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A soap that travels and adapts

(1) planatains

In Morocco, where most soapmakers are women, they extract lye from the olive tree. In West Africa, where plantains(fig.1) are more abundant, the soapmistresses burn the banana peels to produce ash.

As black soap travels, its makers adapt the recipe to the resources of each region. This means that black soap is environmentally friendly and widely accessible cleanser found across much of the continent.

Passed down through generations, the recipe has been adapted by many women to meet their specific needs. Yet the process remains remarkably consistent: it always begins with ash and oil.

• Source

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