Kool Seoul · Brand Deep-Dive
Unveiling the Charm of Korean Skincare: Exploring the UNPA Phenomenon
If you have ever watched a lip balm foam on your mouth like tiny champagne bubbles, you have already met UNPA (언파). The brand went global thanks to its cult Bubi Bubi Lip scrub, a bubbling balm that literally shows the exfoliation happening on your lips. That single product turned a small Korean lab into a household name for anyone who loves K-beauty with a bit of theatre. What most shoppers outside Korea do not realise is that UNPA also runs one of the smartest oral-care lines in Seoul: the Cha Cha range, designed like skincare, formulated with the same clean-obsession, and quietly changing what a Korean bathroom shelf looks like.
Kool Seoul stocks UNPA's Cha Cha oral-care line and its Lacto Cica pad. The Bubi Bubi Lip scrub is not currently in our warehouse, so this guide focuses on what we actually have in stock in Seoul and can ship to you. If you came here for the bubbling balm, keep reading — we will explain where UNPA sits in the K-beauty universe first, then walk you through the products you can order today.
Who UNPA is (and who they are not for)
UNPA started as a Korean indie beauty brand with a habit of making textures no one else was making. The Bubi Bubi Lip scrub is the most famous example: apply a thin layer, wait a few seconds, and micro-bubbles rise up as the formula lifts dead skin. There is also the 3-Second Cushion, another texture experiment that spread across social feeds a few years back. The DNA of the brand is: novel texture, playful packaging, quiet efficacy.
Around 2023 UNPA extended that same DNA into oral care with the Cha Cha sub-line. Instead of shouting about whitening or aggressive mint, Cha Cha treats toothpaste and mouthwash the way K-beauty treats a serum — vegan-leaning formulas, botanical scents, ingredient stories, and packaging you actually want to leave on the counter. If you already care what your toner is made of, you will care what your toothpaste is made of too. That is the whole thesis.
UNPA is probably not for you if you want maximum-strength drugstore whitening, tingling clinical mint, or fragrance-free everything. The Cha Cha line leans floral, herbal and gently perfumed. The Lacto Cica pad is calming rather than resurfacing — if your goal is heavy exfoliation or strong actives every night, you will want something more aggressive elsewhere in your routine. UNPA is for the person who wants their bathroom to feel like a spa, not a clinic.
The hero: Cha Cha, oral care redesigned
The Cha Cha line is where UNPA's design brain meets your morning routine. Four toothpastes and one mouthwash, each built around a different scent and skin-of-the-mouth story. All of them are 100 g tubes (except the 90 g French Chamomile) at very reasonable prices for a Korean designer brand — the entry point is around ten to fourteen dollars.
The UNPA Cha Cha Zen Jasmine Scent 1450 High Fluoride Toothpaste 100g is the meditative one. Jasmine is unusual in toothpaste — most Western brands would never dare — and the effect is genuinely calming in the morning. It is a 1450 ppm fluoride formula, which is the standard cavity-protection level used in most adult toothpaste worldwide, so you are not sacrificing dental science for a nicer scent. The tube's minimalist floral illustration alone earns its counter space.
The UNPA Cha Cha Zen Grapefruit Scent 1450 High Fluoride Toothpaste 100g is the citrus counterpart. Same 1450 ppm fluoride base, same clean formulation approach, but with a bright, slightly bitter grapefruit note that wakes you up without the heat of strong peppermint. It pairs well with anyone who finds classic mint toothpaste too aggressive on sensitive gums. Twin these two Zen tubes for morning and evening use and you have covered the full day.
The UNPA Cha Cha Charcoal Original Toothpaste 100g is the darker, more traditional pick. Charcoal toothpaste has been part of Korean and Japanese oral care for years — it uses activated charcoal to help lift surface staining while the fluoride handles cavity protection. This is the tube to reach for if you drink coffee, matcha or red wine and want a gentler daily approach than harsh peroxide whitening strips.
The UNPA Chacha French Chamomile Vegan Whitening Toothpaste 90g is the newest Cha Cha and the softest. Vegan formulation, chamomile scent, and a whitening approach built around gentle daily use rather than a bleaching event. Chamomile brings a subtle apple-honey note that reads much more like a face cream than a toothpaste, and the 90 g tube is the perfect travel size for a weekend in Jeju or a weekend anywhere else.
Round out the ritual with the UNPA Cha Cha Mintlasting Mouthwash 300ml. This is the one product in the range that does lean minty, but it is a long-lasting cool mint rather than a sharp sting. The 300 ml bottle sits nicely next to the tubes on a shelf and keeps the same visual language, so the whole line looks intentional rather than random. If you were only going to try two Cha Cha products, we would suggest one toothpaste plus this mouthwash — the pairing is what turns oral care into a routine you actually look forward to.
The skincare crossover: Lacto Cica pad
The one skincare item Kool Seoul carries from UNPA is the UNPA Lacto Cica Deep Calming Serum Pad 85 Sheets, and it belongs in a different corner of your routine. Serum pads are one of the biggest categories in Korean skincare right now: pre-soaked cotton rounds that deliver toner, essence or actives in one swipe. UNPA's version leans into calming rather than exfoliating — a Lacto Cica formula built around fermented lactobacillus and cica (centella asiatica), the two ingredients Korean derms reach for when skin is red, tired, or reacting to actives.
Use one after cleansing on days when your barrier feels compromised — post-flight, post-strong-actives, post-sun — and let the pad sit on the reactive zone for a minute or two. It is not a resurfacing pad, so do not expect the tingle of a glycolic or PHA disc. Think of it as the "reset" step in a longer routine, or a standalone quick fix on lazy nights when you cannot face a full ten-step lineup.
How to build a UNPA drawer
If you want to try UNPA properly without over-committing, we would suggest starting with a duo: one Cha Cha toothpaste in the scent that suits you (Jasmine for calm mornings, Grapefruit for a fresh wake-up, Charcoal for coffee drinkers, French Chamomile for the most sensitive palates) plus the Mintlasting Mouthwash. That gives you a full oral-care ritual at under thirty dollars, which is roughly what a single high-end serum costs.
If you are already sold on the skincare-style approach and want the full experience, add the Lacto Cica Deep Calming Serum Pad and you have both your face and your mouth covered by the same brand philosophy. It is a nice way to feel the UNPA identity across two very different categories in the same routine.
Frequently asked questions
Does Kool Seoul sell the UNPA Bubi Bubi Lip scrub?
Not at the moment. The Bubi Bubi Lip is UNPA's most famous product internationally, but our current UNPA stock focuses on the Cha Cha oral-care line and the Lacto Cica pad. If it comes back into our warehouse we will update this page.
Is the Cha Cha toothpaste fluoride-based?
Yes. The Cha Cha Zen Jasmine and Cha Cha Zen Grapefruit toothpastes contain 1450 ppm fluoride, which is the standard cavity-protection level recommended for adults in most dental guidelines. The Charcoal and French Chamomile tubes are also formulated as full-function toothpastes rather than novelty products.
Is UNPA a vegan brand?
UNPA labels specific products as vegan rather than the entire brand. The Chacha French Chamomile Whitening Toothpaste is marketed as a vegan formula. For other items we would recommend checking the product page carefully before ordering if this is important to you.
Can I use the Lacto Cica pad every day?
Yes, it is designed as a calming daily-use pad rather than an exfoliating one, so most skin types can use it morning and evening. If you are already layering strong actives like retinoids or acids, the Lacto Cica pad is a nice buffering step between cleanse and treatment.
Which Cha Cha toothpaste is best for coffee drinkers?
The Cha Cha Charcoal Original is the most traditional pick for surface staining, since activated charcoal has a mild polishing effect. The French Chamomile Whitening is a gentler daily-use option if you prefer to avoid the darker paste. Neither is a substitute for professional whitening, but both can help keep everyday staining under control.
Do you ship UNPA outside Korea?
Yes. Kool Seoul ships worldwide from Seoul via DHL, and shipping is free on orders over $150. UNPA products are usually in stock in our Seoul warehouse and dispatched within a few business days.
How is UNPA different from other Korean oral-care brands?
Most Korean oral-care brands sit inside a big personal-care conglomerate and follow the drugstore playbook. UNPA came from the beauty side of the industry, so Cha Cha reads more like a K-beauty skincare line than a dental one — different scents, softer packaging, cleaner formulation stories, and a much more considered visual identity on the shelf.
Is UNPA the same brand as the Bubi Bubi Lip scrub I saw on TikTok?
Yes. UNPA (sometimes written 언파 in Korean) is the maker of the Bubi Bubi Lip bubbling scrub, the 3-Second Cushion and several other viral texture experiments. Kool Seoul does not currently stock those exact items, but the Cha Cha oral-care line comes from the same team and the same design mindset.
— Nora, team Kool Seoul · sourced from Seoul, shipped worldwide