Blemish Serum 150ml
Blemish Serum, from papa recipe, is a serum. It suits normal, combination, dry and oily skin. Comes in a 150ml size.
No reviews yet150 ml
$25.00 per 100 ml
- Korean-market formula
- Ships from California or direct from Korea
- Korean barcode and batch code intact
- Suited to
- NormalCombinationDryOily
- Helps with
- A targeted treatment stepLayering under a daily moisturizer
In stock. Arrives in 3 to 7 business days
We accept
You’re $100.00 away from free US shipping.
- 30-day returns
- Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
- Tracked delivery to your door
How it works
Blemish Serum is a serum from papa recipe. A concentrated treatment step, applied after toner or essence and before moisturizer. What ships is the papa recipe formula sold on shelves in Korea in this size, not a version reformulated for the US market.
Key benefits
- Blemish Serum is a serum from papa recipe, taking the serum's usual place in a layered Korean routine.
- papa recipe ships Blemish Serum here as the Korean-market formula, the same version sold on shelves in Korea, not a US-shelf reformulation.
- Sold with intact Korean-market barcode and batch coding rather than a US-retail relabel.
Inside the formula
Inside the formula
What is Blemish Serum?
It is a serum from papa recipe (150ml).
How do I use this serum?
Apply a few drops to clean skin after toner or essence and before moisturizer, morning and/or night, pressing it in rather than rubbing.
Can I use this with other serums?
Yes, layering thinnest to thickest texture is the usual rule; introduce one new serum at a time so you can tell what your skin is responding to.
Not on the ingredient list below: fragrance or parfum, denatured or SD alcohol, essential oils, silicones, parabens, sulfate surfactants, mineral oil or petrolatum and added color.
Full INCI (42): Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Isopentyldiol, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Bakuchiol, Allantoin, Panthenol, Adenosine, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Pentylene Glycol, Hyaluronic Acid, Potassium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/Acerola Cherry Ferment, Lactobacillus/Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment, Saccharomyces/Viscum Album (Mistletoe) Ferment Extract, Saccharomyces/Imperata Cylindrica Root Ferment Extract, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Propanediol, Xanthan Gum, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Disodium EDTA, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Carbomer, Tromethamine, PVM/MA Copolymer
Ingredient list read from inkeedecoder.com on 12 September 2026.
40 of 42 explained
- Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate ferment
- Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate is a yeast ferment filtered clear, the ingredient that made the Korean and Japanese essence category. It carries amino acids, vitamins and organic acids and is used for the look of dullness and rough texture.
- Water solvent
- Water is the base almost every serum, toner and cream is built on. It dissolves the water-loving ingredients and sets how light the finished texture feels. On an INCI list it is usually first, which only means it is the largest single ingredient by weight.
- Butylene Glycol humectant
- Butylene Glycol is a small glycol that does two jobs at once: it holds water in the top layer of skin and it dissolves plant extracts and actives that plain water cannot. It also thins a formula, which is why watery Korean essences lean on it.
- Glycerin humectant
- Glycerin is the most used humectant in skincare. It draws water into the outer layer of skin and holds it there, and it is one of the very few ingredients whose hydrating effect is settled science rather than marketing. Higher amounts feel tacky, which is why it is usually blended.
- Isopentyldiol solvent
- Isopentyldiol is a glycol used as a light solvent and humectant. It thins a formula, keeps extracts dissolved and leaves a dry finish.
- Niacinamide active
- Niacinamide is vitamin B3, and it is the most studied active in Korean formulation. It is used at roughly 2 to 5 percent for the look of uneven tone and visible pores, and it is water soluble, stable and comfortable beside almost every other active, which is why it turns up in so many lists.
- 1,2-Hexanediol humectant
- 1,2-Hexanediol is a glycol used for two reasons: it holds water like glycerin, and it makes a formula harder for microbes to live in, so less traditional preservative is needed. Korean formulas use it heavily for that second reason.
- Bakuchiol active
- Bakuchiol is a compound from the babchi seed, used as a plant-derived alternative to retinol. It is oil soluble, stable in daylight and does not carry retinol's acclimatisation period, which is why sensitive-skin formulas choose it.
- Allantoin active
- Allantoin is a comfrey-derived compound used to condition skin and soften the outer layer so it feels smoother. It is one of the standard additions to a formula built for easily irritated skin.
- Panthenol humectant
- Panthenol is pro-vitamin B5: skin converts it to pantothenic acid. It is a humectant that holds water and leaves skin feeling soft and less tight, and it is one of the ingredients formulators reach for when a formula also contains something harsh.
- Adenosine active
- Adenosine is a nucleoside that Korea's own cosmetic authority recognises as a wrinkle-care functional ingredient, which is why it appears on so many Korean lists at a low level. It is used for the look of fine lines and is stable and well tolerated.
- Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid humectant
- Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid cut into much shorter fragments. The smaller the fragment, the further into the outer layer it can settle, which is why serums stack several sizes together instead of using one.
28 more explained
- Sodium Benzoate preservative
- Sodium Benzoate is a mild preservative that works only in acidic formulas. It is usually paired with potassium sorbate, and the pair is the standard choice where a brand wants no phenoxyethanol.
- Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate humectant
- Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid modified to be part oil-loving, so it clings to skin instead of rinsing away. Formulators call it the one that stays put.
- Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate humectant
- Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate carries a positive charge, and skin carries a slight negative one, so it is attracted to the surface and stays through rinsing. It is the hyaluronic used where a formula gets washed off.
- Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate humectant
- Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid joined to a silicon-based group. It hydrates and leaves a smoother, silkier finish than hyaluronic acid alone.
- Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer humectant
- Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is hyaluronic acid linked into a mesh. It holds water in a soft gel on the surface rather than sinking in, and it releases that water slowly through the day.
- Pentylene Glycol humectant
- Pentylene Glycol hydrates and, like the other longer-chain glycols, makes a formula less hospitable to microbes so the preservative system can be lighter. It also improves how evenly a product spreads.
- Hyaluronic Acid humectant
- Hyaluronic Acid is a sugar chain the body already makes, and one gram of it can hold several litres of water. In a formula it is a humectant that pulls water to the surface of skin and holds it in a film, which is what makes skin look plumper while it is there.
- Potassium Hyaluronate humectant
- Potassium Hyaluronate is another salt of hyaluronic acid, used for the same reason as the sodium form: it dissolves easily and holds a large amount of water in the outer layer of skin.
- Sodium Hyaluronate humectant
- Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt of hyaluronic acid, and it is what most products labelled hyaluronic actually contain. The salt dissolves more readily and the molecule is smaller, so it sits in the outer layer of skin rather than only on top of it.
- Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract ferment
- This is soybean fermented by lactobacillus. The fermentation breaks soy proteins into smaller pieces, which is what makes the extract easier for a formula to carry.
- Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract ferment
- Pomegranate fruit fermented with lactobacillus, then extracted. Fermentation breaks the fruit sugars and polyphenols into smaller pieces, and the filtrate is used as a conditioning ferment.
- Lactobacillus/Acerola Cherry Ferment ferment
- Acerola cherry fermented with lactobacillus. Acerola is one of the richest fruit sources of vitamin C, and the ferment supplies it alongside organic acids and sugars.
- Lactobacillus/Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract ferment
- Wasabi root fermented with lactobacillus, then extracted. Fermentation tempers the pungent sulphur compounds of the raw root and frees its sugars and amino acids.
- Lactobacillus/Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Ferment Filtrate ferment
- Hibiscus flower fermented with lactobacillus and strained. It carries the flower's plant acids and sugars and is used as a conditioning ferment.
- Saccharomyces/Viscum Album (Mistletoe) Ferment Extract ferment
- Mistletoe fermented with yeast, then extracted. Fermentation breaks the plant material down into smaller sugars and peptides, and the extract is used as a conditioning ferment.
- Saccharomyces/Imperata Cylindrica Root Ferment Extract ferment
- Cogon grass root fermented with yeast, then extracted. The root is used in formulas for its water holding sugars and potassium, and fermentation makes them more available.
- Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer thickener
- This is a synthetic thickener that gels quickly and holds an emulsion stable across a wide pH range. It gives a light, non-tacky body.
- Cetearyl Olivate emulsifier
- Cetearyl Olivate is the water-loving half of the olive-derived emulsifier pair. With sorbitan olivate it builds emulsions whose lipid profile is close to skin's own.
- Sorbitan Olivate emulsifier
- Sorbitan Olivate is an olive-derived emulsifier, the oil-loving half of the pair sold as Olivem. It holds oil into water and leaves a light, non-waxy feel.
- Ethylhexylglycerin preservative booster
- Ethylhexylglycerin softens skin and boosts a preservative system, which is why it is nearly always sitting beside phenoxyethanol or 1,2-hexanediol. It also cuts down the odour bacteria produce, so it turns up in deodorising products.
- Propanediol humectant
- Propanediol is a plant-derived glycol used in place of propylene glycol. It hydrates, carries actives into solution, and gives a lighter, less sticky slip than glycerin at the same strength.
- Xanthan Gum thickener
- Xanthan Gum is a polysaccharide made by fermenting sugar. It thickens a watery formula into a gel and holds the whole thing in suspension so nothing separates. Too much of it and a serum turns stringy, which is why it appears in fractions of a percent.
- Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate emulsifier
- Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate is a sugar-derived emulsifier and solubiliser, mild enough to be a standard choice in Korean essences. It dissolves small amounts of oil into water without any tightening feel.
- Disodium EDTA chelator
- EDTA is a chelator: it locks up trace metal ions from water and packaging that would otherwise turn a formula cloudy, off-colour or rancid. It does nothing to skin and appears at a fraction of a percent.
- Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer film former
- This is a polymer that forms a moisture-holding film on the surface, usually supplied with glycerin and propylene glycol as a hydrating complex.
- Carbomer thickener
- Carbomer is a synthetic polymer that only gels once a base neutralises it, which is why arginine or tromethamine sits nearby on the list. It gives the clear, non-stringy gel texture a xanthan formula cannot reach.
- Tromethamine pH adjuster
- Tromethamine neutralises acidic thickeners such as carbomer so they gel, and holds a formula near skin-friendly pH. It is used at a fraction of a percent.
- PVM/MA Copolymer film former
- PVM/MA Copolymer is a film-forming polymer used to hold a formula in place and, in a mask, to give the peel-off film its strength.
- Market
- Korean market, the version sold in Korea
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Volume
- 150 ml
- Category
- Serum & Ampoule
- Ships from
- California or Korea
Orders ship from California or direct from Korea with tracked delivery to your door, and both routes carry the same Korean-market release. Shipping is free on orders of $100 or more. Returns are accepted for 30 days, by mail.
We split shipments free, so one out-of-stock item never holds up the rest of your order.
Where this unit came from
- 1Seoul
Bought as Korean-market stock - 2Barcode
Listed against the Korean barcode on its box - 3California or Korea
Ships to you from either, as the same Korean-market release
We stock the version of a formula that is sold in Korea, not the release a brand prepares for another market under the same name.
Every unit keeps its original barcode and batch code intact, so the unit in your hands can be checked against the brand’s own records.
Every order ships from California or direct from Korea, and returns run for 30 days.
Every claim on this page traces to the unit in the box, the barcode, the batch code and the price you can read for yourself.
How to use
- Apply a few drops to clean skin after toner or essence and before moisturizer, morning and/or night, pressing it in rather than rubbing.
Worth knowing
- Introduce a new serum on its own for a week before adding other treatment steps.
Complete the routine
- This itempapa recipe Blemish Serum 150ml$37.50

- Seal the routine in as the last steppapa recipe Blemish Cream 100ml$47.50

- The treatment step of this routinepapa recipe Noble Rot Lifting Ampoule 30ml$55.00

Total for 3 items$140.00
Reviews
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papa recipe Blemish Serum 150ml
How it felt, how your skin took it, what you layer it with. Straight answers help the next person choose.
papa recipe, Korean-market original
Blemish Serum, 150ml, papa recipe's serum.
Verify your unit when it arrives
Verify your unit when it arrives
Korean-market stock with the original barcode and batch code intact, exactly as it left Korea.
On the unit itself
- The Korean-market barcode, unaltered from the retail package.
- The manufacturer’s batch code, exactly as the maker printed it.
정품Genuine article, Korean-market stock
What professionals say
What professionals say
What skin-care professionals say about skin care, quoted from the medical sources linked beside each.
Your skin barrier is basically your outer layer of the skin.
Melissa Piliang, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic Pretty much every step of a Korean skin care routine is going to have some component of hydration.
Alok Vij, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic
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