Arencia specializes in fresh, sustainable skincare and creates vibrant, natural skincare that takes inspiration from the world around us – from their delicious Fresh Red Smoothie Serum (a lightweight moisturizing gel powered by rosehip and hibiscus) to their vitamin rich Holy Hyssop serum to refresh and brighten skin tone. 

But, their major claim to fame has to be their mochi cleansers. Mochi is a steamed rice cake that is traditionally formed via the art of mochitsuki, two individuals who work together in perfect tandem to pound the rice, turn and steam it in repeated action to create a thoroughly smooth, perfect and uniform squishy rice cake. It importantly symbolizes the bounty and beauty that comes from hard work and mochi is just that. It often comes with flavoring and fillings and is deeply addictive and delicious.  

So, what’s in a mochi cleanser? Is it good for cleansing? I test out their most famous cleanser, the Black Tea and Yuzu flavor and find out – is it really K-beauty's tastiest cleanser? 

Their vibrant yuzu and black tea cleanser contains an interesting mixture. It’s made primarily of hydrating glycerin, cleansing agents and sweet almond meal as an exfoliating base.  

Sodium Cocyl Isethionate – a cleansing agent that is incredibly gently on your natural skin biome, forming a rich foam that is environmentally friendly and provides a soft, lasting cleanse. 

Charcoal powder – likely gives the cleanser its rich black color, it is used in cosmetics to help absorb impurities from the skin and refresh pores. 

Kaolin clay – clay base that is added to many cosmetics to help refresh skin, cleanse and balance oily skin. 

Citrus Lemon Peel Oil – Vitamin C rich compound that helps lift skin tone, reduce bacteria and provide rich antioxidants to repair skin cells. Heals irritated and red spots and cools skin tone. 

Citrus Junos Fruit Extract (300ppm) - Yuzu fruit popular in Japan and Korea, rich in limonene for skin lightening, provides a rich citrus scent to cosmetics and rejuvenates skin tone for lifting of fine lines.  

Camellia sinensis leaf extract (10ppm) - black tea extract which is rich in antioxidants, improves skin hydration and plumps fine lines for more youthful glow. 

There is one ingredient which is noteably absent from this list – and that’s rice! Calling it mochi without the rice may just be sacrilege. And it’s the only one of Arencia’s mochi cleansers that actually doesn’t seem to have rice in it. If it does, it’s not readily apparent on their ingredient list (typically written as Oryza Sativa powder). Regardless, that may the secret of its success – rice-less mochi! [That or it was left off the ingredient list by accident, which seems much less likely]. 

So how does the dark horse of Arencia stand up? The rice-less mochi cleanser of their mochi-proud line-up. Let’s test it out! 

Although deeply refreshing to many of us, it's important to note for sensitive skin that citrus oils can be irritating. If you tend to break out in response to stronger essential oils or are sensitive to butylene glycol - this might not be your cup of black tea.

The mochi cleansers can be used as both a ‘face mask’ (applying a solid amount and massaging it into skin and leaving for a few minutes) or as a quick on-the-go cleanser. Regardless, Arencia advises at least 1 minute of cleansing action to enjoy the full benefits of their creation. 

I started off with the face mask technique – as one of my favourite things to do is sit with a skin treatment and relax. The container mochi is quite tough when you first open it, but there’s a little paddle to help stir it up. As you stir it, it forms its spongy mochi form. I applied a great amount to my face, spreading it carefully and massaging in small circles to enjoy the almond scrub exfoliation. It was incredibly sticky (as you’d expect mochi to be) but it melded gently on my face. 

What hit me was the overwhelming sweet smell – a mixture of both the yuzu and almond meal made it feel like I had coated myself in cake batter. Not in a terrible way – but the smell never quite subsided. I am not the biggest fan of sugary scents, so I found it slightly overwhelming – but I did the mask with a friend and he was drinking in the smell and actually refused to wash off the mask for an extra ten minutes, enjoying the relaxing cake-scent. 

On washing the cleanser off, it literally melts away with the addition of warm water – but it didn’t dissolve super quickly, which gave me time to enjoy the scrubbing part of the cleanse. It felt like a solid, deep cleanse that didn’t leave my skin feeling tight and the thickness actually meant I was far more thorough with washing. With the good exfoliation, my skin was left soft and actually smoother than with my usual gel cleanser. 

Testing it in the shower, it works really well as an on-the-go cleanser. Spooning a little bit into my hand and massaging it onto my face provided a deep cleanse and exfoliation all in one that left me feeling clean as a little baby.  

Although it was a product without a dramatic face change or life changing science, it’s an neat, deep cleanser. If you are a fan of desserts and want to envelop yourself in a sweet almond and lemony paste, this is ideal. But, apart from that it’s a great, rich cleanser that refreshes pores, gently exfoliates and makes a fun addition to your skincare routine. 

Shop Black Tea and Yuzu Mochi Cleanser and the other great range of Arencia at Arktastic!

Looking to build up your skincare routine? Don’t forget to check out our guide: 
Building Your K-Beauty Skincare Routine 
Concerned about your latest haul? Check out our guide to Fake K-Beauty Products: 
How To Spot Fake K-Beauty Cosmetics