The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil for acne-prone skin
Rice Water
Rice Bran Oil
Isopropyl Myristate
Glycerin
Saponaria Officinalis Leaf Extract
Average
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for acne-prone skin; other pre-cleansers fit it 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 suitability for your combination skin as Cetyl Ethylhexanoate and Rice Bran Oil effectively dissolve makeup and impurities, while Glycerin and Rice Bran Oil provide general cleansing and hydration beneficial for acne-prone skin.
- The emollient action of Rice Bran Oil and Canola Oil offers moderate support for combination skin, though additional ingredients for optimal oil control on your oily areas would enhance its effectiveness.
- The product is safe for your combination skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use this makeup remover PM as the first step of your evening routine to clear away dirt and oil. Start 3x/week and work up to daily use if your combination skin tolerates it well.
- Apply this makeup remover before cleansing and using the rest of your skin products. This ensures all makeup and impurities are fully washed away.
- Gently press a small amount of the makeup remover onto your face using a soft cotton pad. Avoid rubbing the skin too harshly to prevent irritation.
- Apply the makeup remover on dry skin to easily dissolve makeup and clear out blemishes. There is no need to dampen your face beforehand.
- Do a patch test before first use to ensure your skin reacts well. Avoid the delicate eye area while applying.
People Say
★4.4Overall rating based on 3.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this oil is frequently praised for its lightweight texture and effectiveness in removing makeup and clearing pores, especially for oily and combination skin. However, a significant number of users report eye irritation and stinging, and the strong floral fragrance is a common concern, particularly for sensitive skin types.
Highlights
Effective makeup removal Mostly Mentioned
- “melted off my waterproof mascara easily”
- “dissolves foundation instantly”
- “removes sunscreen without scrubbing”
Eye irritation Mostly Mentioned
- “stings my eyes badly”
- “gives me blurry foggy vision”
- “eyes were red the next morning”
Lightweight texture Often Mentioned
- “watery and not heavy”
- “doesn't feel greasy on oily skin”
- “rinses off completely clean”
Pore and blackhead care Often Mentioned
- “literally feel the grits coming out”
- “cleared my sebaceous filaments”
- “blackheads on nose look smaller”
Strong fragrance Often Mentioned
- “smell is overpowering”
- “perfume scent gave me a headache”
- “too much fragrance for sensitive skin”
Brightening effect Sometimes Noted
- “skin looks visibly brighter after washing”
- “helped even out my skin tone”
- “gives a nice glow”
Value for money Sometimes Noted
- “bottle lasts forever”
- “great price for the amount”
- “affordable compared to other brands”
Caused breakouts Sometimes Noted
- “gave me cystic acne”
- “broke me out in tiny whiteheads”
- “clogged my pores after a week”
Too watery Sometimes Noted
- “drips everywhere”
- “hard to control the pump”
- “runs down my arms immediately”
Drying sensation Rarely Noted
- “left my skin feeling tight”
- “stripped my moisture barrier”
- “too drying for winter use”
Sources: lovi.care, iherb.com, yesstyle.com, reddit.com, ulta.com, youtube.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil work for acne-prone skin?
This cleansing oil works moderately well for acne-prone skin, as it dissolves makeup and impurities while providing gentle cleansing and hydration. However, a makeup remover of this type needs additional ingredients for optimal oil control on oily areas to fully support this skin type.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for acne-prone skin?
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate and rice bran oil help dissolve makeup and impurities, while glycerin and rice bran oil provide general cleansing and hydration for acne-prone skin. To work best for this skin type, a product of this type needs nourishing oils and extracts that soothe blemishes and balance oily and dry areas without clogging pores.
What does Rice Water do for acne-prone skin?
Rice water is generally safe and may help calm inflamed skin, but it is unlikely to treat acne on its own. For acne-prone skin, a product of this type needs added antibacterial and oil-controlling ingredients to properly clear breakouts.
What does Rice Bran Oil do for acne-prone skin?
Rice bran oil helps improve skin moisture while maintaining a normal skin pH and has a low irritation potential. However, because it is an average fit for acne-prone skin, a product of this type for this skin needs lightweight, non-clogging ingredients that help calm breakouts and balance oil without heavy greasiness.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This makeup remover goes in the evening routine before your cleanser, and in your weekly routine before your cleanser, enzyme powder, cleansing mask, hydrating toner, treatment, and moisturizer. It is safe for your acne-prone skin and is unlikely to cause irritation. However, because it offers only an average fit, acne-prone skin needs additional ingredients for optimal oil control on oily areas.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this makeup remover in your evening routine before your regular cleanser and retinol treatment. It is unlikely to irritate your skin, but a product of this type needs extra oil control ingredients to work best for acne-prone skin.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this makeup remover in your evening routine as the first step to dissolve makeup and impurities. This product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This cleanser may cause breakouts for acne-prone skin, as some reviewers note. A product of this type needs additional oil-controlling ingredients to manage oily areas and prevent clogged pores on this skin type.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
A 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, 2017A rice bran oil nanoemulsion formulated using low energy methods showed low irritation potential in vitro and improved skin moisture while maintaining normal skin pH in human volunteers during in vivo assessments.
Journal of Nanobiotechnology, 2011A single application of a sterol-enriched fraction from canola oil significantly reduced visible signs of irritation and transepidermal water loss compared to water in SLS-irritated skin of 21 healthy subjects.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 1996Saponaria officinalis callus extract suppressed inflammatory mediators in macrophages, showed no skin irritation in 30 volunteers, and significantly reduced desquamation by 44.07% in 21 participants, demonstrating significant anti-inflammatory and exfoliating effects.
Plants, 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, 2016Nanoencapsulation of rice bran oil in a hydrogel prevented UVB-induced ear edema by 60% and reduced protein carbonylation and NF-κB nuclear translocation by 81% and 87%, respectively, in mice compared to a control hydrogel.
European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 2015Repeated application of concentrated water-in-oil emulsions over four weeks caused no skin irritation, positively affected skin properties, and delivered almost 50% of the applied fluorescein sodium, with isopropyl myristate showing superior penetration performance compared to liquid paraffin in healthy volunteers.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2019Increasing the softness of pressure-sensitive adhesives using isopropyl myristate decreased pain and stripped corneocytes during removal without significantly changing human skin dermal peeling force.
Skin Research and Technology, 2007A modern cold cream formulation using a self-emulsionable excipient with isopropyl myristate shows improved preparation ease, stability, rheological qualities, and moisture and emollient power compared to traditional cerates.
Bollettino Chimico Farmaceutico, 1996The 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, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012An antiacne herbal cream containing Saponaria officinalis, Inula helenium, and Solanum nigrum extracts led to the disappearance of 91.4% of acne lesions by the end of six weeks in 27 acne patients compared to placebo.
Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2020
Ingredients
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Isopropyl Myristate, Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate, Polyglyceryl-10 Diisostearate, Glycerin, Rice Bran Oil, Aleurites Moluccana Seed Oil, Canola Oil, Rice Extract, Saponaria Officinalis Leaf Extract, Water
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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