Anua Rice + Ceramide Cleansing Powder for combination skin
Rice
Ceramide
Papain
Ascorbic Acid
Alpha-ArbutinHigh
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
A great choice for combination skin; a few products fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. 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
- This formulation is highly suitable for your combination skin, with papain and citric acid providing enzymatic and mild chemical exfoliation to address oily shine and texture, while kaolin gently absorbs excess oil.
- The presence of allantoin and glycerin ensures a soothing experience, and the cleansing action is further enhanced by protease for smoothing.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your PM routine once a week. Start 3x/week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply the enzyme powder cleanser after your regular cleanser and toner, but before your moisturizer.
- Pour a small amount into wet hands and rub together to create a creamy foam, then massage gently onto the face.
- Apply the enzyme powder cleanser on slightly damp skin to help activate the gentle exfoliating enzymes.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use to ensure your skin feels comfortable.
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 combination skin?
This cleanser is a great fit because papain and citric acid provide gentle exfoliation to handle oily shine and uneven texture, while kaolin soaks up excess oil. At the same time, allantoin and glycerin keep the skin feeling calm and comfortable.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for combination skin?
Papain, citric acid, and kaolin make this a great fit for your combination skin by addressing oily shine and smoothing texture. Allantoin and glycerin help keep the cleansing experience soothing while ceramides support your skin barrier.
What does Rice do for combination skin?
Rice-derived ingredients help balance combination skin by providing lightweight moisture while keeping the face feeling soft and smooth. They may also help calm irritation and protect against daily skin stress with a very safe profile. A product of this type for combination skin needs gentle hydrators and soothing plant extracts to keep dry areas comfortable without making oily zones greasy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024
What do Ceramides do for combination skin?
Ceramides help balance combination skin by supporting the skin barrier to keep dry areas hydrated without feeling heavy on oily zones. This type of skin needs lightweight hydrators and barrier-supporting ingredients like ceramides and cholesterol to maintain a smooth and calm feel across both dry and oily areas.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2003Scientific Reports, 2022
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This cleanser fits into your morning and evening routine, and you can use this enzyme powder once a week as an extra exfoliating step. It helps remove oily shine and smooths your skin while keeping irritation away with soothing components.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this enzyme powder cleanser in your weekly routine alongside retinol, but keep them on separate days to avoid overwhelming your skin. Using them at different times helps keep your skin smooth and calm without unnecessary irritation.
How often should I use this cleanser?
This enzyme powder is used once a week as part of your weekly routine, and people who tolerate it well and see good results can carefully use it more often. It has an excellent safety profile with no risks of irritation.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for combination skin, as it contains gentle exfoliating enzymes and oil-absorbing clay to keep pores clear. Its soothing ingredients also help maintain a calm skin barrier, making irritation and related flare-ups very rare.
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, 2015Daily treatment with a facial serum containing multiple acids reduced post-inflammatory hyperchromia lesion grade and number by 29.4% at 56 days, and decreased skin oiliness by 30.7% at 7 days in Brazilian patients with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021A novel composition containing salicylic acid, capryloyl salicylic acid, HEPES, glycolic acid, citric acid, and dioic acid showed similar tolerance and efficacy compared with clindamycin 1% and benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in subjects with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2013Enzymatic hydrolysis of codfish skin using SM9913 extracellular protease yielded over 66% of collagen oligopeptide-rich hydrolysates with high bioactivity, including moisture-retention, antioxidant activity, and promotion of human dermal fibroblast cell viability, while proving to be nontoxic and nonirritating.
Scientific Reports, 2017Daily 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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