February is Black History Month so today I’m sharing a review of Alaffia, an incredible Black-owned natural skin, body and hair care brand. I tested their Everyday Coconut Facial Cleanser, Body Lotion and Authentic African Black Soap All-In-One.

Alaffia makes clean beauty products that are accessible and super affordable. They’re available in just about every major store like Walmart, Target and Whole Foods and I’ve seen them on clearance at outlets like TJ Maxx.

But they set themselves apart in being a mission-driven social enterprise whose goal is to uplift West African communities.

They source fairly traded ingredients from West Africa women cooperatives, and since 2003, have used profits to assist with over six thousand births, build 17 schools and buy everyday necessities like school supplies, bikes and eyeglasses.

Alaffia Everyday Coconut Facial Cleanser

This is a very watery gel cleanser that’s all natural, lightly suds and takes off heavy makeup and sunscreen so well!

It’s got a super thin consistency that runs down my hands easily and has a deep brown shade thanks to its herbal ingredient base.

I’m not used to gel cleansers that are THIS runny, but I don’t mind it. It’s enriched with saponified coconut oil and is able to grip well to all the gunk and grime on my skin.

If you have skin that doesn’t react well to coconut oil, I would be cautious in using this product though.

The ingredients are sooo simple, but in a really good way. It’s made mostly of neem leaf aqueous extract, which is what also gives the cleanser its refreshing herbal scent. There’s also Papaya Leaf Aqueous Extract, Coconut extract and lavender oil.

For just $10, products like this prove that you can have quality natural products without breaking the bank. There’s no frills or fluff when it comes to Alaffia’s skincare.

Authentic African Black Soap All-In-One

This is my favorite Alaffia product out of the ones I tried! Their Authentic African Black Soap is so versatile and can be used for just about everything, not just as a body wash.

I also use it as a facial cleanser, shaving gel and hair shampoo. You actually get more bang for your buck with this product because it’s only around $10 for a giant 16 oz bottle, which is larger than most of their other products.

The consistency is a bit creamier than their Everyday Coconut Facial Cleanser, but is still pretty lightweight and the scent is refreshingly herbal.

The formula is based of the home remedies of Togolese mamans and contains Fair-Trade shea butter, Orangutan-safe West African palm oil along with tea tree and eucalyptus oils.

The ingredients are so simple but they get the job done! I find it effective even as hair shampoo, especially when my scalp is irritated. The African Soap cleans my oily roots and helps to clarify them. As a body wash, it provides a very gentle and soothing cleanse.

Alaffia Everyday Coconut Face Cream

I have to admit that I didn’t Alaffia’s Everyday Coconut Face Lotion as much as their other products.

This is a very watery face cream that would be suitable for someone who enjoys that type of consistency or doesn’t like the feeling of a heavy lotion sitting on their skin.

But, I don’t feel like dry skin would find this moisturizing enough. Or it would be more suitable to use during the warmer months than the dead of winter.

It has a coconut scent of course, but it’s not my favorite.

I do appreciate that it begins in a Coffee Berry Aqueous Extract and even has ascorbic acid to improve skin, but there isn’t much else in the formula that’s beneficial for skin.

Its other downside is that it has coconut oil which may not be suitable for everyone and phenoxyethanol.

I actually prefer using this as a body lotion, because I love a nice coconut scented body product.

My Verdict

Overall, I feel that Alaffia offers quality natural skincare products for everyone and anyone to be able to use clean beauty. Their mission as a brand is an incredible one to support as well.

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