Beauty and personal grooming are all determined by the ingredients, application process required and effectiveness of the product. While hygiene and beauty products abound at your local retailer, a new type of beauty product has gained popularity. Raw, organic soaps, toothpastes, moisturizers, cleansers and makeup are now being made for public consumption. A common staple throughout Africa, raw black soap is an example of an organic and natural product that is available to consumers.

Raw black soap, also known by its official Ghanan name "Alata," is an organic, black soap that is used for the skin and scalp. Some key ingredients include: roasted cocoa (Chocolate) pods, plantain skin, ash, palm oil, and water. Highly effective, the soap can last for an extended period of time and only requires a few seconds of gentle agitation against the skin to produce a sufficient lather to cleanse the body. One bar of raw black soap has a longer life span than a traditional bar of white soap.

Although recipes for raw black soap vary greatly from family to family and region to region (across Africa) each version remains both organic and natural. The dark color of the soap is not the result of added dyes but is the result of the milling process and some ingredients that are burnt during the manufacturing process.

Some raw black soap ingredients are burnt during the preparation process. As a result, some irritation and redness may occur if the soap is applied to sensitive or broken skin. To lessen sensitivity, wet hands or cleansing cloth, then rub the soap onto the skin until a lather is formed and the face or body can be sufficiently cleaned. Raw black soap moisturize the skin as it cleanses it.

Raw black soap can be manufactured as a liquid or bar. Both are equally effectively and can be used on the face and body using either the hands, cleansing cloth or loofah. Neither form will cause the skin to stain or change in tone or pigment in any way. Raw black bar soap can retail from $3.99 (and up) while raw black liquid soap can retail from $9.99 (and up).

To protect the integrity of raw black soap maintain it in a dry environment and keep it away from water while it is not in use. To repair raw black soap that is starting to crumble, gently mold it back to its original form. Continue to mold the soap after each use to ensure it remains in correct form over an extended period of time. If the soap becomes dry, add a few drops of water and allow it to absorb it fully. Mold the shape if necessary. When molding the shape, periodically, it may be necessary to dampen the hands and then use them to round the bar into a smooth and even shape. Do not worry, the soap will not dry out or lose its effectiveness if dryness does occur.