The Black Stuff Atlantic Pine Tar Natural Handmade Irish Soap
A body wash with 19 ingredients, including exfoliants.
Overview
What it is
Body wash with 19 ingredients that contains exfoliants
Cool Features
It is vegan and reef safe
Suited For
It has ingredients that are good for fighting acne, dry skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing and better texture
Free From
It doesn't contain any harsh alcohols, parabens, silicones or sulfates
Fun facts
The Black Stuff is from Ireland.
We independently verify ingredients and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Does this product need an update? Let us know.
What's inside
Ingredients List
Sodium Olivate
CleansingSodium Cocoate
CleansingSodium Palmate
CleansingSodium Shea Butterate
CleansingWater
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSodium Castorate
EmulsifyingKaolin
AbrasiveAvena Sativa Kernel Flour
AbrasiveAvena Sativa Kernel Meal
AbrasiveOcimum Basilicum Oil
MaskingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
MaskingLavandula Angustifolia Oil
MaskingPumice
AbrasivePinus Sylvestris Oil
MaskingCharcoal Powder
AbrasiveMentha Spicata Herb Oil
PerfumingPinus Palustris Wood Tar
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Olivate, Sodium Cocoate, Sodium Palmate, Sodium Shea Butterate, Water, Glycerin, Sodium Castorate, Kaolin, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Avena Sativa Kernel Meal, Ocimum Basilicum Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Pumice, Pinus Sylvestris Oil, Charcoal Powder, Mentha Spicata Herb Oil, Pinus Palustris Wood Tar, Sodium Chloride
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Explained
Sodium olivate is created by saponifying olive oil. It is a sodium salt of olive oil and has cleansing properties.
Saponification is the chemical process of turning fats/oils into soap by reacting them with an alkali, typically sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide.
Sodium cocoate is a salt created by saponifying coconut oil. It has cleansing and emulsifying properties.
As a cleansing agent, this ingredient helps reduce the surface tension of dirt, sebum, and other residue in skin and hair. This makes them easier to be rinsed away with water.
Sodium Palmate is a surfactant and used to saponify fatty acids. It can be derived from palm oil or synthetically created.
As a surfactant, it helps lift dirt and oil off the skin to be cleansed.
Sodium Palmate is also used during the soap-making process to saponify fatty acids. This helps soap creates bubbles without leaving residue on the skin.
This ingredient is sometimes called saponified palm oil.
Learn more about Sodium PalmateSodium Shea Butterate isn't fungal acne safe.
Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinSodium Castorate s created when castor oil is saponified.
Kaolin is a clay. It is used for oil control and to help minimize pores. Like other clays, kaolin has the ability to absorb excess sebum or oil. This can help clean out pores and mattify the skin.
Some types of kaolin may have exfoliating properties. When water is added to kaolin, it becomes a paste with small abrasive particles.
Most kaolin is a white color, but may be pink/orange/red depending on where it comes from.
The name 'kaolin' comes from a Chinese village named 'Gaoling'. Kaolin clay comes from rocks rich in kaolinite. Kaolinite, the mineral, has a silicate layered structure. Kaolinite is formed from chemical weathering of aluminum siilicate minerals.
Besides skincare, kaolin is commonly used to make glossy paper, in ceramics, toothpaste, and as medicine to soothe stomach issues.
Learn more about KaolinOatmeal flour is created by grinding down the kernels of oats. Oatmeal helps sooth, hydrate, and protect the skin.
Oatmeal kernel flour has abrasive, or exfoliating, properties.
Learn all about the skin benefits of colloidal oatmeal here.
Learn more about Avena Sativa Kernel FlourAlso known as "oatmeal". This ingredient is made by grinding down the kernels of oat.
According to INCI, or International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient, this ingredient has abrasive properties and functions as a mild exfoliant.
If you are looking for skin soothing oat - check out Avena Sativa Kernel Extract.
Learn more about Avena Sativa Kernel MealThis ingredient is also known as basil oil or basil essential oil. It is primarily used to add a fragrance or mask the odor of other ingredients.
The main bioactive compounds in it are linalool and eugenol. These are EU-regulated fragrance allergens; this just means a small percentage of people with existing fragrance sensitivities should patch test.
In-vitro studies have demonstrated activity against acne-causing bacteria.
Learn more about Ocimum Basilicum OilCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil is oil from the peel of an orange fruit.
Limonene and linalool make up the majority of oils from citrus peels. Limonene has a "citrus" fragrance. Citrus peels also contain flavonoids, which have anti-inflammatory properties.
Citrus peel is also a rich source of flavonoids. Flavonoids are natural antioxidants and help protect your skin against damage. Flavonoids are a group of compounds naturally found in vegetables and fruits.
The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.
Learn more about Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel OilLavandula Angustifolia Oil is more commonly known as lavender essential oil. It is considered a fragrancing ingredient.
Lavender imparts a famous scent. While the smell is lovely, this ingredient and may sensitize skin in topical products. This is because about 85% of the oil is made up of linalool and linalyl acetate.
When exposed to air, these two compounds become strong allergens. This ingredient exhibits cytotoxicity at low concentrations; amounts of 0.25% have been shown to damage skin cells.
A study from Japan found this ingredient caused lavender sensitivity after widespread exposure.
Lavender essential oil has some antimicrobial, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the cons of this ingredient may outweight the pros.
More research is needed to confirm lavender essential oil's effects when used in aromatherapy.
Lavandula Angustifolia is known as the English Lavender and famous for creating purple fields in Provence, France.
Learn more about Lavandula Angustifolia OilPumice is an exfoliant.
Pinus Sylvestris Oil is a fragrance and is an oil.
Charcoal powder comes from grounded charcoal. Charcoal can originate from peat, bamboo, coal, wood, coconut shell, or petroleum.
This ingredient has absorbent properties, making it great at absorbing oil.
Mentha Spicata Herb Oil is a fragrance and is an oil.
We don't have a description for Pinus Palustris Wood Tar yet.
Chances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideReviews
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Where it's from
The Black Stuff is a Irish brand
We're dedicated to providing you with the most up-to-date and science-backed ingredient info out there.
The data we've presented on this page has been verified by a member of the SkinSort Team.
Read more about usยท Updated March 23, 2026 • Added by linnakjellman