I’ve been on the hunt for a gel-like cleanser with rice extract as a key ingredient for a while. When I saw this product at the Vegreen booth during the Cosmo Beauty Expo here in Seoul a few weeks ago, I knew instantly that I needed to get my hands on this cleanser to try.

Vegreen is an indie k-beauty brand that came into the market promoting wild yam extract as an alternative to the ever popular snail mucin. Some of their well-loved products include Fragrance Free Nature Mucin Serum and 730 Daily Moisture Cream. While Vegreen may not be a large company like many in the market, I have grown to love this brand over time mainly because of their simple and good quality formulation in their products.

What is the Vegreen Rice Facial Wash Cleanser?

This is the very first pH5.5 gel cleanser produced by Vegreen and it contains over 74% of Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract that promises to hydrate and brighten the skin without stripping the skin of its natural oils. It is meant to be used as a second cleanser in a double cleansing skincare routine and is gentle enough to be used twice daily.

What is Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract and what does rice extract do for your skin?Rice extract is a plant-based ingredient that is extracted from rice kernel and is abundant in nutrient and bioactive compounds such as Oryzanol, Ferulic Acid and Vitamin E that help nourish, brighten, protect and moisturize the skin. Traditionally, this staple ingredient found in many asian cultures has been used as an ancient treatment to soften the skin and hair. With the advancement in science and technology, rice extract has proven to have anti-inflammatory properties and improve hydration, even for those who are suffering from sensitive skin, provided that one is not allergic to this ingredient itself.

Packaging

This rice facial wash cleanser comes in a simple 150ml tube with a flip top cap. Although the design of the packaging might not look the fanciest, what stands out for me with this product’s packaging is that it provides simple and easy to understand information of what the cleanser can do for the skin and the key percentage of ingredients in the product. It is also a bonus that the description, instructions and ingredients are written in both English and Korean languages.

Texture and Scent

The texture of this Vegreen rice facial wash cleanser is lightweight and transparent. The gel-like texture of the cleanser turns into a bubbly foam when rubbed between palms. When lathered onto the skin, there is a light, fresh hint of sweet floral scent from the Rosa Damascena Flower Water in the cleanser, giving the cleansing process a refreshing experience.

Performance

As a second cleanser for my skin, I generally prefer the texture of a gel cleanser on my dry skin as they are less likely to be irritating to the skin. This cleanser is an in-between as it goes from a gel to a bubbly foam. I do have dry skin and typically use the Mary & May Vitamin B,C, E Cleansing Balm in my first cleansing step and the balm has a tendency of leaving a slight residual layer of oil after the first cleanse. This rice facial wash cleanser does a good job at removing that residual layer, leaving my skin feeling soft, clean, smooth and refreshed.

Ingredients

Unlike most formulations in the products where water is the largest percentage of ingredient, I personally like that this rice facial cleanser uses Rice Extract as its top base ingredient rather than water. This is because when water evaporates, what is left are the chemical ingredients in the formulation that may leave traces of irritation to the skin. Hence, products that use water as their main filler have a tendency to trigger sensitive reactions.

Some notable ingredients found in this cleanser other than the mentioned Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract, include Lactobacillus/Rice Ferment, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract and Ceramide. Since cleansers do not stay long enough on the surface of the skin to be absorbed, it is not possible for the skin to reap the long term nutritional benefit of these ingredients. However, I do like that that these ingredients are hypoallergenic and have natural skin protective benefits that do not strip the skin of its natural oil.

Final Thoughts

This Vegreen Rice Facial Wash Cleanser is a straightforward, simple gel cleanser that does the job at cleansing the skin to get rid of residual from a first cleanser. Would this cleanser be enough as an all-in-one cleanser to remove makeup and sunscreen? The answer is no. I still prefer using an oil or balm based cleanser before using this product for my evening routine. I like that It does not cause any tightness or irritation when used on my skin. At USD14, this is an affordable cleanser where a little goes a long way.

Reference:

Claude D.F., Oberto, G., Peyronel, D., Domloge, N. In vivo studies of the effects of new rice extract on skin hydration and barrier function. Aging/Geriatrics: 2008 Feb; 58(2):AB20. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2007.10.105.

Saji, N., Francis, N., Schwaz, LJ., Blanchard, CL., Santhakumar, AB. The Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Properties of Rice Bran Phenolic Extract. Foods: 2020 Jun; 9(6): 829. doi:10.3390/foods9060829.