face, I did not discontinue use of Likas, as I did not want to conclude it was the cause but I could not find any other cause for the breakout. My face is pimple free at the moment but with faded dark scars from the pimples. Don't think I will use Likas Papaya soap unless otherwise and these are my reasons:

1. Being in the UK, I could not find a seller within, I had to order from Singapore.
2. Though the shipping was fast, it took more time than it would have getting Dudu Osun soap
3. It cost more than the latter
4. I did not see any difference or other result having have now used two bars of Likas compared to one bar of Dudu Osun soap.
5. The break out which I suspect had to do with the Likas soap
6. Most important, I feel I got the same result (that clean slate) if not better using Dudu Osun. I'll give the latter another couple of tries to make better judgement but this is my opinion for now. Only disadvantage of Dudu Osun is you need to store it in a dry place otherwise, it wastes.

I'm not discouraging anyone from using Likas Papaya neither am I saying its not as effective as some of you have found it to be, just giving you my experience with it.

 

[GoddessOfEarth]

I used it some years ago and it did nothing for me. You could have ordered it from Ebay. I found mine in a local phillipine store.

 

[GoddessOfEarth]

Traditional African Black Soap

Found a great link that has everything you need to know about authentic black soap. Apparently, hucksters are selling soaps that have black dye in them & passing them off as the real thing

What are you going to do? Scammers are everywhere & ultimately it is up to US to arm ourselves with accurate info & SHARE it once we get it. Anyhow, I'm off to read more about this stuff. Thanks, little erin, for putting the bug in our ear.

THey are all out of the black soap so I added my name to their waiting list.

NASAAB! I forgot all about them! I still have a giant chunk of Shea Butter from them in my fridge! Lol! It was a 5lb block, I think. Yes, african black soap is not black.

 

[GoddessOfEarth]

I've seen the Dudu Osun soap in beauty supply stores, but haven't paid it any attention. At the moment, I'm using Fair & White AHA(orange soap) and Bio Claire soap.

 

[little erin]

I used it some years ago and it did nothing for me. You could have ordered it from Ebay. I found mine in a local phillipine store.

I checked Ebay and didn't find any local (UK) source for Likas Papaya. What did you use years ago

 

[little erin]

I've seen the Dudu Osun soap in beauty supply stores, but haven't paid it any attention. At the moment, I'm using Fair & White AHA(orange soap) and Bio Claire soap.

I got Dudu Osun from Ebay (UK).

 

[GoddessOfEarth]

I used the Likas.

 

[pumi]

I used the Likas.

Hi,

Have you seen any improvement by using the likas soap? I have used it once last year but seen no difference in my skin. Does lightening soaps work and do they help lighten freckles on the face too?

Thanks in advance.

 

[pumi]

I got Dudu Osun from Ebay (UK).

Hi little erin,

Does the dudu soap work?

for people having used these soaps, have you seen any improvement or lightening of the skin?
Thanks.

 

[GoddessOfEarth]

The Likas is what did nothing for me.

You may try Fair and White AHA soap(orange box) and/or Bio Claire soap. One of these soaps lightened my, ahem, 'special' area. I do not know which one nor in what time frame. These are, just, some suggestions. The Bio Claire soap, however, is very drying. I use them together(F&W and BC) when I have both.