Anua Rice + Ceramide Cleansing Powder for dry sensitive skin
Rice
Ceramide
Papain
Ascorbic Acid
Alpha-ArbutinHigh
- HighDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
A great choice for dry sensitive skin; a few products fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry sensitive skin: flakiness, tightness, redness, fine lines, and wrinkles. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Highly suitable for your dry and sensitive skin, this cleanser utilizes glycerin and allantoin to provide humectant and soothing actions, while ceramide NP aids in barrier repair.
- The inclusion of rice powder and papain offers gentle exfoliation and cleansing benefits that support dry or flaky skin without causing irritation.
- The product is safe for your skin, as it contains no harsh ingredients and includes soothing components like allantoin and glycerin.
How to apply
- Use your enzyme powder cleanser PM once a week as part of your weekly routine, and start slowly to check your skin's tolerance.
- Place this step right after your regular cleanser and before your hydrating toner, following the weekly routine order.
- Mix the powder with a little water in your hands to create a soft foam, then gently massage it onto your face without rubbing hard.
- Apply the foam on slightly damp skin to keep your dry flakes comfortable and safe from extra irritation.
- Be sure to avoid the delicate eye area and do a patch test before your very first use.
People Say
★4.8Overall rating based on 400+ reviewsUsers with dry, sensitive, and textured skin consistently report that this powder cleanser effectively brightens and smooths the complexion without stripping natural moisture. While the vast majority experience a gentle, hydrating cleanse that improves skin clarity, a small minority with compromised barriers report mild irritation or dislike the product's unique, slimy texture during rinsing.
Highlights
Gentle exfoliation Mostly Mentioned
- “skin feels very clean and refresh”
- “smooths my skin & feels gentle”
- “gentle enzyme powder with marshmallow effect”
- “mild exfoliation without irritation”
Brightening & glow Often Mentioned
- “brighter skin complexion”
- “helps with uneven skin tone”
- “luminous effect”
- “skin looks more radiant”
Non-stripping hydration Often Mentioned
- “doesn't strip skin”
- “keeps skin hydrated after cleansing”
- “face feels soft”
- “moisturizing finish”
Versatility Sometimes Noted
- “use as a wash-off mask”
- “multi-purpose cleanser”
- “doubles as a mask”
- “great for travel”
Messy packaging Sometimes Noted
- “gushed out”
- “be careful when you first squeeze”
- “hard to control amount”
- “messy dispensing”
Slimy texture Sometimes Noted
- “very slimy”
- “stringy texture”
- “takes a long time to wash off”
- “feels like stretchy cheese”
Potential irritation Rarely Noted
- “tingling sensation”
- “redness”
- “bumpy rash”
- “stingy on wounds”
Price vs. size Rarely Noted
- “small size”
- “price is expensive”
- “wish it was bigger”
- “expensive for the amount”
Sources: lovi.care, iherb.com, anua.us, skinsort.com, ulta.com, maquibeauty.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Anua Rice + Ceramide Cleansing Powder a great fit for dry sensitive skin?
This cleanser is a great fit because it uses glycerin and allantoin to calm and hydrate dry skin, while ceramide NP helps repair the skin barrier. Rice powder and papain provide gentle exfoliation to lift away flaky skin without causing irritation.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for dry sensitive skin?
This cleanser is a great fit for your dry sensitive skin because it uses glycerin and allantoin to keep your skin soft and calm, while ceramide NP helps repair your skin barrier. Rice powder and papain also provide gentle cleansing and smoothing without causing irritation.
What does Rice do for dry sensitive skin?
Rice helps calm and moisturize dry sensitive skin by locking in water and reducing irritation. Rice-derived ingredients and rice water can improve skin hydration while protecting against dryness and redness.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022Rinsho Byori. The Japanese Journal of Clinical Pathology, 2007
What do Ceramides do for dry sensitive skin?
Ceramides help strengthen dry, sensitive skin by locking in moisture and repairing the outer barrier, which makes skin feel softer and less irritated. This type of care helps prevent dryness and keeps skin calm and comfortable.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2022Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?
This cleanser goes as the first step in your morning routine and the second step in your evening routine after a makeup remover. Start by using it just once a week, and you may carefully use it more often if your skin handles it well.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
Yes, you can use this cleanser with retinol by using the cleanser first and applying retinol afterward in your evening routine. This powder cleanser uses gentle rice powder and papain to clean flaky skin without causing irritation, while glycerin and allantoin help keep your skin calm.
How often should I use this cleanser?
Start by using this enzyme powder cleanser just once a week, and carefully increase the frequency only if your dry sensitive skin tolerates it well and shows good results. It is safe for your skin because it contains no harsh ingredients and includes soothing components like glycerin and allantoin.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on dry sensitive skin because it avoids heavy, pore-clogging oils and features gentle cleansing components. It also contains soothing ingredients like allantoin and glycerin to help keep your skin calm while washing.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
A lipid mixture enriched by ceramide NP with fatty acids of diverse chain lengths significantly improved skin barrier recovery rate, stratum corneum integrity, and hydration compared to a vehicle cream in healthy adult male volunteers with corticosteroid-impaired skin.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2022Daily application of a cream containing niosomes loaded with purple glutinous rice extract in 20 human volunteers for 28 days resulted in a significant decrease in melanin index and skin roughness by -14.05% and -9.95%, and increases in skin hydration and elastic recovery by +48.73% and +35.98% compared to initial values.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2020A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The iontophoretic delivery of hyaluronic acid nanogel-loaded Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate significantly reduced advanced glycation end products and mitigated skin stiffening in an ex vivo skin tissue glycation model.
International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2025Red rice extract suppressed UVB-induced inflammation and skin aging in human skin fibroblasts by inhibiting the MAPK signaling pathway, leading to decreased NF-kappa B and AP-1 activation, reduced ECM degradation, and increased ECM synthesis compared to UVB-irradiated controls.
Natural Product Communications, 2016Aspergillus oryzae-fermented broken rice and brewers' rice water extracts inhibit photoaging in UV-irradiated human fibroblasts and co-cultured keratinocytes by downregulating MMP-1, inhibiting elastase, enhancing collagen formation, upregulating elastin gene expression, and lowering pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Cellular and Molecular Biology, 2023Topical papain treatment may slightly decrease pain within 30 minutes in humans stung by Chrysaora chinensis compared to placebo.
Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, 2016A fixed combination of hydroxypinacolone retinoate, retinol glycospheres, and papain glycospheres in aqueous gel applied once daily for 12 weeks achieved a 41% mean reduction in GAGS score and a 40.8% mean reduction in total lesions, with 15.3% of patients experiencing mild to moderate local side effects, in 94 evaluable patients with comedonal-papular, mild to moderate acne of the face.
Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia E Venereologia, 2015Reflux extraction of Carica papaya leaves yielded higher antioxidant capacity and superior in vitro wound-healing activities including fibroblast proliferation, cell migration, and collagen synthesis in human skin fibroblasts compared to ultrasonic-assisted extraction and agitation.
Molecules, 2020Topical application of 5% vitamin C cream significantly improved global clinical scores, increased skin microrelief density, and induced elastic tissue repair in photoaged skin compared to excipient control in healthy female volunteers.
Experimental Dermatology, 2003Ascorbic acid 2-glucoside gel significantly reduced gingival melanin pigmentation after 4 weeks compared to placebo in 73 subjects with symmetric pigmentation.
Journal of Periodontology, 2009Topical application of VC-IP cream twice daily for 8 weeks reduces periorbital wrinkles in female subjects compared to a placebo cream.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022A non-hydroquinone topical formulation (SKNB19) improved hyperpigmentation by 28.5% in patient self-assessment and 27% in independent reviewer assessment compared with 4% hydroquinone in 18 adult subjects, while showing significantly less irritation and better tolerability.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2020Encapsulation of alpha arbutin in an optimized ethosomal gel significantly improved skin melanin reduction, moisture content, and elasticity in human volunteers compared to conventional formulations.
Heliyon, 2023Combining a home-based radiofrequency device and arbutin cream reduced mMASI scores by 25.6% and melanin index by 22.8% at 8 weeks compared to baseline in 38 participants.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
Ingredients
Zea Mays Starch, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Diglycerin, Allantoin, Maltodextrin, Papain, Kaolin, Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Sodium Polyacrylate, Water, Rice Powder, Rice Lees Extract, Rice Bran Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Rice Extract, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Rice Seed Protein, Ceramide Np, Ascorbic Acid, Alpha-Arbutin, Protease, Caprylyl Glycol, Glucose, Glycerin, Tartaric Acid, Lactic Acid
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
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