Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence for sensitive skin
Rice Extract
Lactobacillus Ferment
GlycerinAverage
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for sensitive skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. 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 benefits for your redness and irritation, as glycerin and panthenol provide supportive hydration and soothing effects suitable for normal skin. Hyaluronic acid and hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid further enhance skin elasticity and barrier function.
- The formulation is highly suitable for normal skin, with glycerin and hyaluronic acid delivering effective humectant action to hydrate and maintain skin health.
- The product is safe for your sensitive skin, as it lacks any harsh or prohibited ingredients that could cause irritation.
How to apply
- Use this soothing AM and PM routine every day to keep your normal skin calm. Always remember to apply SPF in the morning after your moisturizer.
- Apply your moisturizer after your toner in the morning, and after your serum in the evening. This step locks in hydration and protects your skin.
- Gently press a small amount of the moisturizer evenly across your face. Avoid rubbing to keep your sensitive skin happy and calm.
- You can apply this gentle formula on dry or slightly damp skin for the best comfort. It works wonderfully on clean skin to soothe redness and irritation.
- Do a patch test before your very first use to check your skin's reaction. Avoid getting the product directly into your eyes .
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 sensitive skin?
This product works decently for sensitive skin, as glycerin and panthenol provide supportive hydration and soothing effects that help calm redness and irritation. To fit this skin type even better, a moisturizing treatment needs soothing ingredients like fermented Centella Asiatica and cica ceramide that strengthen the skin barrier without overwhelming it.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
Which ingredients make this essence a good fit for sensitive skin?
Glycerin and panthenol make this essence a good fit by providing supportive hydration and soothing effects that help calm redness and irritation on sensitive skin. To fit sensitive skin even better, a moisturizing treatment of this type needs calming ingredients like fermented Centella Asiatica, Cica Ceramide, and nourishing oils to strengthen the skin barrier without overwhelming it.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
What does Rice Extract do for sensitive skin?
Rice extract helps calm and protect sensitive skin while reducing redness and irritation. It also provides strong antioxidant support and helps keep skin moisturized and smooth.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 2018
What does Lactobacillus Ferment do for sensitive skin?
Lactobacillus Ferment helps calm sensitive skin by supporting the skin barrier and reducing redness and moisture loss. Using this ingredient may make reactive skin feel more comfortable and less prone to irritation.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2023Scientific Reports, 2023
Where does this essence go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This essence fits into an evening routine for sensitive skin as a treatment step after cleansing and toning, and before moisturizing. This type of product needs gentle hydrators like glycerin and panthenol, alongside soothing ingredients to calm redness and support the skin barrier without causing irritation.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
Can I use this essence with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this essence with retinol by applying it before your retinol to help keep your skin calm and hydrated. A product of this type for sensitive skin needs soothing ingredients like panthenol and gentle hydrators like glycerin to calm redness and support the skin barrier.
How often should I use this essence?
You can use this essence in your evening routine, as treatments fit best at night for extra safety and simplicity. To better care for sensitive skin, an average fit product of this type needs calming ingredients and extra hydration to keep redness and irritation at bay.
Health Science Reports, 2021American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
Can this essence clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This essence may occasionally cause breakouts, as some reviewers note this issue with the product. However, it is unlikely to cause severe irritation because it lacks harsh ingredients, and sensitive skin needs formulas with gentle, calming ingredients and light hydration that keep pores clear.
Can I use this essence around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this essence around the eyes and on your body, as it has a very gentle formula that is unlikely to cause irritation on thin skin. Panthenol and glycerin help keep dry areas calm and hydrated, though sensitive skin of this type needs richer, barrier-repairing creams with ceramides and soothing botanical extracts for best results.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002The 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
Topical 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, 2025A 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 application of a postbiotic Saccharomyces and Lactobacillus ferment complex for 28 days significantly modulated the scalp microbiome and achieved a 100% sensitive scalp syndrome alleviation effect in Chinese women with sensitive scalp syndrome.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2023Daily 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
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.
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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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