Like a majestic beacon for natural skincare, Anthony Richards’ storefront, Tribal Eye, is not hard to find. Reggae music blasts from the open door in the heart of Kensington Market at 73 Kensington Ave. His store offers handmade natural skincare products, like rich Shea body butters, soap, coffee scrubs to target cellulite, dead sea mineral scrubs and mud face masks, essential oil perfumes and hair oils, alongside items like handmade incense, clothing and artwork. Richards gives the shopping experience a personal feel, offering me a complimentary hand massage with one his most popular body butters, Lick Me All Over, $20 each. “If you come in dry, you’re guaranteed leaving with moisture,” said Richards. He also treated me to a scalp massage with his coconut scented hair oil, leaving my strands smelling like I just returned from the tropics.

All-natural perfume oils are a popular seller, made from essential oils with staying power that are so much better for you than perfumes full of toxic chemicals. Richards’ most lusted after scent is called, Pussy, a potent love potion with notes  I just can’t put my finger on. Richards wont tell me what he makes it from, but says his female customers can attest that it drives men wild. Worth a try, I guess, but I settled for one of his other popular scents, White Amber,$15, a sweet but subdued earthy blend.

Tribal Eye’s real hot ticket item is a face wash called Black Soap that is the secret to healthy skin and once you try it, you will never want to go back to your old skincare regime again.

Photos by, Ruby Wray – Tribal Eye Black Soap Liquid $20

African black soap is typically made from a combination of the ash of dried plantain skin, Shea butter, cocoa pod powder and palm oil. It’s been used to treat minor skin irritations, including acne, eczema, rashes, razor bumps and dark spots. I’ve tried other black soap before that’s usually packaged and sold in natural or health food stores but they don’t compare.

Richards’ black soap is handmade by him in the back of the store and contains all-natural ingredients like plantain skin. He sells it in it’s solid raw form, or in the liquid, which is bottled and more convenient if you don’t like the mess. He calls it the “white girl” version because unless you’re used to breaking off miniscule pieces of soap every time you wash your face and get black crud all over your bathroom counter, you want the liquid. Hey, for $20 I can get flawless skin, who cares about the mess? Well, your mom, partner or roommate does, unless you’re willing to share your beauty secret with them!  

Richards also sells his products on his website. It’s hard to know exactly what Richards’ formula for successful black soap is, but surely it’s a secret he’s not willing to tell. You’ll have to try it, but I promise, you wont regret it. If I told you there was a soap that would take away all your pimples and leave you with glowing clear skin, would you buy it? I’ve found the cure for breakouts and skin irritations right here in Toronto. The man behind the miracle: Anthony Richards.