Side by Side Comparison of: Shea Moisture

I have had acne for 9 years. Im in my late 20's now. My acne is cystic acne mainly, and sits on my cheeks, and chin primarily. They are deep, red and take weeks to go away (if they ever do).I have tried switching my laundry soap, multiple face washes, moisturizers, natural oils (like coconut ), my make up and many spot treatments. Some things would make the acne a bit better, but would never actually clear it up.I saw some friends on FB talking about this soap. I found it here on amazon and this was the highest rated black soap I found.I figured, " what do i have to lose? I've tried everything". The price was also super reasonable. The bar is very large and I have sliced off chunks to use.So far- I have been using this soap for exactlt 1 month. Immediately, I noticed the redness decreased. Over several days, I noticed I had no new pimples developing. After the first two weeks or so the majority of my acne was gone. Now, after one month, a lot of my dark scar spots are gone or seriously diminished. I have only a few remaining red spots.I have made NO other changes to my diet, make up or skin routine. I have only been using the soap 2x a day- morning or evening.I have shared pictures of mybefore pictures, and one month after.Im sure this soap may not work for everyone, but it is absolutely working for me. For such a great value, its worth a shot!

I bought this after reading the reviews about helping with eczema. My 19 month old has severe breakouts and I ended up buying it at target because I needed it quickly but I'll will order again through Amazon since they have it.After only a week there is a huge difference, I only used this soap and coconut oil as a moisturizer. I had started and elimination diet 2nweeks ago taking out gluten, dairy, tomatoes, citrus and berries. I will graduallly start adding those foods in next week and see if it's allergies but so far the black soap is amazing!!! The photo is after 1 week of use for sever eczema.

So this soap is absolutely incredible. I'll just start with that. I have used so many OTC scrubs, deep pore cleansers, pore refiners, moisturizers, skin care systems including proactiv and cytology, and to no avail, I still suffered from acne. I'm in my late 20s, I've suffered with pretty moderate acne for a good chunk of my life and have never found anything that worked. Until now. After the first use, I could tell my face was smoother, after a few days, I could tell my existing acne was healing and i wasnt getting any new ones. After a week, my skin was clear. After 2 weeks my face completely smooth, no new breakouts, and I am happier than ever. Not only is my skin clear, by my confidence is boosted. I work in sales so I am face to face with people all day, i finally feel like the first time in my life, people aren't just staring at my breakouts. I will recommend this soap to anyone that can relate. This soap is AWESOME!The left set of pictures i attached were from about 2 months ago. The others are from this afternoon. I wash my face twice a day with this soap and it doesn't dry my face out at all, I dont use anything else with it.

I read the reviews for Shea Moisture African Black Soap and was hesitant to believe all the glowing praises. Granted, there were maybe 1 or 2 one star reviews. I figured I've tried just about everything else, why not give this product a shot? First, a little background information. I've had acne since I entered puberty. Unfortunately, it never went away for me as it does for some people. So at 38, I was near my wits' end and decided that facial acne was something I'd have to accept and live with until death. Every few days there were new whiteheads or blackheads or red spots getting ready to form into a whitehead. Sometimes these little monsters would all come at once in groups! It seemed no matter the frequency of washing or product I used, the results were the same. More pimples...more embarrassment!Tomorrow, will be two weeks since I began using the SM African Black Soap. And....my face is SO MUCH CLEARER! My face is brighter and my skin tone seems to be evening out. I have had minimal new whiteheads...like maybe 1 to 5 small, shallow white heads that can be easily removed with a fingernail scrape (I know it is not a best practice for pimple removal). Compared to the groups of whiteheads (sometimes painful) I've experienced in the past 25 years, I will gladly take the few whiteheads that surfaced over the past 13 days. Quite honestly, SM African Black Soap has been a miracle worker for me. I wish I discovered this soap years ago!I strongly suggest this soap to anyone who has oily, acne-prone, sensitive skin, which is what I suffered with until recently. Before this soap, I envied people with clear healthy skin. I can now say that I'm well on my way to being one of those people I once envied. I have normal-looking, nearly acne-free skin. I can't wait to see what my face will look like after a month's time of usage. TRY IT!!!!See before and after photos!

I have been using this for a little over a week it's amazing I'm almost 30 with cystic acne and this is really working alone with acnevir best products out there

I actually purchased this soap from my local Target after reading a lot about using African Black Soap to combat acne problems. I saw many brands here on Amazon but was anxious to just try SOMETHING. So after a trip to Target, I picked up this bar for $4.99 after reading generally positive reviews despite this brand not necessarily being as "authentic" as far as black soap goes. While it's only been just over a week, there's a few things I really wanted to take time to address after reading a lot of other reviews!1. Smell: I love it, sister hates it. It is all preference. It smells natural, somewhat fruity/maybe light banana-ish, and natural. It is not over bearing or irritating and trust me I'm sensitive.2. Staining: I keep mine in a ceramic soap dish and have no issues. It lathers very well so I have not had issues with it staining any wash cloths as I work up a lather in my hands and use from there. It has a dark grey lather and it can drip but it's nothing a quick rinse with your shower head or sink faucet can't take care of. My dish isn't ventilated but I do try to keep it dry so the bottom of the soap doesn't get gross/gummy after it sits out after use.3. Skin Dryness: I actually went for this bar first because of all the complaints I read about dry skin from more "authentic" and concentrated black soaps (I think Dudu-Osun is what I looked at primarily). I have combination skin--oily from my Italian side and super dry from my fair mother's super Irish/Scottish/redhead side. This was definitely a concern for me because lately my skin is constantly dry after using medicated acne cleansers and products which only results in deeper cystic breakouts for me. I've truly been trying to take a more natural approach to my skin care regimen after struggling for the last few years with my acne (I'm 23 now). I figured this couldn't cause any more drying than benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, and I was right. I honestly haven't experienced excessive drying since using this soap and I use it twice a day on my face and once all over when I shower to aid with the occasional bacne breakout. If anything, my skin has been more "normal" now that I've been using it for some time and that's even during the winter where it is constantly windy and dry where I live. It's only been over a week, but so far so good with this aspect.4. Acne: I've struggled for years. Cystic, hormonal, you name it. Over the past year, I've had constant breakouts on my chin which I've learned can be predominantly hormonal but it's nevertheless frustrating and embarrassing. However even in the short timeframe in which I've used this soap, I've noticed my pores look clearer and I haven't had any deep cysts form or clusters of stubborn pimples. Blackheads will always be stubborn but I think they do appear less prominent in the nose area. I'm looking into charcoal masks and the like to see if that helps and do have an Alba Acnedote face and body scrub that I use for this purpose.5.Other Products: I use the Cetaphil moisturizer for acne prone skin that is also spf 30. I've actually required less now that I've turned away from heavily medicated products. I do use a benzoyl peroxide 10% gel for spot checking still but I haven't had any major new outbreaks. As aforementioned, I do use the Alba Acnedote scrub and that is also a recent investment as well. It is medicated, but not nearly as much as other products I was using and I do believe that is helping my skin in conjunction with this soap. However I am focusing my attention to this soap right now to see if it helps with my acne.I know this was long but hopefully of some help to anybody else struggling with moderate acne. I do hope to update after I've used this for some time. It's worth a shot, especially if you can pick it up at a local store for a few bucks less. It's a huge bar of soap and will definitely last a while!

This is actually for my daughter; she loves it, so I am very happy. Don't forget to check it out in bar form1

I'm not sure has ever felt this soft. Smells good, lathers nicely and I will definitely be buying again.

Best soap ever. Get 1 of those Japanese washcloths, too. Life changing!!!!!

My wife and daughter both use the body wash and are happy with the resulting improved skin health.

Smells good and feels wonderful on my skin. I LOVE IT!

Soft, clearer, and more moisturize skin. I use it all over and as my face wash. It is great stuff! My sister bought me some a couple years ago and I loved it. I forgot about it until we moved back to the states again and I was suffering from breakout along with my cycle and after thinking about buying an acne wash. I bought this and was happy to have it again! I am 30 and love it. It helps with keeping my skin young :)

Hasn't been the miracle soap that was promised by reviews but it seems fine. I like the way it smells and I like that I have soap specifically for my face.

1) First off the smell is great!! it reminds me of fruit, especially bananas and the fragrance is light not perfume like.2) It really works great with acne after the first use and third I noticed bumps would get smaller and bring white heads up, it also heals acne scars faster3) Do not use this as a cleanser, it is very drying and will dry out your skin severely, I was using it everyday and my face was staying clear but I have oily skin and my skin created more oil because it stripped it so much. So starting just be sure to use it 3 or 4 times a week depending on what your skin can handle, you will get a better idea of this when you start to use it.4) I did not give it a complete 5 stars because I have not been using it for a long period of time and I don't know the results of using it for a duration of 1 or 2 months, but I think it will help clear old acne scars, we shall see :)5) Overall I think this is a great product and is very beneficial for your skin, especially acne prone people like myself.

I've got nordic, fine oliy skin type, this one was a lifesaver! Been using it for 2 weeks and it's a remarkable difference.I've tried it as a shampoo, but not a good result. Will still try to make it work though.All in all, very pleased.

I love this soap! I've been using it everyday for about a week and have seen a difference in my skin. It even keeps hormonal breakouts at bay, which nothing else has. It moisturizers, cleanses, and clears my skin, and diminishes scars. Wonderful!

Well, it was the miracle that I expected, which was silly of me to think. This led to high expectations and then sad revelations. It does work, it just isn't the 1 week cure.

This is an amazing product for sensitive and acne-prone skin$! I used to use Black Opal ' s Blemish Control for many years and when they no longer made that soap, I had to find something else that addressed my skin. I tried numerous over - the - counter to the most expensive to no avail. However, this has helped tremendously and I will continue to be a faithful user. The only downfall is it will stain your washcloth black...so don't use one you absolutely love.

The product itself earns FIVE stars, but the bottle top's narrow hole ("dispenser") gets clogged and I need almost always open it with a thin pin. I've been using different African Black Soap products a long time, and this liquid form is very handy to some special needs. But, the "cork" needs to be redesigned.

smells amazing, but i feel as though its not as effective as the bar soap

Smells great and works good with dry skin

Love this stuff. My skin feels so soft and supple after using. I'm giving it to friends and family for Christmas gifts. I got introduced to it when a friend give it to me for a birthday present. Only thing is, it does stain light colored and white washcloths.

I love this soap, it has helped my daughter with her ezema, however, it sells cheaper at Harmon's, about $8 per bottle.

I really like the Shea Moisture black soap. This liquid soap is good but I prefer the bar hence 4 stars. The soap lathers well and cleans effectively. Smells pleasant to me.

A bit overpriced. You can buy for cheaper at your local store like Walmart. Didn't know this till I bumped into it myself, hence my rating. The product itself is fine and lasts a while. Haven't used it on a daily basis to notice a difference.

they give me pimples some places and remove them from other places!

Hasn't done much for me, but hasn't broken me out either. I've been using this for about 3 weeks on my face + body. I had recently gotten off benzoyl peroxide and was having a bad breakout when I started using this. It didn't clear me, but I don't think it contributed. I eventually went back on benzoyl peroxide out of desperation and am still using this soap. Will update if results change with time.

I honestly didn't notice any improvement in my skin. I used it on my face and back and it left my skin sqeaky clean just like regular soap, which I hate.

more scented than I was expecting (and I don't care for it but I bet most people would be ok with it), but it is doing nice things for my skin.

Did not work at all for me, as a facial soap, I do feel however it is a great body soap. It made my skin feel very clean. As a facial cleanser it did little to treat the acne or dark spots on my face, and ultimately I ended up with more oily skin and breakouts. It has its perks and works for some, but not for me.

Can't stand the smell!

Didn't help with my skin issue but not a bad product

Great product except for the smell..just awful

I really don't like the smell, but other than that it is great.

Terrific loc shampoo feel it working in three minutes

The smell is a little different but I like it. I have used almost the entire bottle and seen no difference in my skin.

Didn't really like this, it did make me feel clean, but not as promised

Not actual raw African black soap. The bar of soap had too much glycerin which means that filmy feel on your skin which was annoying. The fragrance was pleasant but definitely not that of the real soap which i had become accustomed to.

This was not for my skin. It made me break out more than ever. I am glad it worked for others, but not for my sensitive skin.

Leaves face super dry. Really don't know what the big fuss is all about.. oh I broke out and I have a baby face. Wth happen?? I kept it for my husband, he has oily skin. Mine is normal so if your skin is normal I don't recommend unless you like that dry feel after washing your face.

I purchased this soap after reading a large number of reviews. I'm an old male who for some reason now has sensitive skin. I usually use only Dove products to avoid breakouts on my face. I wanted to try something new, unfortunately, for me this soap made things worse. My face broke out immediately, rash and hives. Interestingly, I gave it to my daughter and she loves the feelings. She especially likes the way the soap makes her arms and shoulders - know trouble spots for her and ache, feel and look. So, while it didn't work for me, seems to being ok for my daughter.

dried out my skin like crazy, but everyone is different​ i guess, just not for me

Bottle was poorly pack, product spill out all over my other items in the box.😡 It's okay... I'll stick with regular bath and body works wash.

Smells good and I liked the gentle exfoliation. But in terms of treating acne, it doesn't work

Smells like a port o potty. 😭

Quality level was different from retail store item purchased. Will purchase at retail store front only due to consistency of product.

Product showed up coating the inside of the box and my sidewalk. Can't tell you if it is good as a body wash since I don't want to scrub myself with soaked cardboard. But it does smell good.

I find this soap to be a little hard to rinse out but my husband swears by it. The bar soap leaves color on your washrags and towels... for a shampoo or shower soap it is okay and smells great, for the bath it isn't as good.

I had a bad allergic reaction to this. May work well for others but I broke out within minutes of using it.

Smells and looks great but made me break out really bad. I stuck with it for a month and moisturized after each time but breakouts still continued. I think this product is not for everyone unfortunately.

I bought this because my best friend loves it. Of course when I try it, I get opposite results. My face broke out worse than it has in years. I tried to keep using it thinking that maybe some outside factors were at play. After a week I gave up. Just days later my face is almost back to normal.

It actually gave me more acne! Terrible

I honestly didn't like the way it made my skin feel after use. It left my skin feeling very similar to the way Irish spring soap makes my skin feel, which I hate. It also smells like cheap soap.

I bought this to get rid of dark marks and it didn't work at all.

This is a fabulous great smelling product!!!

Yuck. Smelled bad and didn't make me feel clean.

This made me break out in a rash under my arms and the smell is horrible.

I can't really speak to how effective this is because the smell drove me crazy. I used it once and had to return it. I guess my eczema-prone skin will have to find another, less-stinky product.

I LOVE SHEA MOISTURE AFRICAN BLACK SOAP BODY WASHThis is NOT the product as listed. This is Nubian Heritage african black soap and it is AWFUL!Do not buy from this seller!

Yet more snake oil! Product ingredients contain at least 2 known skin irritants, carcinogens, teratogens. Dries, creates rashes, and annoying itchiness everywhere!