Unboxing Beauty

The other month, I had done an initial impressions on a Japanese brand called Rice Force  and I reviewed their Deep Moisture series, but I had also received some foil samples of their facial foaming cleanser.  I was SO impressed by it  that I went on a subscription plan for it.   Who is Rice Force?

Rice Force is a Japanese company and they do have a major presence in Japan ~ they have won Yahoo Japan’s “Best of Beauty Award”  for 5 years in a row in various categories and have sold over 13 million bottles of their product.   They are found in spas around the world ~ USA (Hawaii), Japan, Czech Republic, Germany, England and Hong Kong.

 

The key ingredient behind Rice Force products is fermented rice extracts which really interests me as I love fermented and whole grains skincare products.  They work really well with my aging skin, which is also quite oily!    The rice they use is  100% Japanese food-grade white rice ~ this rice is the same type of rice that is eaten ~ this is important to note, as it does mean it is a high quality rice and not some chaff left on the floor.   This amino acid-rich ingredient is the product of rice extract mixed with aspergillus, yeast and lactobacillus and then fermented.

Rice Power® Extract uses only whitened and polished rice produced by removing the rice germ and rice hulls from unmilled rice.  In a process that takes as long as 90 days, rice is steamed and extracted, then aspergillus, yeast, and lactobacillus are added. The preparation is then fermented and aged. Rice Power® Extract is diligently created by drawing on nature’s energy.  Extracts with differing capabilities can be produced by varying the fermentation method. At this time, 36 different types of extracts have been developed.  We make the best use of the various properties of these extracts across our product line.

Rice Force has several different extracts and the one that is used in their Mild Wash Face Cleanser is No. 1 (no jokes about this, please ~ lol)   Rice Power Extract No. 1 is supposed to build up the skin’s capacity to keep moisture in your skin, not just initially hydrating it.   There is nothing wrong with wanting to have a high moisture level, but this number can be just temporary after initially applying skincare products ~ which is why I wait 5 to 30 minutes, depending on the product, to take a moisture level reading.   Rice Power Extract No. 1  actually traps and keeps moisture in your skin and it builds up your skin’s capacity to retain that moisture   ~ and that is called Moisture Retention Capacity.   It helps prevent oiliness and dry skin at the same time.

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Mild Face Wash  When I tried the foil packet, I was sure I wasn’t going to like it ~ most experiences with foaming cleansers have not been that great ~ many leave that squeaky clean feeling, which is actually bad for your skin.  Sure, your skin gets CLEAN, but all of the good essential oils are also washed away, removing that barrier that keeps moisture in your skin.  Your face will actually be drier for it, which isn’t what you want.  pH levels are a good indicator, but not always ~ I have used foaming cleansers whose pH levels are considered “high”, but my face never felt tight, dry or stripped (squeaky clean) and that to me is part of the battle.  However, many people have other skin issues that prevent them from using a higher pH level cleanser, so it does get difficult to review such cleansers as I know that there are people who cannot use, due to damaged, super delicate or sensitive skin.  

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When I find a low pH foaming cleanser, I do like to talk about it, as I know that gets a lot of interest!  All skin types can use a lower pH cleanser and Rice Force Mild Face Wash is such a cleanser.   It is also pretty much scentless ~ no heavy floral, citrus, herbal or artificial scents, which also is attractive to those who are looking for a low pH cleanser that is scentless or almost scentless. 

Ingredients of Note

• Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract  This fermented extract helps moisturize, smooth and is an anti-aging ingredient.   Rice contains high concentrates of antioxidants called  gamma-oryzano, which contains ferulic acid, sterols and vitamin E ~ this mixture is called phytonutrients and it will act as an anti-inflammatory and will also slow down the creation of fine lines and wrinkles by combating free radicals.   It also contains protective UV proprieties and phytic acid, an antioxidant that will help slow down, reduce and reverse hyper-pigmentation.  Rice also is an emollient as it contains squalene, which helps keep your oil/lipids level balanced and does not strip your skin.   Squalene also reduces free radical caused damage to your skin.   

• Lauric Acid is the main fatty acid in coconut oils and is known not only for its moisturizing properties but due to its anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties, helps control bacteria caused by acne and will help reduce acne, redness and swelling.
  

• Sorbitol  is a sugar alcohol humectant, derived from corn, fruits or seaweed.  Corn is the most commonly used product to create sorbitol.   Humectants can pull in moisture from the air and suck it back into the skin. 

 

Ingredients: Water, Potassium Myristoyl Glutamate, Butylene Glycol, PEG-400, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract, Sorbitol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil PCA Isostearate, Stearic Acid,   Glycol Distearate, Lauric Acid, Alcohol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben  cosDNA.com analysis

Rice Force Mild Face Wash has a lot of moisturizing, emulsifiers and emollients in its ingredients list. I am not too concerned with the alcohol in this product as it is one of the last ingredients in the list and most likely is used to help thin out the product, due to all of its thickening ingredients.  However, if you are sensitive to alcohol, parabens, or grains, you might wish to avoid this cleanser. 

I have been using this cleanser now for a month as one of my 2nd step facial cleansers.  I really like this a lot, as for a low pH cleanser, it is very thick, not a gel and it does foam up, but more of a silky cleanser foam ~ it isn’t Mr Bubbles.  It does not strip my face dry and I do not need a lot of product to cleanse my face.   I feel that it really does clean my face nicely without removing the “good oils” in my face, leave my skin feeling smooth, silky and moist.

Description: Mild Face Wash is a mild pH balanced cleanser that effectively cleans without damaging your skin, and without stripping away essential moisture. Moisture is preserved because Mild Face Wash is formulated with Rice Power Extract No.1. Uncomfortable pulling and tightness after washing is a thing of the past.

That amount I put on my hand is way too much!  That is what I would use on my face, not my hand.  I used my Memebox Pore Brush ~ which is currently sold out at Memebox, a shame as it is a great brush ~ to foam up and remove the makeup.  As you can see, I didn’t even need an oil cleanser to remove all of that makeup and it did include some stubborn eyeliners, matte liquid lipstick and cream eye shadows.  The pH level is between 5.5 and  6 and I used my trusty tap water.

 

 

This product is a bit pricey at $37.00 for 120 mL, but because a little product goes a long way, it seems that this will last me a while.  In fact, I know that people love Fresh Soy Face Cleanser and that is in the same price range and the same range for a pH level too.  I cannot use Fresh Soy Face Cleanser due to the rose extracts, but I hear that is a great product as well.

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Final Thoughts

As I mentioned at the beginning of the review, I was so impressed by a foil packet that I signed up for the subscription plan with Rice Force.  The cool thing about the sub plan is that you can tailor how often you want the product to be shipped to you  ~ monthly to every three months and iterations in-between.  Depending on how many products you put on your subscription plan, you can save 10% to 25% off and it will always be free shipping!  You can modify your plan up to 10 days before the next shipment, based on your needs.   This is such a great idea and I love the flexibility that Rice Force offers their customers.  This is currently shipped directly from Japan, using EMS and I received my facial wash within a week.

As I know that Rice Force products are a bit pricey, I really appreciate that they offer their deluxe sample kit for the Deep Moisture series and this also includes samples of the Mild Face Wash ~ it allows you to try these items for $29.80  $19.80 (limited time as it is normally $29.80)  and that includes free shipping!   Rice Force is a pretty big investment if you are just starting to get into higher-end skincare items, which Rice Force is.   I put it on the same level as Fresh, Tatcha and boscia and it is definitely a step up from Tonymoly, Etude House and Holika Holika.  If you are ready to explore higher end products and are looking for scent-free (or pretty much scent free) products, I do recommend Rice Force.  They not only carry this facial cleanser, but three lines of skincare products ~ Deep Moisture (all skin types), Premium (anti-aging) and Acpoless (for oily skin) as well as sunscreen, shampoo, conditioner and body washes.  They really do have a complete line, from head to toe, with their patented rice power extract!

Have you tried Rice Force? Which products?  Are you interested in trying them out?

 

 

Reference Life Extension

 

 

[ Product purchased by me.  All opinions are my own.  Blog post contains affiliate links ]

[ descriptions in italics from riceforce ]