Tatcha The Rice Polish: Deep for dry skin

Low
- AverageDry Skin Fit
- SuperiorEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
A weak match for dry skin; the products alongside fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, fine lines, and wrinkles. 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 dry skin due to the presence of rice powder and papain, which provide gentle enzymatic and physical exfoliation to smooth texture.
- The rice bran extract offers mild exfoliation, but the formula lacks sufficient humectant and emollient ingredients to adequately address your dryness.
How to apply
- You can use the enzyme powder exfoliant PM as part of your weekly routine. Start 1x per week and increase slowly if your skin feels good.
- Use it after your cleanser and before your hydrating toner and moisturizer.
- Mix a small amount of the enzyme powder exfoliant with a few drops of water in your hands to create a soft foam. Gently massage it onto your face without rubbing hard.
- Apply the enzyme powder exfoliant on slightly damp skin to help it work smoothly. This helps remove dry and flaky areas safely.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a quick patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 2.9k+ reviewsUsers with oily, combination, and congestion-prone skin consistently praise this water-activated exfoliant for delivering a "glass-like" smoothness without the harshness of physical scrubs. While the Japanese wild rose and leopard lily formula is celebrated for visibly tightening pores and reducing breakouts, a minority of users find the "squeaky clean" finish slightly drying if not immediately followed by a moisturizer. This summary is based on a very large amount of data and should definitely be taken into account.
Highlights
Gentle yet effective exfoliation Mostly Mentioned
- “Leaves my skin baby soft and perfectly clean.”
- “Non-abrasive but gets all the dead skin off.”
- “My face feels polished but not raw like other scrubs.”
Pore refinement & clarity Often Mentioned
- “Snatches the grime out of your pores.”
- “Visibly tightens pores after just one use.”
- “Helps keep my blackheads and breakouts at bay.”
High price point Often Mentioned
- “It hurts my wallet every time I buy it.”
- “Amazing product but way too expensive.”
- “Hard to justify the price for a face wash.”
Balanced deep clean Sometimes Noted
- “Deep cleans without leaving my face tight.”
- “Removes excess oil but keeps skin soft.”
- “Perfect balance for my combination skin.”
Luxurious foam texture Sometimes Noted
- “Turns into a cloud-like foam that feels amazing.”
- “The lather is so rich and creamy.”
- “Feels like a mini spa ritual every morning.”
Packaging design flaws Sometimes Noted
- “Glass jar is terrifyingly slippery in the shower.”
- “The dispensing hole gets clogged with water.”
- “Hate that the new jar is opaque; can't see what's left.”
Potential for dryness Rarely Noted
- “Left my skin feeling a bit too squeaky and tight.”
- “Can be drying if I use it every single day.”
- “Caused some dry patches around my nose.”
Scent preferences Rarely Noted
- “Has a weird, earthy rice smell I don't love.”
- “Smells a bit like hamster food.”
- “The scent is unappealing but fades quickly.”
Sources: lovi.care, kohls.com, ulta.com, sephora.com, tatcha.com, mecca.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why is Tatcha The Rice Polish: Deep a weak match for dry skin?
This exfoliant is a weak match because, while it provides moderate texture smoothing with rice powder and papain, it lacks sufficient hydrating and softening ingredients to adequately address dry skin. A product of this type needs effective hydrating and soothing ingredients that provide great skincare benefits and support the moisture barrier without any risk of irritation.
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a poor fit for dry skin?
This exfoliant is a weak match for dry skin because it lacks sufficient moisturizing and softening ingredients to address your dryness. A product of this type needs effective hydrating and soothing ingredients that provide great skincare benefits without any risk of irritation while performing its cleansing and exfoliating function.
What does Rice Enzyme Powder do for dry skin?
Rice Enzyme Powder helps smooth and soften dry skin by gently sweeping away flakes while adding moisture. Rice-derived ingredients help calm dry patches and support a healthy skin barrier.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022International Journal of Toxicology, 2006
What does Papain do for dry skin?
Papain helps exfoliate dry skin by breaking down dead surface cells, but it may cause irritation if the skin barrier is already compromised. Products for dry skin need gentle exfoliating enzymes paired with rich moisturizers and barrier-repairing ingredients to keep the skin smooth and comfortable.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2015Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This exfoliant is a poor fit for dry skin because the formula lacks enough moisturizing and softening ingredients to tackle dryness. Dry skin needs exfoliants paired with deeply hydrating and nourishing ingredients like rich emollients and humectants.
Can I use this exfoliant with retinol, and in what order?
It is best to avoid using this exfoliant with retinol because the combination may cause too much irritation on dry skin. If you do use them on separate days, apply the exfoliant first after cleansing and follow with your nourishing moisturizers and hydrators.
How often should I use this exfoliant?
This exfoliant is a weak match for your dry skin, so you should use it only once a week to see how your skin reacts. A product for dry skin needs plenty of hydrating ingredients and rich moisturizers to keep it soft and smooth.
Can this exfoliant clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This exfoliant is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on dry skin, though it may leave your skin feeling a bit dry since it lacks enough moisturizing ingredients. To care for dry skin properly, an exfoliant of this type needs extra hydrating and soothing ingredients to keep your skin soft and smooth.
Is this exfoliant fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no fragrance and contains drying alcohol (alcohol).
What the research says
Daily 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, 2016A 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, 2015Reflux 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, 2020Topical application of a mixture of extracts of Kochia scoparia and Rosa multiflora recovered dermal thickness and dermal fibroblasts, increased procollagen 1 and TGF-beta expression, and decreased MMP-13 expression in photoirradiated hairless mouse skin compared with vehicle control.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2016Quercetin phospholipids 1% cream significantly reduced UV-, histamine-, and chemical-induced skin erythema (-10.05%) and mean wheal diameter in 30 healthy human volunteers, showing comparable efficacy to 1% dexchlorpheniramine cream.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2016Quercetin-loaded niosomes formulated with Span60-RH40 at a 9:11 mass ratio improved quercetin solubility, photostability, sustained release, and transdermal penetration, yielding a skin retention 2.95 times higher than quercetin solution.
Molecules, 2019Optimized rutin-loaded glycerosomes formulated into a nanosunscreen gel demonstrated sustained drug release, greater skin permeation, good antioxidant activity, and better epidermal retention compared to the dermis, indicating high safety, stability, and sun protection factor values for topical administration.
Gels, 2023Nanofibrillar cellulose dressing provides efficient wound healing comparable to polylactide-based copolymer dressings at skin graft donor sites in 24 patients, with significant improvements in observer scar thickness and vascularity and skin elasticity.
Advances in Wound Care, 2020Bacterial cellulose membranes with and without glycerin showed good skin compatibility and no barrier disruption in human subjects compared to a negative control, with glycerin-containing membranes additionally providing a statistically significant skin moisturizing effect (p=0.044).
European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 2014AgNP-BC exhibited over 99% reduction in Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with no cytotoxicity, allowing epidermal cell attachment and growth compared to unmodified bacterial cellulose.
Carbohydrate Polymers, 2014
Why other products fit dry skin better
Daily 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, 2020A topical formulation containing panthenol, niacinamide, and dipotassium glycyrrhizate increased skin hydration by 74.1% and reduced transepidermal water loss by 13.5% at 28 days compared to baseline and untreated control in 35 individuals with xerosis.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026
Ingredients
Microcrystalline Cellulose, Rice Powder, Sodium Lauryl Phosphate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Lauryl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Methylaminopropionate, Saccharomyces Camellia Sinensis Cladosiphon Okamuranus Rice Leaf Ferment Filtrate, Papain, Rosa Multiflora Fruit Extract, Belamcanda Chinensis Root Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Rice Bran Extract, Propanediol, Dextrin, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phytosteryl Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Phenoxyethanol, Silica, Iron Oxides Ci 77492, Ultramarines, Tocopherol, Alcohol, 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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