Great for those suffering from seborrheic dermatitis or eczema
I first purchased this soap at a Beauty Supply store near my house to use solely as a facial cleanser. I have a condition called Seborrheic Dermatitis, which causes raised, red, flaky rashes around my nose and mouth. It's similar to eczema and can be embarrassing, itchy, and uncomfortable. I treated it with medication prescribed by a dermatologist but after graduating from college, I suddenly found myself uninsured. I had heard about the effectiveness of both black soap and tea tree oil in treating various skin conditions like mine, so I was intrigued by a soap that provided both.<br /><br />The first thing I noticed is how unprocessed it was compared to other black soap I've seen. This looks as if it's all natural. I've never used black soap before so I can't compare it to other products in anyway except appearance and price. Erzuli wasn't as pretty but it was more affordable.<br /><br />So the bottom line is...IT WORKS! It has completely tamed my seborrheic dermatitis as well or better than the steroidal medication I had been prescribed by my dermatologist, except without the cost and side effects.<br /><br />A few things to note:<br /><br />1) It feels odd. Perhaps, it's the tea tree oil but it feels as if there's some type of film over my face when I'm using it. It's not a bad feeling, just different than regular soap. At least in my head, it makes me feel as if my skin is actually getting moisturized.<br /><br />2) A little goes a very long way. This soap lasts forever....well at least if you only use it on your face like me. It lathers up like crazy. So don't waste it. I usually just rub it in my hands a couple times and than rub my hands together, which produces more than enough lather to wash my face. One bar has lasted months.<br /><br />3) It's messy. This is probably the biggest downside. The texture of this product is not like traditional soap. It becomes "gummy" after being exposed to water. I can literally take the bar of soap and bend it. It can actually get quite messy so I had to by a container to put the soap in which starts to look quite gross after a while.<br /><br />4) It tingles. I've heard black soap can tingle/burn a little, I definitely know tea tree oil can. So the two together means that if you leave it on your face for too long, it may start to burn a little. It's nothing too intense and for all I know, that might just mean it's working but I do try to let it sit on my face for only a minute or two before washing it off.<br /><br />5) The smell. There is not a strong tea tree oil smell, which for me is a plus. I wasn't sure what to expect but the scent is mild and inoffensive.<br /><br />I definitely recommend this to anyone suffering from a skin condition similar to mine. I just bought the pack of 2 here on Amazon, which was slightly more expensive than I had seen at the brick and mortar store but they were out of stock, and I couldn't bare the thought of running out. This is my new my secret weapon to having healthy looking skin. 5 stars!
Rating: 5 stars