Tuesday, June 08, 2010

Likas Papaya Soap Review

For all of those who have read my "how i broke the break out cycle" post, i'm sure you know that i use Likas Papaya Soap aside from the Neutrogena Facial Bar in battling out acne. Here in the Philippines, being fair is considered beautiful compare to being tan, that's why there are loads & loads of whitening products here.

Whitening soaps....
Whitening lotions....
Whitening toners....
Whitening scrubs...
Whitening facial washes....
Whitening creams...

The list is endless!!!!
The only thing that doesn't have a whitening benefit is shampoo for goodness' sake!
-__-"

I notice it a couple of days ago when i went grocery shopping with bf & i was looking for a good ol' soap that doesn't have beneficial effects. It was only then that i noticed how lots of soaps are mostly in an orange box, which indicates that it got 'papaya' which is a good skin whitener. Then i saw this lady who bought 5 boxes of papaya soap all the while chattering with her friend saying how she envies her neighbor who is so fair.

I mean, i do grocery shopping every now & then but it was only right there & then that i realize that most filipinos have this thinking that fair is better... Well, isn't it the same with others? For those who got naturally fair skin, being tan is better & goes to tanning salon just to achieve a good tan. In my case, no matter how people say that having a good tan makes you look slimmer, i can't do so because being exposed to too much sun gives me freckles on my chest area.

I remember too when i was a kid when i got a serious sunburn, my skin never peeled. If for some people it's normal for the skin to peel when they have a bad case of sunburn, mine never did. It took a year before my skin became lighter again. Which i then promise myself never to go swimming when it's really hot. All year long my classmates called me as 'negra' because i really went from being fair to a dark tan.

Ok, after the lengthy introduction about whitening & whatever, it's time to talk about the main product.... I don't have a before & after picture..just take my word that it does whiten the skin.


I remember my aunt suggested this soap as a solution to blemishes when i was still a teenager but i find that it didn't work for me so i just crossed it out on my 'soaps-to-try' list. I tried other soaps & found one that worked for me. But when that said brand changed their formula it stopped working on me so i switch to facial washes once more until i developed acne. Then a few months ago, on impulse i decided to buy this.

And it worked!

It did lighten my blemishes. So i use this side by side with Neutrogena Facial Bar. Again, i only use this when i take a bath. Actually, i use this soap for my body too. I'm not the type who got like a lot of facial products all lined in the bathroom cabinet. I only use one, both for the body & the face. That's why most of my body soaps are those that is either made from natural/organic products or is addressed for facial use.

This is how the back carton looks like:


I guess it is true that they are the first organic soap since i remember this soap being around since i was young... And i guess because of that, they have received lots of awards....


Now that we are finished talking about the brand, let's dissect how papaya can actually lighten the skin. It is said that the Papaya fruit contains enzymes which are called papain, which promotes skin renewal & cell turnover. It helps in skin exfoliation which then reveals new cells. Unlike the usual exfoliation that we do where we use scrubs, whitening soaps uses enzymes to help promote exfoliation, which i think is better compare to forcefully sloughing away the dead skin

I used to use fresh papaya on my skin as a facial mask, but i can't abide the smell of ripe papaya. There's something about the scent that turns me off of it.

The thing about using papaya soaps (i have tried other papaya soaps too) is that they does whiten the skin but it takes time. Unlike kojic soaps, that can whiten your skin in as fast as days, this one takes months, but i prefer this since i feel that my skin is adjusting to the change gradually instead of a quick change which can cause trauma to the skin.



I don't use lotions or anything so i really know that this works simply because this is the only product that i'm using as a skin lightener. I don't even use sunblock!

Yes, that's bad, but i haven't found a sunblock that won't make me sweat like crazy. It always feels like sunblock suffocates my skin..like it blocks my pores therefore making my sweat gland work doubly hard in getting rid of that film blocking it. Hence i make sure that i always carry an umbrella with me. It's not enough but i can't help it.


I will not say that i have a flawless skin, i do break out every now & then. But now i know that there is a way to help clear my skin so i'm not THAT worried about it.

Whenever i use it, i let it sit in my skin for a couple of minutes to make sure that it got enough time to for it to penetrate & do the work. It might dry out the skin & even leave the skin feeling tight but unlike the kojic soap, this is tolerable. It's better to apply moisturizer after using it. I don't use any moisturizers though, i only do so in extreme cases.

I think it's a must to let every soap sit in the skin for a couple of minutes if you really want to get the benefits that it promises.

It's priced at P80 (approx $2) & is available in leading stores & malls.

PROS:
  • available locally
  • cheap
  • it does lighten the skin
CONS:
  • will leave your skin feeling tight afterward so it's better to apply moisturizer
  • might not be available internationally
This is a staple product for me & i do make it a point to include it in my shopping basket whenever i do my monthly grocery.

So tell me, what helps you in getting rid of those unwanted blemishes from the those unwanted pimple marks?

Hope you had a great start for your week!

Jaa ne~!
^_^

ps:
don't forget to join my giveaway. just click the pic at the top
^_~

29 comments:

Anastacia said...

I like using soaps during summer time! It takes off all the extra oil :P

xoladiihoneyxo said...

ohhhh! Interesting, I really want to try this soap bar out! It seems like it's okay for people with sensitive skin. I know how you feel about Asians thinking fair skin means beauty and tan basically means you're poor.... it's that in all the Asian countries, basically (well, most). In America, some Asian girls try to stay fair as possible while others take the advantage of getting tan to look slimmer during those hot seasons.

My Gorgeous Pink Cheeks said...

I love Likas Papaya. I've been using it na for 12 years :) I just hate their extreme price increase!

http://mygorgeouspinkcheeks.blogspot.com/

ThRiSzHa said...

my mom been using this soap for a very long time and i think it works for her..im not into a whitening products...

Unknown said...

it's super effective sa whitening. I think its even more effective than bleaching soaps :P kaya lng I agree with bec...ridiculous yung price...from 30php something its now to 80php...but oh well...it works! :P glad it works for you sis! :D

Crystal said...

i just bought this last week! hope it works for me.

krissy ♥ said...

Your reviews are really so detailed :)

I use Cyleina Black Pearl for my face and it works for me :)

ectini said...

Thank you for this review!!! I've been looking into whitening soaps but all the ones I find on ebay are pricey! Are these available online?

Miss Shopcoholic said...

ito rin gamit ng friend ko sa face na! it really works daw!

DeBi said...

grabee...80 pesos na ang Likas? I remember my eldest sister buying this way back 90's and it only costs 40...anyways, it does work...my highschool friend would definitely recommend this.
as for me, I can't use whitening products because I teach swimming to toddlers and oldies. It would surely damage my skin more if I use this (you can't go out and expose yourself when using whitening products times two ang pangingitim).

ChyiX2 said...

I've never tried papaya soaps, am interested though. But I'm not so interested in the whitening effect as my skin isn't dark but I've heard of the benefits the soap has.

Unknown said...

Kudos to Likas Papaya! I'm thinking of doing a review too.

I'm using this soap. I have acne. And it stopped the breakouts. I cannot say for now it really works for acne coz I have been like using it for two weeks lang. So far though, no breakouts.

As for whitening, i dunno. I'm morena. So can't tell yet. I want to try Kojic soaps. Mas mabilis raw. Totoo ba?

http://chasingimladris.blogspot.com

+ S T A R + said...

i was a likas user during the 90's. good for lightening blemishes.

lilie said...

hey, i just bought this soap but havn't try it! wish it works on me :)

Anonymous said...

hi, im heading to manila this week. where can i get likas papaya soap? is it available at watsons? thanks.

rosy cheeks said...

ive been using this since college. they really do work. just a note for people who will be using this for the first time, the first few weeks of using this, you will have breakouts, i think its because it will try to remove the deep seated dirts in your face, but after two weeks you'll notice you'll have fewer breakouts and it will leave your skin with a rosy white glow :) i do get compliments every now and then as they thought that im wearing a blush on but when i tell them im not wearing any they would always be surprised. :)

Thiamere Brea said...

ah...you experienced a purging state,huh?
well,at least in the end it worked for you, so that's good!
^_^

Lora-chan said...

Hello can I ask if this can whiten pimple marks? What is more effective, this one or the orange peel soap in terms of whitening pimple marks? thanks! ^^,

Thiamere Brea said...

i think it depends naman sa skin mo e. i've talked with a lot of girls swearing that this worked for them. it lightened their pimple marks though sakin hindi naman ganun ka effective compare sa orange-peel & l-gluta soap.

i guess bias ako kasi yung orange peel soap lang talaga ang nagwork sakin e.i have used both during the stage where my acne was bad & only orange peel was able to stop my acne & cleared my skin.

Lora-chan said...

Ok thanks very much po! ^^, I am now using the orange peel and hoping that it will also work for me. ^^,

Thiamere Brea said...

i hope that it would work on you too,sweets
^_^

sherrygo said...

Oh nice not sure if here got

mizshel said...

ok na po sana yung likas.. i have been a long time user too.. I just hope they'd take out the synthetic colorings

Kline_enilk said...

nakakatangal po ba ito ng pimples? i am 15 yrs old and male, maraming sabon na ginagamit at hindi effective help me po. plss

Thiamere Brea said...

kasi iba iba ang skin ng tao e.
what works for me might not work for you.
but u might want to try it since Php50 lang naman ito.just make sure that you apply sunblock ha

one tip lang, when you switched to a different soap, give it enough time to work. give it a month at least.

Humak said...

Hi I want to check with you about Likas papaya soap. Does it causes burning sensation on the skin during the initial few uses. I have used it two times for my face & have experienced some burning sensation on my face is that normal? Thank you

Thiamere Brea said...

sweetie,every skin is different.
i always feel a stinging sensation whenever i use face soaps that got lightening effect. i think i got that stinging sensation from Likas din but it disappeared after a few days of using.

if you are too uncomfortable then you might want to not let it stay on your skin. Paraan mo lang ng soap then rinse it after.

rashpal sidhu said...

I wanna knowif after stopping its use it would again cause darkening of skin??

yellah said...

Hi, i used to have acne and a very sensitive skin before. I tried the Olay regenerist cream cleanser 100g (black tube). It is one of the few who worked best on my skin and eliminated my acne. Lacto Pafi is also good since it is anti-bacterial.

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