Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence for dry sensitive skin
Rice Extract
Lactobacillus Ferment
GlycerinAverage
- HighDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for dry sensitive skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
- American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry sensitive skin: flakiness, tightness, redness, 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 moisturizing and barrier-enhancing effects for your dry and sensitive skin, as glycerin and hyaluronic acid provide humectant action and barrier repair. Panthenol further supports skin hydration and elasticity, making it generally suitable for dry skin.
- While the product offers general skincare benefits, its primary focus on hydration is supportive rather than directly addressing significant dryness or flakiness.
- The product is safe for your dry and sensitive skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine. Start using this moisturizer 3 times a week and move to daily use if your dry skin tolerates it well.
- Apply this moisturizer after cleansing and toner in the morning, or after your serum in the evening. Always pair it with SPF in the morning.
- Gently press a small amount of the moisturizer into your skin. Avoid rubbing it harshly to protect your sensitive skin.
- Apply the moisturizer on slightly damp skin to help with hydration absorption. This also works well for dry and flaky skin types.
- Do a patch test before your first use. Avoid the eye area to prevent any irritation.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 1.6k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this essence is highly recommended for dry and dehydrated skin, providing deep nourishment and a radiant glow without feeling heavy. It is also frequently noted for its soothing and barrier-repairing properties. However, a moderate number of users with acne-prone or sensitive skin have reported breakouts and irritation, possibly due to fermented ingredients.
Highlights
Deep hydration Mostly Mentioned
- “drinks up like water”
- “gives a beautiful glow”
- “skin looks very plump”
- “intensely hydrated”
Milky texture Often Mentioned
- “creamy milky essence”
- “lightweight yet nourishing”
- “non-sticky finish”
- “silky soft feel”
Fragrance-free Sometimes Noted
- “no scent”
- “great for sensitive noses”
- “fragrance-free formula”
Soothes skin Sometimes Noted
- “liquid cushion hug”
- “calmed my angry skin”
- “restores skin barrier”
- “soothing for sensitive skin”
Causes breakouts Sometimes Noted
- “deep painful zits”
- “gave me closed comedones”
- “caused whiteheads”
- “wave of bumps”
Causes irritation Rarely Noted
- “face felt raw”
- “caused redness and irritation”
- “skin felt warm”
- “allergic reaction”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “heavy plastic bottle”
- “hard to dispense”
- “not travel friendly”
Too rich Rarely Noted
- “too nourishing for oily skin”
- “slightly viscous”
- “better for dry skin”
Sources: lovi.care, pick.co, skinsort.com, iherb.com, yesstyle.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does haruharu wonder Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence work for dry sensitive skin?
This moisturizing treatment works moderately well for dry sensitive skin, offering helpful hydration and barrier support with ingredients like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and panthenol. While it is safe and unlikely to cause irritation, it may not directly address significant dryness or flakiness. A product of this type needs highly effective, soothing ingredients and rich moisturizers that provide deep hydration and nourishment without any risk of irritation for this skin type.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
Which ingredients make this essence a good fit for dry sensitive skin?
Glycerin and hyaluronic acid help make this essence a good fit by drawing moisture into dry skin, while panthenol supports hydration and calm comfort without irritation. A moisturizing treatment for dry sensitive skin needs rich nourishing ingredients and soothing agents that provide deep hydration and strong moisture retention.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
What does Rice Extract do for dry sensitive skin?
Rice extract helps dry, sensitive skin by boosting hydration, reducing roughness, and calming irritation. It provides antioxidant protection and supports a smooth, soft feel without causing discomfort.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
What does Lactobacillus Ferment do for dry sensitive skin?
Lactobacillus Ferment helps calm dry sensitive skin by strengthening the skin barrier and keeping moisture locked in. It may also decrease redness and irritation while helping the skin feel much more comfortable. A product for this skin type needs soothing ferment ingredients and barrier-supporting components to ease dryness and calm reactivity.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2023Scientific Reports, 2023
Where does this essence go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after your soothing toner and before your moisturizer. A complete routine for this skin type needs richer moisturizers and barrier-repairing ingredients to properly soothe significant dryness.
Can I use this essence with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this essence with retinol by applying the essence first to hydrate your dry and sensitive skin before your retinol product. It is unlikely to cause irritation, but because your skin needs more intensive help for significant dryness, this type of product should be paired with richer moisturizers containing ceramides and nourishing oils.
Cutis, 2006Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
How often should I use this essence?
You can use this essence in your evening routine. A product of this type needs rich hydrators and barrier-repair ingredients like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and panthenol to keep dry and sensitive skin soft and calm.
Health Science Reports, 2021Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can this essence clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?
This essence may occasionally cause breakouts, as some reviewers report pimples from using it. However, it is unlikely to cause serious irritation on dry and sensitive skin because it lacks harsh ingredients.
Can I use this essence around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this essence around the eyes and on your body because it is safe and unlikely to cause irritation on dry and sensitive skin. To truly comfort very dry or flaky skin, a product of this type needs richer oils and butters alongside its hydrating ingredients.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
Is this essence 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, 2017Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002A new topical panthenol-containing emollient significantly improved transepidermal water loss reduction, stratum corneum hydration, and intercellular lipid lamellae length compared with control in healthy subjects without negatively impacting bacterial viability.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017A panthenol-enriched mask significantly decreased erythema and hyperpigmentation, increased sebum and stratum corneum moisture, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to a saline dressing in 60 subjects undergoing facial laser treatment.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 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, 2016Probiotic-derived lotion successfully reduced inflammatory acne lesion counts and erythema index comparably to 2.5% benzoyl peroxide in patients with mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris, while causing fewer side effects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022Topical application of Lactobacillus plantarum-GMNL6 enhanced collagen synthesis and SPTSSA gene expression while reducing melanin synthesis, Staphylococcus aureus biofilm, and Cutibacterium acnes proliferation, leading to clinical improvements in skin moisture, color, spots, wrinkles, UV spots, and porphyrins in human volunteers.
International Journal of Medical Sciences, 2021Lactobacillus plantarum extracellular vesicles modulated extracellular matrix related gene expression in vitro and suppressed wrinkle formation and pigmentation in clinical trials.
Current Issues in Molecular Biology, 2022The 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, 2012
Why other moisturizers fit dry sensitive skin better
Cosmetic formulations containing 5% Centella asiatica extract showed the best efficacy in improving skin moisture and decreasing transepidermal water loss, while also exhibiting antiinflammatory properties in 25 volunteers compared to baseline measurements.
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016Nanoemulsions containing Macadamia integrifolia seed oil successfully enhanced skin hydration and reduced wrinkles in human volunteers, outperforming conventional emulsions in skin hydration enhancement.
Nanomaterials, 2024
Ingredients
Rice Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Water, Betaine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Allantoin, Panthenol, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin
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.
-
Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
-
Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
-
Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-
Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
-
Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
-
Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
-
Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.