The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Foaming Cleanser review

 

(I'm having issues with Airdrop, so I'm not able to upload any pictures T___T please excuse the lack of images and pictures in this post)

The Face Shop was one of the first Korean skincare brands I ever used, and their products have always proven effective for me. Over the years, I’ve gravitated toward other brands, so seeing their products at my local Costco reminded me of how much I used to like them.

I was looking for a facial cleanser, and the timing was perfect — this one immediately caught my eye. I’ve always liked rice-based skincare products, so this was an instant “yes.”

After doing some research, I discovered that The Face Shop launched this cleanser back in 2006 — that’s 20 years ago! In a highly competitive skincare market, it’s already impressive for a product to last even 5 years (I still mourn some of the discontinued Korean products I’ve loved), but this cleanser didn’t just last… it lasted 20 years. That definitely says something about its effectiveness and loyal fan base.

What’s even more impressive is that they’ve continued to improve it. Despite being a best-seller, this foaming cleanser was reformulated to be free of sulphates, artificial dyes, cocamide MEA, glyoxal, and silicone.

What makes it special:

• Made with Yeoju rice from Korea, fermented to maximize potency and efficacy
• Gentle whipped, creamy texture that lathers into a dense foam, effectively removing dirt, impurities, and sebum without stripping the skin
• Contains vitamin-rich rice water and white yeast from hibiscus, which provides mild lactic acid for brightening and barrier care
• Enriched with ceramides to help moisturize and restore the skin barrier
• Soapwort extract acts as a natural foaming agent while providing antioxidant benefits
• Suitable for daily use (morning and evening)
• Made in Korea

(image of consistency of cleanser will be placed here)

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Leaves a semi–squeaky clean feeling without fully stripping the skin
• No scent
• Skin condition has noticeably improved (not sure about brightening, but my skin feels much softer)

Cons:

• Stings the eyes >__<
• The foam is quite “thirsty” — I often need to add more water to keep it from getting too thick while cleansing
• Didn’t notice any significant brightening effects (after over 2 months of use)

Conclusion:

Overall, this cleanser lives up to its long-standing reputation. It’s gentle, effective, and reliable — the kind of product that quietly does its job well without being overly flashy. While it didn’t deliver noticeable brightening results for me, it significantly improved my skin’s softness and overall condition. For a well-formulated, everyday cleanser with a proven track record, this is definitely one I’m happy to keep in my routine.

Score: 9.0/10
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