this thing is amazing! the look of it at first may have some ppl questioning what on earth its for and the effectiveness of it, but its the only cleanser i have ever used that really balances out my combo skin. the smell is tolerable (i barely notice it) and make sure to apply toner & lotion (the best would be LUSH's tea tree toner & Enzymion) cause it works superb as a trio : )

This black soap takes a while to get use to the smell but it worked wonders on my skin. At first it seemed very expensive but it lasted FOREVER!

The coal specks in this soap act as a good exfoliator but the grains are too harsh to apply the bar directly on my face. I moisten both my face and hands first with water, rub the bar between my palms, and apply the lather onto my face. The best thing about this soap though is that it really does leave my skin squeaky clean and is great for the summer when my skin does tend to get more oily. I always follow up with a moisturiser though so I haven't had the problem (I've read quite a few reviews on Make-up Alley) of this product being too drying. On the flip side, I can't say it really reduces oil on my face anymore than my Clinique liquid cleanser for Type III skin does.

My biggest peeve about this product though is the smell. Unlike the website's description of 'calming' and 'soothing', I was inititally very repulsed by the smell. True, after using it for about 3 weeks, I have grown accustomed to it. Nevertheless, I still don't find it pleasant, merely, tolerable. Fortunately, the smell doesn't linger and after rinsing, I am fairly content with how clean my skin feels. In the end, while a reasonable product to try, I would prefer my regular (less offensive smelling) liquid cleanser.