Is The Ordinary Rice Lipids + Ectoin Micro Emulsion worth it?

Mostly yes. 5 of the 7 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 82%.

What is The Ordinary Rice Lipids + Ectoin Micro Emulsion's Guru Score?

The Ordinary Rice Lipids + Ectoin Micro Emulsion holds a Guru Score of 82%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 7 expert reviewers we have collected. At least one expert has named it a Top Pick in its category.

Who is The Ordinary Rice Lipids + Ectoin Micro Emulsion best for?

The Ordinary Rice Lipids + Ectoin Micro Emulsion is generally suited to oily skin, combination skin and sensitive skin.

The Ordinary

The Ordinary Rice Lipids + Ectoin Micro Emulsion.

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Moisturizers

About this product

A lightweight water-based serum moisturizer combining rice lipids, ectoin, and amino acids designed to hydrate and support the skin barrier without heaviness.

Full ingredients

Aqua/Water/Eau, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Lipids, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Ectoin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Propanediol, Glycerin, Rhus Succedanea Fruit Wax, Glyceryl Glucoside, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Urea, Serine, Alanine, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Lysine Hcl, Threonine, Arginine, Proline, Pca, Sodium PCA, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Fructose, Glucose, Maltose, Trehalose, Betaine, Pentylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Tocopherol, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Isoceteth-20, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Guru Score

82%

Yay

7 experts · Strong agreement

What the gurus are saying

This ultra-lightweight serum-moisturizer stands out for delivering real hydration without weight, making it a favorite for oily and acne-prone skin. Gurus praise how breathable it feels (it won't block sweating or clog pores) and that ectoin (an increasingly trendy barrier-support ingredient) does the heavy lifting at a fraction of premium prices. The main caveat: it's genuinely lightweight, so those with very dry or cold-climate skin may need to layer it over another moisturizer or save it for warmer months, though some found it surprisingly emollient for the texture. A few gurus noted you may need more drops if using it alone versus layering over serums.

Synthesized from 7 expert reviews · most recent take September 2026

What they liked

Lightweight, non-sticky texture
Reduces redness and smooths texture
Absorbs quickly without a film

What they flagged

Not hydrating enough on its own in winter

Best for

Oily skin Combination skin Sensitive skin

Type

MoisturizersLiquid

Key actives

Hyaluronic acidVitamin E

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Where to buy

Sephora → Ulta → Amazon → Google →

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What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Mad About Skin

732k subs

✓Yay

"This is like a serum moisturizer hybrid so good. This will be your moisturizer if you have oily skin. If you've got a more dryness prone skin type, [...] you could just put this on before your standard moisturizer and it'll elevate it up. [...] It's calming. It's soothing. The ectoin in here will boost the barrier function, but it's hydrating you enough that if you've got oily skin, it can be a moisturizer in its own right."

Top Pick: oily skin moisturizer

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"This is the perfect moisturizer option for people that have very oily skin. [...] If you have oily skin like me, this is your moisturizer and you won't need anything else. If you have a more dryness prone skin type, you can use this almost like as a prehydrator. Put this on before your other moisturizer to just get some additional benefit. This is really lightweight and I think if you don't need a real depth of hydration, this is a phenomenal one to go for because it's actually in serum form."

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"This one does. Genuinely as powerful as a moisturizer in the most impossibly lightweight formula that just delivers you that boost to hydration that we need, but also helps restore the skin barrier function. Ectoin is one of the hottest ingredients in skincare right now and lots of the time you have to pay upwards of $70 to be able to access it. Not with this. You get a good amount of product at a really affordable price and ectoin is doing a lot of the heavy lifting in this."

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"I just love this. This is my summer go-to moisturizer because I am very oily and I'm acne prone. And in summer, I need hydration, but I don't want weight. Most moisturizers just weigh me down. Do you ever get that sensation that you just can't sweat through your moisturizer? It's almost like blocking everything. I hate that. This is breathable, lightweight, but actually delivers a gorgeous dose of hydration. It's actually a serum moisturizer hybrid."

The Truth About Ectoin - THE ORDINARY RICE LIPIDS + ECTOIN Exposed

"And this is a really nice option for people that are looking for a lightweight finish. Lots of ectoin products come in rich creams, which are going to be great if you've got dry skin, but for a lot of other people, we don't want a thick, heavy moisturizer. We want something super lightweight. This way, you can get your ectoin in a gorgeous, beautiful emulsion that disappears without a trace, works as a moisturizer and a hydrating serum all in one and yeah is just stunning."

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"This is the ordinary rice lipids and ectoin micro emulsion. It's a serum that badges itself as being a moisturizer. And this, I'd say, is pretty special. Now, the reason I say this is it is super lightweight. It's a beautiful emulsion which if you can see how this actually applies very lightweight but gives a meaningful level of hydration like you would get from a moisturizer. So if you're somebody that wants just super lightweight hydration this is the one I'd go for."

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"It delivers everything we kind of wanted hyaluronic acid to do but in this case actually works. Impossibly lightweight, beautifully hydrating and also comes with a blend of other amazing ingredients. This is almost like two, three, four steps up from a hyaluronic acid serum in terms of the results it's going to deliver. And I think this is going to be a bit of an industry disruptor and gamechanger. In a lot of cases, this is a lot cheaper than say that Laroche Posay one."

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"This is the Audrey rice lipids and ectoin micro emulsion. I love this. I don't really know. I I don't know how to sing it praises enough. This is one of their newest product launches and honestly has been a game changer."

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"What makes this different is the texture. Super lightweight, super easy to apply. It almost has that emulsion-like quality that we're starting to see in a lot of products. [...] This is the first time I've seen it done in a moisturizer. Taking those quality hydrating ingredients and leaving them in a beautifully light emulsion feel. That's where I think this product is really groundbreaking. [...] You've got the rice lipids, which are fantastic at doing a nice balancing act with the skin."

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Sincerely Miss Ash

195k subs

✓Yay

"There's also jojoba oil in here. Not greasy, oily, and it's not heavy at all. Perfect for all skin types. You can use this as your moisturizer replacement or if you need more moisture, use this after your serums but before your traditional moisturizer. [...] This performs really well if you need that extra moisture. It's fabulous, fragrance-free, and very thin. [...] This is probably one of my top favorites and one of the best products that the brand has launched yet."

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"I really like how lightweight it is and it actually sits really nicely underneath sunscreen and makeup. It actually shines through your makeup, giving a little bit more of that youthful glow, but again, not greasy and not super shiny. It just gives that perfect healthy glow to the skin. If you're looking for something that is really lightweight but rich, this is one to look into for sure."

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"This is amazing. [...] It's very lightweight. It's not sticky. This doesn't break me out. [...] This is good for acne prone skin as well, oily skin. [...] If you're using serums and products beforehand, you need less drops of this because it just spreads across the skin a little bit better. But if you're just using this on its own right after cleansing, you might need to be more generous with the amount that you apply. This is exceptional. This is 10 out of 10."

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"This on its own actually was quite nice, but it's not enough for me, especially during the winter months. I could see this being suited best used on its own come spring and definitely summer. But I wouldn't just use this on its own. [...] This actually might be a great product to resort to for that lightweight moisturizer during the summer months, but for the winter, in my opinion, it's just not enough."

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Dr Dray

2.69M subs

✓Yay

"I went through it very quickly. This is one that I hate to say it, I probably at some point will repurchase again. [...] It's not as rich and luxe and wow factor as some alternatives, but ectoin is great. It's an extremely light antioxidant. It's hydrating. [...] That remains like one of the top ectoin products that I have used."

All 3 takes from Dr Dray

*NEW* The Ordinary Rice Lipids + Ectoin Microemulsion Review

"This is actually one of the better products from The Ordinary over the past few years. [...] It's a solid budget friendly option for people who are curious about ectoin. Maybe have sensitive skin. You're looking for a little lightweight hydration, soothing, and you like me prefer fragrance-free stuff for your face. You don't get along with niacinamide. Well, this is an option for you. [...] It's definitely worth checking out. Is it a holy grail for me? No. But I will gladly use it up."

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"It's more watery, but it is pretty emollient. I used it this morning and I've continued to use it since my review. I really, really like it though. It is just not as rich as the Paula's Choice one. [...] I do think it can aid in dry skin, mature skin, where you have somewhat of a delay, a slowing down of epidermal maturation leading to a buildup of dry, rough skin texture coupled with a decline in water retaining abilities of the stratum corneum and a thinning of the stratum corneum."

No BS Beauty

89k subs

✓Yay

"It's their rice lipids and ectoine microemulsion which will be 10 bucks. It's really nice water-based serum. It's supposed to help with redness and dehydrated skin as well. It contains rice extract which is really great hydrating ingredient and contains jojoba seed oil which is a really nice oil which is also kind of more friendly for acne-prone skin. Contains ectoine, urea and then several amino acids which are great for barrier repair and hydrating skin."

All 4 takes from No BS Beauty

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"Haba seed oil is one of the more friendly oils for acne prone skin. It [...] plays very similar to the sebum produced by your oil glands, so it makes it a little bit more friendly for oilier skin types. [...] I think it's a nice product. It kind of reminds me of their emulsion, [...] their toner emulsion that they came out with. It [...] feels very nice. I could see myself using this. [...] My skin feels super hydrated. I almost don't even feel like I need a moisturizer over this."

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"This new rice lipids in ectoine micro emulsion, which for some people this might be all the moisturizer you need. For me my skin's super dry. I'm in Minnesota where it's very dry. It's also very cold and the furnace is going non-stop. So I need all the moisture I can get. So I will layer the moisture on. Some people might just be able to get away with just using this and that's it. [...] It's got a milky kind of texture. [...] Couple of drops are usually enough. [...] Feels nice and moisturized."

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"So if you're on a budget, it's really nice. A little bit more affordable alternative. [...] And it's still got the ectoine in there. It's got haba seed oil. It's got urea. It's got amino acids. It's got vitamin E. It's got it all going on. And it's got a really nice lotiony texture to it. I think a lot of people will probably be able to get away with this one on its own as a moisturizer, especially like in the spring or summer. It just feels really nicely hydrating."

James Welsh

1.58M subs

✓Mixed

"Ectoin is a perfectly nice ingredient. It's very nice. This is used for barrier support and hydration, but it's also one of those ingredients that has suddenly become very trendy. And it's a great ingredient to become trendy. Again, been around for a long time. Not a new groundbreaking ingredient that's going to revolutionize your routine, but it's nice. [...] Then there's volufalene."

Kelly Driscoll

91k subs

✓Yay

"I was having some issues with my barrier earlier in January. It did address those. I got my skin back on track. Using this product, it kind of helped to keep that progress going. It kept my skin progress up. So, I was really impressed with performance, with the feel, with the texture. I really enjoy using it. I just found that I had less dehydration in my skin overall. It's maybe 5% less hydrating overall than [Paula's Choice], but it's also a fraction of the cost."

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"It's light but mighty. It does have a creamy emulsion hydrating moisturizing texture. While it's maybe not a one for one total replacement for [Paula's Choice] Actin Booster, it's pretty darn close. For saving that much cash, I could get a whole another skincare product for that savings. [...] It's actually a really good option. It's definitely helped my skin hold up in some of this more chilly weather."

Beyond50Skin

32k subs

✓Mixed

"This light moisturizer [...] is really runny, super runny. [...] I wonder if this would just do better as a toning step. Not necessarily a traditional toner, but just to kind of start off my skin care."