Alaffia's Authentic African Black Soap is likened to the home remedies of Togolese mamans. It's made from a centuries-old recipe of handcrafted fair trade and certified organic unrefined, "raw" shea butter and Orangutan-safe West African palm oil?, and enhanced with invigorating peppermint oil. Saponification is reached by adding potash to the hot oils, then cooking it for six hours. The last step is curing the soap in the sun for three weeks, resulting in a gentle and effective soap that cleanses, clarifies and softens skin.