Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Triple AHA Gentle Cleansing Gel for sensitive skin
Black Rice
Aha Alpha Hydroxy Acid
Glycerin
Mandelic Acid
Rice Extract
Average
- AverageNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for sensitive skin; other cleansers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. 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
- Offers moderate exfoliation for your normal skin due to citric acid, tartaric acid, and mandelic acid, but lacks sufficient humectants for optimal hydration.
- While the product provides general cleansing and hydration benefits, the mild exfoliation from these acids is largely irrelevant or only supportively beneficial for your redness and irritation.
- The formulation is safe for your normal skin with sensitivity, as it contains no prohibited or harsh ingredients that would cause irritation.
How to apply
- Use your cleanser in the AM and PM routines every day. Start using it daily since your sensitive skin needs gentle care.
- Apply this first in your morning and evening skincare routine before toner and moisturizer. This clears away dirt without upsetting your skin.
- Gently massage a small amount onto your face using soft circles. Avoid any rough rubbing to keep redness away.
- Apply the cleanser on slightly damp skin to help it wash away impurities softly. Clean skin feels fresh and comfortable afterwards.
- Avoid getting the cleanser in your eyes and do a quick patch test before first use. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 700+ reviewsUsers consistently praise this cleanser for its ability to provide gentle daily exfoliation without compromising the moisture barrier, making it ideal for sensitive and dry skin types. While it effectively smooths texture and brightens dullness, some users find the formula too runny and the bottle size too small for the price.
Highlights
Gentle exfoliation Mostly Mentioned
- “gentle daily exfoliation”
- “smooths texture”
- “good for sensitive skin”
Non-stripping Mostly Mentioned
- “leaves skin soft”
- “no tight feeling”
- “hydrating finish”
Sensitive skin safe Often Mentioned
- “no irritation”
- “fungal acne safe”
- “great for redness”
Runny texture Often Mentioned
- “too watery”
- “pours out fast”
- “hard to control”
Unscented/natural Sometimes Noted
- “fragrance-free”
- “no strong smell”
- “earthy scent”
Small size/value Sometimes Noted
- “bottle is small”
- “finished quickly”
- “wish it was bigger”
Confusing packaging Rarely Noted
- “looks like other cleanser”
- “bought wrong one”
- “identical bottles”
Mild cleansing Rarely Noted
- “struggles with makeup”
- “need double cleanse”
- “too gentle for heavy oil”
Sources: lovi.care, iherb.com, global.oliveyoung.com, skinsort.com, yesstyle.com, sokoglam.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Triple AHA Gentle Cleansing Gel work for sensitive skin?
This cleanser works okay for sensitive skin by offering gentle exfoliation and basic cleansing, but other products fit it better because they include richer soothing ingredients like ceramides and niacinamide to keep redness calm and moisture locked in.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for sensitive skin?
This cleanser is a safe fit for sensitive skin because it contains gentle cleansing agents and soothing extracts that cause no irritation, though cleansers that rate higher for this skin need added hydrating ingredients like niacinamide and ceramides.
What does Black Rice do for sensitive skin?
Black rice helps calm sensitive and easily irritated skin by reducing inflammation and swelling. Research shows that black rice bran extract may significantly lower redness and allergic reactions in the skin.
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2010Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
What does Alpha Hydroxy Acid do for sensitive skin?
Alpha hydroxy acids help smooth and brighten sensitive skin when you choose gentler forms like polyhydroxy acids or carefully formulated derivatives that are less likely to cause irritation. They improve hydration and soften lines while keeping the skin calm.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This cleanser goes in your morning and evening routine, while exfoliating cleansers of this type for sensitive skin need extra soothing ingredients and plenty of hydrating humectants to keep skin calm and comfortable.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol, but because it contains exfoliating acids, it may be too drying for sensitive skin when paired with strong treatments. To keep your face calm and comfortable, this skin type needs a cleanser that focuses heavily on gentle soothing ingredients and plenty of moisture.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser once a day in your routine, as it is safe for sensitive skin but provides only moderate exfoliation and lacks sufficient hydrating ingredients. A cleanser for this skin needs extra hydrating ingredients and gentle soothing elements to keep the skin calm and comfortable.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on sensitive skin because it contains no heavy or harsh ingredients. The gentle acids inside may cause mild skin shedding for some, but they are generally safe and well-tolerated. Products for sensitive skin prone to clogging typically need soothing plant extracts and balanced hydration.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cleanser on your body, but it is best to avoid the very thin skin around the eyes because cleansers with exfoliating acids may cause dryness or irritation there. This cleanser works safely on normal skin, but sensitive skin needs gentle cleansing formulas loaded with soothing ingredients and extra moisture to stay calm and comfortable.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Black rice extract treatment downregulated MMP-1 and MMP-3 expression, increased type I procollagen expression, and reduced reactive oxygen species production in ultraviolet-irradiated HaCaT and human dermal fibroblast skin cells.
International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 2018Black rice hydrolyzed peptides induce a dose-dependent increase in hyaluronan synthase 2 gene expression and effectively increase hyaluronan production in HaCaT keratinocytes.
Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2007A 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 emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Treatment with 45% mandelic acid peel showed nearly equal overall efficacy as 30% salicylic acid peel in patients with mild-to-moderate facial acne vulgaris, but with fewer adverse effects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Chemical peels using 35% glycolic acid, 20% salicylic-10% mandelic acid, and phytic acid reduce acne scores by 70.55%, 74.14%, and 69.7% respectively, and significantly decline the postacne hyperpigmentation index in Asian patients with mild to moderate acne.
Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, 2019Commonly used chemical peels showed no significant differences in effectiveness for acne vulgaris in most comparisons, though combined salicylic and mandelic acid peeling was superior to glycolic acid and glycolic acid was superior to placebo, based on twelve randomized controlled trials.
BMJ Open, 2018Daily 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, 2020The 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, 2016
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Coco-Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, 2-Hexanediol, Xanthan Gum, Betaine, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Tartaric Acid, Mandelic Acid, Rice Extract, Phyllostachys Pubescens Shoot Bark Extract, Butylene Glycol, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract, Usnea Barbata Extract, Aspergillus Ferment, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Cyclodextrin, Beta-Glucan
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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