Maybe because it only has good ingredients, it doesn't smell as nice as some other cosmetics on the market, but I like that it cleans and helps keep my skin clear. I also like that it’s good for the environment.
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papasoap · Cleansing Bar
papasoap Deep Clean Blemish-Care Bar 100g
A deep-cleansing soap bar for oily, blemish-prone skin.
$12.99 USD$16.99−23%
- Format
- Cleansing Bar
- Hero ingredient
- Centella Asiatica Extract
- Formula
- Fragrance-free, Sulfate-free, Paraben-free, Colorant-free
- Origin
- Made in Korea
9.0Screening score
15/19Low-risk ingredients
4.9509 reviews
A fragrance-free natural soap bar for oily, congested skin that deep-cleans sebum while soothing with aloe, centella and mung bean, milder than a bare fatty-acid soap.
Details
A fragrance-free natural soap bar for oily, congested and breakout-prone skin — a deep, non-tight cleanse with soothing botanicals.
papasoap Deep Clean Blemish-Care Bar is a glycerin-rich natural cleansing bar aimed at oily and blemish-prone skin, including teen congestion. Its saponified fatty-acid base whips into a dense, creamy lather that lifts sebum and daily grime, while glycerin, hyaluronic acid, aloe, centella, mung bean and broccoli extracts soothe and condition so skin doesn't feel stripped. No added fragrance, no sulfates.
- Deep sebum cleansing — a rich, whipped lather removes excess oil and daily buildup from congested skin.
- Soothing botanicals — aloe, centella, mung bean and broccoli extracts calm and condition breakout-prone skin.
- Glycerin-rich, non-tight — glycerin, sucrose, sorbitol and hyaluronic acid help skin feel comfortable, not stripped.
- Fragrance-free & natural — no added fragrance, sulfates or colorants; the scent is the raw ingredients' own.
How to use: Wet the bar and work up a lather. First pass: lather lightly to lift surface debris, then rinse. Second pass: massage the dense foam over damp skin for one to two minutes, then rinse with lukewarm water. Suitable for daily use.
Read before you buy: This is a true saponified soap bar, so it is naturally alkaline rather than low-pH — it deep-cleans oily and congested skin, but very dry or sensitive skin may prefer a low-pH cleanser. It is fragrance-free, so expect the natural scent of the ingredients rather than a perfumed one. Avoid broken skin, and stop use if irritation appears. Patch test before regular use. The full ingredient list and our risk screening are published on the product page at dhaliora.xyz.
Ships from Korea, worldwide.
What we think
In favour
Deep sebum cleansing
A dense, whipped lather from a saponified base lifts excess oil and daily buildup from congested, blemish-prone skin.
In favour
Soothing botanical support
Aloe, centella, broccoli and mung bean extracts plus glycerin and hyaluronic acid calm and condition so skin isn't stripped.
In favour
Fragrance-free and simple
No added fragrance, sulfates or synthetic colorants, with none of Hwahae's flagged caution or allergen ingredients.
Heads up
Alkaline true soap, not low-pH
Its fatty-acid soap base is naturally alkaline, so very dry or sensitive skin may prefer a weakly-acidic cleanser.
Heads up
Natural, unperfumed scent
The most common review note is the raw, unfragranced scent, since there is no added fragrance to mask it.
Most blemish-care bars are either stripping or fragranced novelty bars. This one keeps it simple, deep-cleaning oily and congested skin with a saponified base while glycerin, aloe, centella and mung bean keep it from feeling harsh. Best for oily and breakout-prone skin that likes a squeaky-clean, non-tight finish; dry or sensitive skin may prefer a low-pH cleanser. On gentleness for a true soap it holds up well, which is why it earns a place for oily, congested skin.
Every ingredient, graded
79%low risk
- Low risk1579%
- Mid risk421%
- High risk00%
19 ingredients, listed in label order. Tap any one for its grade and why.
- Glycerin
- Water
- Sodium Laurate
- Sodium Myristate
- Sodium Palmitate
- Sodium Stearate
- Sucrose
- Sorbitol
- Saccharomyces/Germanium Ferment Filtrate
- Lauryl Glucoside
- Sodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids
- Sodium Hyaluronate
- Indigofera Tinctoria (Indigo) Leaf Powder
- Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Extract
- Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Extract
- Vigna Radiata (Mung Bean) Seed Powder
- Centella Asiatica Extract
- Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract
- Tocopherol
Against the field
Same grading for every product
papasoap Deep Clean Blemish-Care Bar 100gOur pick
9.0Olive Young best-sellers Korea
Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Cleansing Bar
8.9A tea-tree acid soap with niacinamide and cica, but our deep-clean bar pairs similar actives with a stronger sebum-lifting cleansing base.
Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Cleanser
8.9A very gentle low-pH cleanser, but a liquid tube rather than a soap bar, and a hydration play over our deep-cleansing oil control.
COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser
8.8A low-strength salicylic tea-tree foaming tube, but a rinse-off liquid rather than the deep-cleansing bar our blemish-care routine centers on.
Amazon best-sellers US
Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar
8.9A mild moisturizing syndet bar for sensitive dry skin, but lacking the tea-tree and acid actives our deep-cleansing bar uses for oily, congested skin.
CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser Bar
8.9A gentle syndet bar with ceramides, but a hydrating dry-skin bar rather than a deep-cleansing bar for oily, congested skin.
Dove Beauty Bar (Sensitive Skin)
8.1A mild moisturizing beauty bar, but leans on fatty-acid soaps and betaine and is aimed at general sensitive skin, not oil and congestion.
Questions
Who is it best for?
Oily and breakout-prone skin that likes a squeaky-clean, non-tight finish.
Is it a low-pH cleanser?
No. It is a true fatty-acid soap and naturally alkaline, so very dry or sensitive skin may prefer a weakly-acidic cleanser.
Is it fragrance-free?
Yes, with no added fragrance, sulfates or colorants. The natural, raw soap scent is the most-noted point, since there is nothing added to mask it.
Won't a soap strip my skin?
Glycerin, aloe, centella, broccoli and mung bean extracts plus hyaluronic acid condition and calm, so it cleanses without feeling stripped.
What does it help with?
It deep-cleans excess oil and daily buildup from congested, blemish-prone skin with a dense, whipped lather.
The brand's own page
24 panels · translated from Korean by Dhaliora
These panels are the maker's own words and figures, shown as published. Our grading and comparisons are on the Our read tab.
We also reference reviews from Korean retailers — Naver Smart Store, Olive Young and Hwahae — translated into English. Reviews from Dhaliora orders are shown alongside them.
Customer Reviews
Overall rating: 4.9 / 5 from 509 reviews.
I spent a long time trying to decide what to say first, but I want to start by sincerely thanking the owner. ☺ As the seasons changed, I started getting tiny bumps and breakouts that I normally don’t have, and they just kept getting worse. I usually take skin care seriously—I've had dermatology treatments and I pay close attention to skincare and cosmetics—so my mood goes up and down with my skin condition. I don’t usually get tiny bumps, but this time they wouldn’t go away even after 1–2 months of dermatology care and trying tons of brands, so it was really stressful. Then the cleanser bar I’d used for 3–4 years changed its ingredients and I had an allergic reaction, so I started looking for something new and found papasoap. I’d heard the brand name years ago but didn’t pay attention then—I regret that now.. 😢 My skin was a complete mess and I was half ready to give up, but I saw papasoap listed as the top soap on an app and bought one full-size Deep Clean plus one sample each of Deep Clean and Houttuynia (eoseongcho). Before using it I was worried it might make my skin worse, so I messaged the owner on Naver Talk and explained my skin problems. The owner’s first words were, “You found the right place. You’ll like it.” That one line gave me so much trust..! I tried Deep Clean first, but since I have combination skin it felt a little stingy and I thought, “Oh, maybe this isn’t for me.” So I started using the Houttuynia soap, and amazingly by day 3 the tiny bumps started to calm down. After about a week I could feel round, hardened sebum coming out with each wash, and now the visible tiny bumps are almost gone. This is the first time I’ve ever written such a long Naver review. When I asked if I could exchange Deep Clean because it didn’t suit my skin, the owner happily exchanged it for the Houttuynia soap. Knowing papasoap was started because the owner wanted to help a sensitive daughter, I could feel how they treat each customer like a daughter and genuinely want the skin to improve. That really moved me. I also run a small business, and I’ve never met an owner who treats customers so sincerely. Honestly, even if the soap hadn’t suited me, I would still feel my purchase was worth it because of the owner’s sincere service. But the product matched my skin perfectly, so I’m beyond satisfied. I’d been using the same cleansing product for 3–4 years, so finding something new wasn’t easy, but now I feel like I want to use papasoap for the next 30 or 40 years and tell everyone around me about it. For the record, Deep Clean, which didn’t suit me, works well for my mom and sister. They have oily skin so it fits them better. haha Lastly, despite having extremely sensitive skin, I didn’t get any stinging from the Houttuynia soap, and even though it’s a soap my skin didn’t feel overly squeaky or dry after washing, which I really like. Of course, depending on skin type and condition a product may or may not suit someone. But this product brought me real satisfaction after a long struggle with skin issues, so I’m very grateful. Thank you again, owner. I’m thankful not only for the good product but mostly for truly listening to customers’ skin concerns and responding warmly. I’ll keep using papasoap for a long time. 😊 This is an honest review paid with my own money. Thank you so much. Wishing you health and lots of happiness. 🌼🌿🙏🏻
It doesn’t have a noticeable scent, but it cleans my face well. It’s fine for girls to use too. It even removes sunscreen well. Good.
It’s gentle and good for skin troubles 😀
No need to say much—papasoap is great 🧼 My skin got a lot better after using it. I’ll order again when it runs out.
My skin is super sensitive and foam cleansers were irritating me, so I started using the mild papasoap and it’s really good! It removes makeup without irritation. I’ll probably buy again when I finish it. If your skin is sensitive, try papasoap instead of foam cleansers!!
I don’t really notice much effect.
I’ll give it a try.
It cleans with a squeaky-clean feeling and I like it. There’s no added fragrance so it doesn’t smell, but it feels healthier. They gave me a lot of samples too. Thank you.
I was worried about how well it would remove sunscreen, but it cleans it off well so I feel refreshed.
It’s good, I’m using it well.
Delivery was fast and the packaging was done carefully. It’s moisturizing and nice.
My husband has seborrheic skin and he’s been using it well. His face has gotten a lot better than before. Thank you, papasoap fighting!
I use it every day. It foams well and I like it.
I’m repurchasing it. It’s good.
Good, good, good.
It leaves a squeaky-clean feeling when it rinses off.
I haven’t tried it yet, so I don’t know the effect.
I’ve been using it for over 10 years before I knew it. Thank you.
Good, good, good.
I have oily skin and this is my second order of papasoap—it's so good. My skin’s improved a lot. I’ll keep using it consistently.
It's great to use in the morning instead of my foam cleanser.
The bar is firm and it cleans well.
It foams a lot, but since I already have a foam cleanser I don't end up using it much.
It's pretty good, I like it.
I bought it because I have oily skin and I'm using it now. It foams well and my skin has improved a lot.
It feels refreshing when I use it. In summer when I sweat a lot it's nice to shower with this.
It washes squeaky clean. I've used it for a few days and I'm satisfied. I'll finish both bars and consider repurchasing.
I like it, I like it, I like it.
I use it well, but I still get pimples sometimes.
It cleans well and feels neat/clean.
It's good. It's good.
It's not perfectly clean, but it definitely has an effect. So I've been using it consistently. Even this much makes me feel grateful.
My husband is using it and likes it.
There's a slight scent but it goes away after rinsing. It leaves a squeaky-clean feeling but doesn't make the skin feel tight.
I thought handmade soap would get soft quickly, but this one is firm.
I've only used it for a day, but it feels squeaky clean and nice. I'll post a one-month review later.
It's gentle and cleans thoroughly.
First, it produces a lot of lather. I need to use it more to know for sure. If I like it after trying, I'll buy it again next time.
My middle school child is using it. I hope their acne eases a bit.
What reviewers in Korea mention
98 Hwahae Reviews · 4.61 Hwahae Avg. Rating · #1 Cleansing Soap Ranking · #3 2025 Beauty Award · summarised by Dhaliora
Most mentioned
Clears breakouts29
Cleanses well16
Non-irritating15
Squeaky-clean feel13
Controls oil10
Doesn't cause breakouts9
Soothing7
Friction
Scent not for everyone14
Strong smell for some3
Foam not very rich2
Allergy-like reaction reported2
Read the frictions as fit cues: this is a deep-cleansing bar for blemish-prone skin, focused on cleansing and oil control, so the scent and foam are secondary and results build with consistent use.
Good fit if
- Blemish- or breakout-prone skin that wants a deep, oil-controlling cleanse
- Oily skin looking for a squeaky-clean but non-irritating bar
- Value shoppers who want a cleansing soap for blemish-prone skin
Not for you if you want
- A luxurious scent and rich lather — the focus is cleansing, not fragrance
- Overnight change — results build with consistent use
- A creamy, moisturizing cleanse — it leaves a clean, oil-free feel
Our take
We set it beside 6 best-sellers. This is the one we stock.
Screened picks that pair well
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