什么是非洲黑皂?

什么是非洲黑皂?

On the same day I received an assignment to write about African black soap, I serendipitously received a sample in the mail in a cache of beauty items I subscribe to monthly.

就在我接到寫非洲黑色肥皂的任務(wù)的同一天，我意外地收到了一封郵件，里面是我每月訂閱的美容用品。

Leaves, bark and shea butter are among the natural ingredients in African black soap which, ironically, is usually brown. (Photo: images72/Shutterstock)

The soap claimed to be microdermabrasion in a bottle. But was that just a cheeky catchphrase, and what the heck would African black soap do for me?

這種肥皂聲稱是裝在瓶子里的微晶磨皮劑。但這只是一句厚顏無(wú)恥的口頭禪嗎?非洲的黑色肥皂到底能為我做什么?

Seems black soap or African black soap — also called anago soap, alata samina or ose dudu — has long been used for healing problem skin. It’s a cleanser used to lightly exfoliate and give skin a healthy glow, but there are also claims that it has many other potential benefits.

似乎黑色香皂或非洲黑色香皂——也被稱為anago香皂、alata samina或ose dudu——長(zhǎng)期以來(lái)一直被用于治療皮膚問(wèn)題。這是一種用于輕度去角質(zhì)和賦予皮膚健康光澤的清潔產(chǎn)品，但也有人聲稱它有許多其他潛在的好處。

How black soap is made

黑色肥皂是如何制成的

African black soap absorbs water easily, so it should be stored in a plastic bag or dry place. (Photo: images72/Shutterstock)

Black soap is generally made from locally harvested African plants such as plantain, cocoa pods, palm tree leaves and shea tree bark. The ingredients are sun-dried and roasted, which is how it gets its deep color. Water and oils such as coconut, palm and shea butter are then added. The soap is then left to sit and “cure.”

黑色肥皂一般由當(dāng)?shù)厥斋@的非洲植物制成，如車前草、可可豆莢、棕櫚樹(shù)葉子和乳木果樹(shù)皮。原料經(jīng)過(guò)曬干和烘烤，這就是它為什么會(huì)有深顏色的原因。然后加入水和油，如椰子油、棕櫚油和乳木果油。然后讓肥皂放著“固化”。

Traditionally made in West Africa by tribeswomen in Ghana from special secret recipes, it is often fairly traded. These soaps are more likely to be pure, whereas commercial soaps made in the U.S. may include additional artificial ingredients.

傳統(tǒng)上，加納的部落婦女用特殊的秘密配方在西非制作，通常是公平交易的。這些香皂更可能是純的，而美國(guó)制造的商業(yè)香皂可能含有額外的人工成分。

When I cleansed my face with the black soap, the deep color mixed with water made a brown, creamy lather that felt cleansing and smooth. There was no redness or tingling while using the soap, yet afterward my face did feel exfoliated into a warm glow.

當(dāng)我用黑色的香皂洗臉時(shí)，深層的顏色和水混合在一起，形成了一種棕色的、奶油狀的泡沫，感覺(jué)清潔而光滑。在使用香皂的過(guò)程中，我的臉沒(méi)有發(fā)紅或刺痛，但之后我的臉確實(shí)感覺(jué)去角質(zhì)了。

In bar form, black soap is a little crumbly and softer than most soap and may look like food to a child or pet, so be careful to store it properly. It's also typically a shade of brown, instead of black. It has a high glycerin content and absorbs water easily, so it should be stored in a plastic bag or dry area away from the tub and shower.

在條形的肥皂里，黑色的肥皂比大多數(shù)的肥皂都要軟一些，可能看起來(lái)像孩子或?qū)櫸锏氖澄?，所以要小心把它妥善地?chǔ)存起來(lái)。它也是典型的棕色，而不是黑色。它的甘油含量很高，很容易吸收水分，所以應(yīng)該放在塑料袋里或遠(yuǎn)離浴缸和淋浴的干燥地方。

Black soap benefits

黑皂的好處

The shea butter in African black soap gives it many of its benefits. (Photo: imagefingerprint/Shutterstock)

Fans of black soap say it works for every skin type, insisting it keeps dry skin moisturized and can help balance oily or combination skin.

喜歡黑色香皂的人說(shuō)，它適用于所有皮膚類型，并堅(jiān)持認(rèn)為它能保持皮膚干燥濕潤(rùn)，有助于平衡油性或混合性皮膚。

The somewhat abrasive texture of the soap has exfoliation-like qualities, says Healthline. That can help rid your skin of dead cells which make wrinkles and fine lines more noticeable.

Healthline說(shuō)，這種肥皂有些粗糙的質(zhì)地具有去角質(zhì)的效果。這可以幫助你清除皮膚上的死細(xì)胞，因?yàn)樗兰?xì)胞會(huì)使皺紋和細(xì)紋更加明顯。

In one recent study published in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 91% of black soap users said they were very or somewhat satisfied and found the soap helpful for their skin conditions.

最近發(fā)表在《臨床與美容皮膚病學(xué)雜志》上的一項(xiàng)研究顯示，91%的使用黑皂的人表示，他們非常或多少感到滿意，并發(fā)現(xiàn)這種肥皂對(duì)他們的皮膚狀況有幫助。

Tips on using black soap

使用黑色肥皂的提示

When using raw bar soap, work it up in your hands to make sure there are no whole particles of tree bark or pods in the bar that can scratch or tear skin. Apply the lather to your face with fingertips and gently rub it in. Wash and rinse with cool water to help reduce stinging and redness.

當(dāng)使用生肥皂時(shí)，在你的手上使用，以確保沒(méi)有樹(shù)皮或豆莢的顆粒會(huì)劃傷或撕裂皮膚。用指尖將泡沫涂在臉上，輕輕揉搓。用冷水清洗，以減少刺痛和發(fā)紅。

To avoid or reduce any unpleasant effects, do not leave the soap on your face for a long period of time.

為了避免或減少任何不愉快的影響，不要把肥皂長(zhǎng)時(shí)間留在臉上。

Black soap is suited for any skin ethnicity, can be used daily and is excellent for washing away makeup. If you are caffeine-sensitive, you might test the soap on the inside of your arm because it’s derived from cacao pods, which contain caffeine and can be absorbed through the skin. Also, if you are extremely latex-sensitive, shea butter contains small amounts of naturally occurring latex.

黑色香皂適用于任何皮膚種族，可以每天使用，是洗掉化妝品的絕佳選擇。如果你對(duì)咖啡因敏感，你可以在手臂內(nèi)側(cè)測(cè)試這種香皂，因?yàn)樗鼇?lái)自可可豆莢，可可豆莢含有咖啡因，可以通過(guò)皮膚吸收。另外，如果你對(duì)乳膠非常敏感，乳木果油含有少量的天然乳膠。

When exposed to air, black soap can develop a thin, white film. This is not mold, and the soap may still be used.

當(dāng)暴露在空氣中時(shí)，黑色的肥皂會(huì)形成一層薄薄的白色薄膜。這不是霉菌，肥皂還可以用。