Anua Rice + Ceramide Cleansing Powder for acne-prone skin
Rice
Ceramide
Papain
Ascorbic Acid
Alpha-ArbutinHigh
- SuperiorCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for acne-prone skin; a few products fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. 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 high suitability for your combination skin as papain and protease provide excellent cleansing and mild exfoliation, complemented by rice extract and ceramide NP to support barrier repair and hydration.
- The inclusion of papain and protease offers effective exfoliation and texture smoothing for acne-prone skin, though additional targeted ingredients would further enhance its efficacy against blemishes.
- The product is safe for your skin, with no harsh ingredients that could cause irritation.
How to apply
- Use your enzyme powder cleanser as part of your PM weekly routine. Start by using it once a week and build up slowly if your skin is happy.
- Place this step after your regular cleanser and before applying your hydrating toner. Follow the weekly routine order for the best results.
- Mix the powder with a little water in your hands to create a soft foam. Gently massage onto your face and avoid rubbing too hard.
- Apply the enzyme powder cleanser on slightly damp skin to help activate the formula evenly. Make sure your face is clean before applying.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area during application. Do a patch test first and do not combine this with strong acids on the same night.
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 acne-prone skin?
Anua Rice + Ceramide Cleansing Powder is a great fit for acne-prone skin because papain and protease offer effective cleansing and mild exfoliation to smooth texture. At the same time, rice extract and ceramide NP help support barrier repair and hydration safely without harsh ingredients that could cause irritation.
Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia E Venereologia, 2015Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2022
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for acne-prone skin?
Anua Rice + Ceramide Cleansing Powder is a great fit for acne-prone skin because papain and protease provide gentle exfoliation to smooth skin texture. Rice extract and ceramide NP also help keep the skin hydrated and support the skin barrier while you cleanse.
Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia E Venereologia, 2015Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2022
What does Rice do for acne-prone skin?
Rice helps calm acne-prone skin by reducing inflammation and supporting a healthy skin barrier. Rice-derived ingredients are generally safe and may help soothe skin, though products for this skin type also need gentle anti-inflammatory and oil-balancing ingredients.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022Scientific Reports, 2020
What do Ceramides do for acne-prone skin?
Ceramides help acne-prone skin by restoring a damaged water barrier, reducing dryness and redness from acne treatments, and lowering inflammation. Because acne-prone skin often lacks these key fats, products for this skin type need ceramides to soothe irritation and keep the barrier strong.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023Archives of Dermatological Research, 1995
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This enzyme powder cleanser fits into a routine for acne-prone skin once a week as part of your evening steps, followed by a cleansing mask, hydrating toner, treatment, and moisturizer. It helps smooth skin texture with mild exfoliation while keeping your skin calm and hydrated.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
Yes, you can use this cleanser in the same routine as retinol by applying the powder first to gently wash and smooth your skin, followed by your retinol treatment and moisturizer. This product is safe and unlikely to cause irritation when combined thoughtfully, helping keep your skin clean without harshness.
Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia E Venereologia, 2015Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2022
How often should I use this cleanser?
Use this enzyme powder cleanser once a week in your weekly routine to gently smooth your skin. If your skin tolerates it well and you see good results, you may carefully use it more often.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is a great fit for acne-prone skin because papain and protease gently exfoliate and smooth skin texture without harsh ingredients that cause irritation, while rice extract and ceramide support barrier repair and hydration. It is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts, and potential irritation is low.
Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia E Venereologia, 2015Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2022
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
A 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, 2015A 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, 2022Emulsions containing ceramides 1 and 3 improved skin hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss in sodium lauryl sulfate-irritated skin of fifteen healthy Asian women compared to a control emulsion.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2008Daily 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, 2016Topical papain treatment may slightly decrease pain within 30 minutes in humans stung by Chrysaora chinensis compared to placebo.
Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, 2016Reflux 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, 2020Carica papaya leaf extracts obtained via supercritical fluid and conventional methods demonstrated antioxidant and cytoprotective effects on skin fibroblasts against oxidative stress, driven by their respective lipophilic and hydrophilic constituents.
Molecules, 2021Topical 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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