How an unexpected experiment became Arencia’s signature product

impact behind the brand

How an unexpected experiment became Arencia’s signature product

2026.11.11

14min

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Arencia founder Joohyun Lim explains how the Rice Mochi Cleanser grew from leftover ingredients and an unexpected texture into the brand’s signature product through customer feedback and continued refinement. She also discusses Arencia’s craft-focused approach, its shift toward strengthening core products, and how its partnership with OLIVE YOUNG supported global growth.

A woman sits cross-legged atop an oversized Arencia Fresh Green Cleanser container. — Behind every K-beauty and K-wellness brand is a story of where it began, what it stands for, and the people who believed in an idea and saw it through. '**behind the brand**,' an original series by '**editorial by OLIVE YOUNG**,' takes a closer look at the stories behind brands that have grown alongside OLIVE YOUNG and are now reaching customers around the world. From the idea that sparked a brand to the vision behind its products, the series explores the founders’ perspectives, challenges, and innovations that shaped each brand along the way.

Large black stylized lettering appears on a white background.

Arencia's signature product, the Rice Mochi Cleanser, began as something closer to a failed experiment than a promising new product. Its unusual texture was unlike anything the brand had set out to create. Yet positive feedback from early users and years of continuous refinement transformed that accidental discovery into the product Arencia is best known for today.

We spoke with Arencia founder Joohyun Lim about the unexpected beginnings of the Rice Mochi Cleanser, the craftsmanship behind its distinctive texture, and why building a brand that makes products well matters more than simply making more of them.

“Let's make something we'd actually want to use ourselves”

For Lim, the journey to founding Arencia began long before she entered the beauty industry. Having spent nearly a decade of her school years in Latin America, including Panama, she grew up surrounded by natural ingredients such as coffee and mangoes. Experimenting with these ingredients to create products for personal use gradually became a hobby, one that eventually grew into something more meaningful.

"I started out simply making things for myself," Lim recalls. "I enjoyed sharing what I made with people around me and donating products to others. That's when I discovered how much I loved the process of making something."

The hobby stayed with her after she returned to Korea. At a time when vegan beauty products were still relatively difficult to find, Lim began considering whether she could create the kinds of products she wanted to use herself. "I thought, why not make something properly, something I'd genuinely want to use?" she says. That simple idea became the starting point for Arencia. Lim began preparing to launch the brand in 2017 and introduced its first products in 2019.

The accidental beginning of the rice mochi cleanser

The story behind Arencia's Rice Mochi Cleanser is an unlikely one. It wasn't created from a carefully planned product development process. Rather, it began with leftover ingredients at the brand's own production facility.

"In the early days, we were making products at our own facility, and we had some leftover ingredients from production," Lim explains. "It seemed wasteful to throw them away, so someone suggested we mix them together and try them out. We put everything into a mixer and shared the mixture among the team."

From a product development perspective, the result was hardly a success. The mixture was neither solid nor liquid, with an unusual consistency that did not fit into any conventional product category. However, surprisingly, the feedback from those who used it was positive.

"People were saying things like, 'It cleans really well, while surprisingly moisturizing,' or 'It feels like a cross between a mud mask and a cleanser,'" Lim recalls. "That made us think there might actually be something worth developing."

Encouraged by the response, the team began refining the formula, gradually improving its moisturizing properties and overall feel on the skin. The process continued well beyond the product's initial launch. Customers asked whether different versions could be combined into a single product and whether the formula could be made gentle enough for everyday use. Each suggestion became an opportunity to revisit and improve the cleanser. Looking back, Lim believes this willingness to experiment and listen has shaped Arencia from the beginning.

"We've never been a brand that starts with a predetermined answer," she says. "We make something, try it ourselves, listen to our customers, and go back to improve it. That's still how we develop our products today."

A texture born from the process, not the other way around

The Rice Mochi Cleanser's distinctive, dough-like texture has become one of its most recognizable features. But according to Lim, creating that texture was never the original goal. Instead, the team began with a different question: How could they preserve as much of the goodness of natural ingredients as possible?

"As we researched different formulations, we became concerned that conventional manufacturing methods involving heat or large amounts of water could compromise some of the beneficial components found in natural ingredients like green tea and rice, including vitamins and minerals," Lim explains.

The team began exploring ways to minimize the processing of those ingredients. Eventually, they developed a method that involved repeatedly kneading and pressing the mixture over an extended period without adding water. But, the process proved more demanding than expected.

"The ingredients don't come together as easily as you might think," Lim says. "They need to be kneaded for a long time before they naturally blend together. Through that process, the rice develops its characteristic sticky, elastic texture, and that's how the Rice Mochi Cleanser's consistency came about."

In other words, the cleanser's unusual texture was not something the team set out to replicate. It was the result of a manufacturing process designed around the ingredients themselves.

"We didn't choose the process because we wanted to create a mochi-like texture," Lim explains. "We chose the process because we believed it was the best way to work with natural ingredients. The texture was the result of it."

That philosophy also informs how Arencia positions the product. Rather than describing it simply as a facial cleanser, the brand often uses the phrase ‘cleanser & skincare’ to convey the experience it aims to deliver.

"We often hear from customers that their skin feels comfortable and smooth after cleansing, almost as though they've already completed a skincare step, rather than feeling tight," Lim says. "We believe that comes from choosing a process that makes the most of what natural ingredients have to offer."

A woman holds a skincare tube at a desk surrounded by skincare products in an office.

“Creating skincare with time, care, and dedication”

While vegan beauty remains an important part of Arencia's identity, Lim is quick to point out that it does not define everything the brand stands for. At its core is a commitment to making products with time, care, and attention to detail.

The philosophy is reflected in the brand's name itself. Arencia was inspired by the word artisan, evoking the idea of a gift thoughtfully made by a skilled craftsperson.

"From the beginning, we've approached product development with the mindset of someone who makes things by hand," Lim says. "Rather than chasing trends, we want to create products that people will continue to love and use for years."

It is an approach that extends beyond the brand's signature cleanser. One of the product lines Lim feels particularly attached to today is Eraser, Arencia's exfoliating skincare range. Although designed to address dead skin cells and uneven texture, the concept actually began with a moisturizer.

"Most exfoliating products focus on delivering quick results," she explains. "We wondered whether we could make something that would be comfortable enough to use every day."

Instead of starting with an exfoliant and trying to make it gentler, the team approached development from the opposite direction, adding exfoliating properties to a moisturizing cream. The result was a product designed to feel as comfortable as an everyday moisturizer while gradually helping to smooth and refine skin texture with continued use.

The idea also reflected how customer expectations of Arencia had evolved. "With the Rice Mochi Cleanser and our other cleansing products, customers began expecting more than just cleansing," Lim says. "We started thinking about the skin concerns that couldn't be addressed through cleansing alone and how we could tackle them with leave-on skincare products."

That thinking eventually led to the Eraser line, extending Arencia's approach to skincare beyond the cleansing step.

Six colorful Avencia skincare tubes stand upright against a white background.

Browse products (Global) Browse products (US)

Finding focus and growing globally with OLIVE YOUNG

Arencia's partnership with OLIVE YOUNG marked another important turning point in the brand's development. When the brand first explored entering OLIVE YOUNG, its portfolio consisted entirely of solid-format products, and the discussions did not immediately lead to a launch. It was only after the Rice Mochi Cleanser began gaining traction through word of mouth, and Arencia had established the necessary production capabilities, that the brand entered OLIVE YOUNG.

For Lim, however, the most significant change was not simply gaining access to a larger retail platform. It was the opportunity to rethink the brand's product strategy. "Working with OLIVE YOUNG's merchandisers gave us a much broader perspective on where the brand should go," Lim says. "We could discuss which product lines to develop and, among all our SKUs, which products had the potential to become the face of Arencia."

Previously, the brand had placed considerable emphasis on offering a variety of colors and textures. However, through conversations with OLIVE YOUNG's merchandisers, Lim began to look more closely at what customers were actually seeking.

"We realized that, ultimately, customers are looking for products that address their specific skin concerns," she explains. "That helped us shift our focus from creating more variations to strengthening the products that really matter."

The change brought greater clarity to Arencia's portfolio. Rather than continuously expanding its assortment, the brand began concentrating on its core product lines, identifying which formulas best addressed particular skin concerns and which deserved to be developed into signature products. Many of the products that define Arencia today took shape through that process.

The partnership has also played an important role in the brand's international growth. "In the past, whenever we met a new overseas buyer, we had to introduce Arencia from the very beginning," Lim recalls. "Now, even when we're meeting with global retailers like Sephora or Ulta, we often hear them say, 'We've seen you at OLIVE YOUNG.'"

According to Lim, international buyers increasingly look to OLIVE YOUNG as an important reference point when assessing Korean beauty brands. They examine online customer reviews, check which stores carry particular products, and pay close attention to how shoppers are responding to them. For Arencia, that visibility has helped open doors well beyond Korea. "OLIVE YOUNG has not only helped more people discover our brand, but has also become an important connection to new global partners," Lim says.

Building a brand that stays true to its craft

As Arencia looks ahead, Lim hopes to expand the brand's reach while holding on to the principles that shaped its earliest products. Although Arencia began with cleansing products, her long-term ambition is to build a brand that encompasses everything that comes into contact with the skin.

That does not mean expanding simply for the sake of introducing something new. Instead, Lim wants to build the portfolio one product at a time, creating formulas that customers will continue to reach for long after their initial purchase.

She also sees customer feedback as an essential part of that journey. "Arencia has grown by listening to our customers from the very beginning," she says. "We've received plenty of constructive criticism along the way, and we've consistently reflected that feedback in our products. I believe that process is what has made Arencia what it is today."

It is a philosophy that can be traced back to the brand's earliest days, when a handful of leftover ingredients became an unexpected experiment and, eventually, its signature product.

For Lim, the goal remains much the same: to create skincare that reflects both the dedication of the people who make it and the voices of the people who use it.

"I want Arencia to be remembered as a brand with true craftsmanship," she says. "A brand that creates products people return to over time, with the care of the maker and the voice of the customer reflected in everything we do."

Behind every K-beauty and K-wellness brand is a story of where it began, what it stands for, and the people who believed in an idea and saw it through. 'behind the brand,' an original series by 'editorial by OLIVE YOUNG,' takes a closer look at the stories behind brands that have grown alongside OLIVE YOUNG and are now reaching customers around the world. From the idea that sparked a brand to the vision behind its products, the series explores the founders’ perspectives, challenges, and innovations that shaped each brand along the way. Arencia's signature product, the Rice Mochi Cleanser, began as something closer to a failed experiment than a promising new product. Its unusual texture was unlike anything the brand had set out to create. Yet positive feedback from early users and years of continuous refinement transformed that accidental discovery into the product Arencia is best known for today. We spoke with Arencia founder Joohyun Lim about the unexpected beginnings of the Rice Mochi Cleanser, the craftsmanship behind its distinctive texture, and why building a brand that makes products well matters more than simply making more of them. “Let's make something we'd actually want to use ourselves” For Lim, the journey to founding Arencia began long before she entered the beauty industry. Having spent nearly a decade of her school years in Latin America, including Panama, she grew up surrounded by natural ingredients such as coffee and mangoes. Experimenting with these ingredients to create products for personal use gradually became a hobby, one that eventually grew into something more meaningful. "I started out simply making things for myself," Lim recalls. "I enjoyed sharing what I made with people around me and donating products to others. That's when I discovered how much I loved the process of making something." The hobby stayed with her after she returned to Korea. At a time when vegan beauty products were still relatively difficult to find, Lim began considering whether she could create the kinds of products she wanted to use herself. "I thought, why not make something properly, something I'd genuinely want to use?" she says. That simple idea became the starting point for Arencia. Lim began preparing to launch the brand in 2017 and introduced its first products in 2019. The accidental beginning of the rice mochi cleanser The story behind Arencia's Rice Mochi Cleanser is an unlikely one. It wasn't created from a carefully planned product development process. Rather, it began with leftover ingredients at the brand's own production facility. "In the early days, we were making products at our own facility, and we had some leftover ingredients from production," Lim explains. "It seemed wasteful to throw them away, so someone suggested we mix them together and try them out. We put everything into a mixer and shared the mixture among the team." From a product development perspective, the result was hardly a success. The mixture was neither solid nor liquid, with an unusual consistency that did not fit into any conventional product category. However, surprisingly, the feedback from those who used it was positive. "People were saying things like, 'It cleans really well, while surprisingly moisturizing,' or 'It feels like a cross between a mud mask and a cleanser,'" Lim recalls. "That made us think there might actually be something worth developing." Encouraged by the response, the team began refining the formula, gradually improving its moisturizing properties and overall feel on the skin. The process continued well beyond the product's initial launch. Customers asked whether different versions could be combined into a single product and whether the formula could be made gentle enough for everyday use. Each suggestion became an opportunity to revisit and improve the cleanser. Looking back, Lim believes this willingness to experiment and listen has shaped Arencia from the beginning. "We've never been a brand that starts with a predetermined answer," she says. "We make something, try it ourselves, listen to our customers, and go back to improve it. That's still how we develop our products today." A texture born from the process, not the other way around The Rice Mochi Cleanser's distinctive, dough-like texture has become one of its most recognizable features. But according to Lim, creating that texture was never the original goal. Instead, the team began with a different question: How could they preserve as much of the goodness of natural ingredients as possible? "As we researched different formulations, we became concerned that conventional manufacturing methods involving heat or large amounts of water could compromise some of the beneficial components found in natural ingredients like green tea and rice, including vitamins and minerals," Lim explains. The team began exploring ways to minimize the processing of those ingredients. Eventually, they developed a method that involved repeatedly kneading and pressing the mixture over an extended period without adding water. But, the process proved more demanding than expected. "The ingredients don't come together as easily as you might think," Lim says. "They need to be kneaded for a long time before they naturally blend together. Through that process, the rice develops its characteristic sticky, elastic texture, and that's how the Rice Mochi Cleanser's consistency came about." In other words, the cleanser's unusual texture was not something the team set out to replicate. It was the result of a manufacturing process designed around the ingredients themselves. "We didn't choose the process because we wanted to create a mochi-like texture," Lim explains. "We chose the process because we believed it was the best way to work with natural ingredients. The texture was the result of it." That philosophy also informs how Arencia positions the product. Rather than describing it simply as a facial cleanser, the brand often uses the phrase ‘cleanser & skincare’ to convey the experience it aims to deliver. "We often hear from customers that their skin feels comfortable and smooth after cleansing, almost as though they've already completed a skincare step, rather than feeling tight," Lim says. "We believe that comes from choosing a process that makes the most of what natural ingredients have to offer." “Creating skincare with time, care, and dedication” While vegan beauty remains an important part of Arencia's identity, Lim is quick to point out that it does not define everything the brand stands for. At its core is a commitment to making products with time, care, and attention to detail. The philosophy is reflected in the brand's name itself. Arencia was inspired by the word artisan, evoking the idea of a gift thoughtfully made by a skilled craftsperson. "From the beginning, we've approached product development with the mindset of someone who makes things by hand," Lim says. "Rather than chasing trends, we want to create products that people will continue to love and use for years." It is an approach that extends beyond the brand's signature cleanser. One of the product lines Lim feels particularly attached to today is Eraser, Arencia's exfoliating skincare range. Although designed to address dead skin cells and uneven texture, the concept actually began with a moisturizer. "Most exfoliating products focus on delivering quick results," she explains. "We wondered whether we could make something that would be comfortable enough to use every day." Instead of starting with an exfoliant and trying to make it gentler, the team approached development from the opposite direction, adding exfoliating properties to a moisturizing cream. The result was a product designed to feel as comfortable as an everyday moisturizer while gradually helping to smooth and refine skin texture with continued use. The idea also reflected how customer expectations of Arencia had evolved. "With the Rice Mochi Cleanser and our other cleansing products, customers began expecting more than just cleansing," Lim says. "We started thinking about the skin concerns that couldn't be addressed through cleansing alone and how we could tackle them with leave-on skincare products." That thinking eventually led to the Eraser line, extending Arencia's approach to skincare beyond the cleansing step. Browse products (Global) Browse products (US) Finding focus and growing globally with OLIVE YOUNG Arencia's partnership with OLIVE YOUNG marked another important turning point in the brand's development. When the brand first explored entering OLIVE YOUNG, its portfolio consisted entirely of solid-format products, and the discussions did not immediately lead to a launch. It was only after the Rice Mochi Cleanser began gaining traction through word of mouth, and Arencia had established the necessary production capabilities, that the brand entered OLIVE YOUNG. For Lim, however, the most significant change was not simply gaining access to a larger retail platform. It was the opportunity to rethink the brand's product strategy. "Working with OLIVE YOUNG's merchandisers gave us a much broader perspective on where the brand should go," Lim says. "We could discuss which product lines to develop and, among all our SKUs, which products had the potential to become the face of Arencia." Previously, the brand had placed considerable emphasis on offering a variety of colors and textures. However, through conversations with OLIVE YOUNG's merchandisers, Lim began to look more closely at what customers were actually seeking. "We realized that, ultimately, customers are looking for products that address their specific skin concerns," she explains. "That helped us shift our focus from creating more variations to strengthening the products that really matter." The change brought greater clarity to Arencia's portfolio. Rather than continuously expanding its assortment, the brand began concentrating on its core product lines, identifying which formulas best addressed particular skin concerns and which deserved to be developed into signature products. Many of the products that define Arencia today took shape through that process. The partnership has also played an important role in the brand's international growth. "In the past, whenever we met a new overseas buyer, we had to introduce Arencia from the very beginning," Lim recalls. "Now, even when we're meeting with global retailers like Sephora or Ulta, we often hear them say, 'We've seen you at OLIVE YOUNG.'" According to Lim, international buyers increasingly look to OLIVE YOUNG as an important reference point when assessing Korean beauty brands. They examine online customer reviews, check which stores carry particular products, and pay close attention to how shoppers are responding to them. For Arencia, that visibility has helped open doors well beyond Korea. "OLIVE YOUNG has not only helped more people discover our brand, but has also become an important connection to new global partners," Lim says. Building a brand that stays true to its craft As Arencia looks ahead, Lim hopes to expand the brand's reach while holding on to the principles that shaped its earliest products. Although Arencia began with cleansing products, her long-term ambition is to build a brand that encompasses everything that comes into contact with the skin. That does not mean expanding simply for the sake of introducing something new. Instead, Lim wants to build the portfolio one product at a time, creating formulas that customers will continue to reach for long after their initial purchase. She also sees customer feedback as an essential part of that journey. "Arencia has grown by listening to our customers from the very beginning," she says. "We've received plenty of constructive criticism along the way, and we've consistently reflected that feedback in our products. I believe that process is what has made Arencia what it is today." It is a philosophy that can be traced back to the brand's earliest days, when a handful of leftover ingredients became an unexpected experiment and, eventually, its signature product. For Lim, the goal remains much the same: to create skincare that reflects both the dedication of the people who make it and the voices of the people who use it. "I want Arencia to be remembered as a brand with true craftsmanship," she says. "A brand that creates products people return to over time, with the care of the maker and the voice of the customer reflected in everything we do."