Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Triple AHA Gentle Cleansing Gel for acne-prone skin
Black Rice
Aha Alpha Hydroxy Acid
Glycerin
Mandelic Acid
Rice Extract
High
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for acne-prone skin; a few cleansers 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 moderate exfoliation for your acne, blemishes, and breakouts due to the presence of citric acid, tartaric acid, and mandelic acid, which provide gentle chemical exfoliation for combination skin.
- While these acids help to clear pores and reduce blemishes, the formula lacks sufficient humectants to fully hydrate combination skin.
- The product is safe for your combination skin, as it contains no harsh or prohibited ingredients that would cause irritation.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM and PM routine. Start using it 3 times a week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it.
- This cleanser is the first step in your morning routine and the second step after your pre-cleanser in the evening. Always follow up with a toner and moisturizer .
- Gently massage a small amount of the cleanser onto your face in circular motions. Avoid harsh rubbing to keep your skin calm.
- Apply the cleanser on slightly damp skin to help it work effectively against breakouts. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water .
- Avoid the immediate eye area and do a patch test before your first use to check for any sensitivity.
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
What makes Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Triple AHA Gentle Cleansing Gel a great fit for acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is a great fit because it uses citric acid, tartaric acid, and mandelic acid to provide gentle exfoliation that helps clear pores and reduce blemishes on acne-prone skin. It is also safe and unlikely to cause irritation since it contains no harsh ingredients.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for acne-prone skin?
Mandelic acid, citric acid, and tartaric acid make this cleanser a great fit by providing gentle chemical exfoliation that helps clear pores and reduce blemishes on acne-prone skin. These acids offer an effective way to manage breakouts with a low likelihood of irritation.
What does Black Rice do for acne-prone skin?
Black rice helps calm acne-prone skin by reducing redness and swelling while providing antioxidant protection against skin irritation. This type of ingredient works well to keep skin smooth, but acne-prone skin also needs balancing ingredients that clear pores and keep oil under control.
Scientific Reports, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
What does Alpha Hydroxy Acid do for acne-prone skin?
Alpha hydroxy acid helps clear acne-prone skin by gently removing dead surface cells and fighting bacteria to reduce breakouts and inflammation. It is unlikely to cause irritation when used regularly, leaving your skin looking much clearer and smoother.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This cleanser goes as a morning and evening step in your skincare routine, right before your toner and moisturizer. It helps clear pores and reduce blemishes for acne-prone skin using gentle chemical exfoliation.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
Yes, you can use this cleanser with retinol, but because it contains exfoliating acids, it is best used in your morning routine or alternated with your retinol evenings to keep your skin calm and smooth. This helps prevent irritation while still clearing your pores and reducing breakouts.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser daily as part of your morning and evening routine to help clear pores and reduce breakouts. It contains gentle exfoliating acids that are generally safe and unlikely to cause irritation on your skin.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is a great fit and is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for acne-prone skin because it contains gentle exfoliating acids that help clear pores. It has a safe formula with no harsh ingredients that typically cause irritation or new blemishes.
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 directly around the eyes. The skin on the body is thicker and tolerates active ingredients well, whereas the eyelid skin is among the thinnest on the body and may easily become irritated by cleansers containing exfoliating acids.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Treatment 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, 2020Commonly 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, 2018Black 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, 2001Chemical 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, 2019Treatment with 30% lactic acid peel showed a significantly greater reduction in pigmentation and higher patient satisfaction compared to 30% mandelic acid peel in patients with periorbital melanosis.
Indian Dermatology Online Journal, 2025Daily 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
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