Facial Soaps: The Next Big Thing In K-beauty

We’re calling it: Facial soaps are the next big thing in K-Beauty!

With K-Beauty brands from Ciracle and April Skin to Benton and JJ Young throwing their hands in the ring to create the latest and greatest soap cleansers, it’s safe to say that facial soaps are having a moment in K-Beauty.

We’re taking a look at the latest K-skincare craze and who should be getting in on it!

Why facial soaps?

Once rejected for being overly drying and messy to use, the new breed of facial soaps are suitable for a wide range of skin types and have plenty of special features that old soaps didn’t. In addition to soothing, natural and even cruelty-free formulas, some of the latest Korean soaps don’t change shape after use, others come in their own hygienic foaming nets (to contain any mess and help store them hygienically) and most of them can even be broken into smaller pieces so you only use a little at a time!

What do they do?

The newest breed of facial soaps work to deep-cleanse the pores, assisting to remove excess sebum. They’re also rich in antioxidants to help control oil and dead skin. Unlike old soaps, these new models don’t require you to pull or tug at your skin in order to cleanse your face, which assists with anti-aging concerns.

How do you use them?

Facial soaps are perfect for using as step 2 in the Korean 2-Step Cleanse method. After taking any makeup and sunscreen off at night with a regular oil cleanser, lather the soap bar in your hands (or in a foaming net) and lightly massage the foam onto your face (rather than the soap itself).

Once you’ve finished washing up, simply rinse the residue off with lukewarm water and continue with your regular skincare routine.

If you’ve got combination skin, most soaps will recommend you use them on the oily T-Zone rather than on your dry patches.

Our K-Beauty soap picks

It seems like there’s no stopping the K-Beauty soap craze – and for good reason – so we might as well jump on board! The best K-Beauty soaps we’ve found include:

Ciracle Blackhead Soap – containing green tea, olive, blackberry and soybean, this blackhead soap is perfect for combination skin (for use on an oily T-zone), as well as acne-prone and oily skin types. It works to minimise blackheads and reduce future skin troubles.

April Skin Magic Stone – One of Korea’s fastest selling beauty products, April Skin’s Magic Stone is no ordinary cleansing soap. The foaming cleanser has a hypoallergenic formula that contains a blend of Korean herbal extracts that effectively remove dirt, makeup and more. Did we mention more than 2 million of these soaps have already been sold?!

Benton Dear My Best Friend Bar – Perfect for dry, oily and sensitive skin types, Benton’s facial and body soap contains cocoa powder, oatmeal and calamine for a non-irritating, yet effective cleanse that won’t strip your skin of its natural oils. This one is certified cruelty-free by PETA.

JJ Young by Caolion Lab All in One Soap – perfect for oily and combination skin types, this divine-smelling soap can be used on your face, hair and body. It targets large pores and works to remove both sebum and keratin. Plus, it’s cruelty-free.

What other people say about them

Ciracle Blackhead Soap

“The Ciracle blackhead soap was a surprising product…The soap lathers up nicely when I rub it between my hands and happens to have quite a pleasant citrus scent to it. After lathering it up, I massaged it into my t-zone (which is oily and prone to large pores) and I can honesty say this soap smoothened out the roughness on my nose and controlled sebum production…” Instagrammer: @___romulus___

“In the past I have tried bar soap type of facial cleansers and really disliked them. I had to approach this one with an open mind….I am glad I did.,,, I really like this soap, it’s something that will last a long time since it doesn’t take a whole lot to get it lathered up.” My Skincare Reality blogger Soph

April Skin Magic Stone

“It didn’t crumble apart in the water, like regular soap bars do… the fact that the Magic Stone retains it’s shape even when wet, means you’re getting your money’s worth. I’ve used the soap for almost a month now, and still have almost the same amount of product from when I first started using it.” – Anthony Jung at The Beauty Aesthetics

Benton Dear My Best Friend Bar

“I’ve been using this soap for three weeks now and I can really say that this helps soothe my skin. I have combination and sensitive skin…it also made my skin smooth and hydrated.” – Wild & Sassy

JJ Young by Caolion Lab All in One Soap

“Not only does this soap smell absolutely divine, it comes in its own silky mesh that helps it foam up and also doubles as a storage device. Charcoal helps to purify the pores, menthol soothes and irritates, plus it’s certified cruelty free (and not sold in China) – #winning” – Lauren Lee, SS Founder

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