Review (5/5): 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.
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.
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.
A few things to note:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!