Is rice water good for your skin?
Rice water: The water that remains after you cook rice, has long been thought to make hair stronger and more beautiful. Its first known use was in Japan over 1,000 years ago.
Nowadays, it’s also gaining popularity as a skin treatment. It is said to soothe and tone your skin and even improve various skin conditions. Even more tempting, this water is something you can easily and cheaply make at home.
Rice water contains substances that help protect and repair your skin. Despite some real benefits, there are many claims about it that science has not fully proven.
Rice water Advantages for the skin
Fair skin
Many people recommend using this water to lighten skin or reduce dark spots. Many commercial products including soaps, toners, and creams, contain rice water.
Some people swear by rice water’s skin-lightening powers. Although some of the chemicals in it are known to lighten pigmentation, there is no evidence of how effective it is.
For the face
A 2013 study from Trusted Source showed that rice wine (fermented rice waters) can help improve skin damage from the sun. Rice wine increases collagen in the skin, which keeps your skin supple and helps prevent wrinkles. Rice wine also appears to have natural sunscreen properties.
Other studies show strong evidence for the anti-aging benefits of fermented rice waters due to its antioxidant properties.
Dry skin
It helps with skin irritation caused by sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), an ingredient found in many personal care products. Anecdotal evidence has shown that using this water twice a day helps skin that has been dry and damaged by SLS.
Damaged hair
Hair that has been bleached can be helped by the chemical inositol in this water. It helps repair damaged hair from the inside along with split ends.
Digestive upsets
Some recommend drinking this water for food poisoning or stomach problems. Although there is strong evidence that rice helps with diarrhea, it often contains traces of arsenic. Drinking large amounts of rice water with high concentrations of arsenic can lead to cancer, vascular disease, high blood pressure, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
Eczema, acne, rashes, and inflammation
Many people claim that it’s applied topically and can soothe the skin, remove blemishes caused by skin conditions like eczema, and help heal it. Based on what we know about the properties of rice waters, there is reason to believe some of these claims are true. However, hard evidence is still lacking.
Eye problems
Alcuni sostengono che bere acqua di riso o mangiare alcuni tipi di riso può aiutare a correggere problemi agli occhi come la degenerazione maculare, che di solito colpisce le persone anziane e può portare alla cecità. Finora, tuttavia, tale affermazione non è stata dimostrata.
Sun damage protection
Chemicals in rice have been shown to help protect the skin against the sun’s rays. A 2016 study from Trusted Source showed that it was an effective sunscreen when combined with other plant extracts.
How to use rice water on the face
There are different ways to prepare this water. All of them must wash the rice thoroughly before working with it. Most say it doesn’t matter what type of rice you use.
Boiling rice water
Wash the rice well and drain the water. Use about four times more water than rice. Stir together the rice and water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Take a spoon and press the rice to release the helpful chemicals, strain the rice through a sieve & refrigerate the water in an airtight container for up to a week. Dilute with plain water before use.
Soak rice in water
You can also make this water by soaking rice in water. Follow the same process as above, but instead of boiling the rice and water, soak the rice for at least 30 minutes before pressing and straining it through a sieve. Finally, keep the rice water in the fridge.
Read: How to remove warts naturally at home
Fermented rice water
To make fermented rice water, use the same process as for soaking rice. Then, instead of refrigerating the water (after pressing and straining the rice), leave it in a jar at room temperature for a day or two. When the container starts to smell sour, keep it in the fridge. Dilute with plain water before use.
Uses of rice water
You can apply this water directly on the skin or hair. You can experiment with adding fragrances or other natural ingredients to customize it. If you boil or ferment it, you must first dilute it with plain water.
Wash your hair
Try adding a little essential oil to your homemade rice water to give it a pleasant aroma. Apply this water to your hair from roots to ends and leave it for at least 10 minutes. wash off.
Shampoo
To make the shampoo, add some liquid castile soap to the fermented rice waters, plus your favorite aloe, chamomile tea, or a small amount of essential oil.
Facial cleanser and toner
Put a small amount of this water on a cotton ball and gently smooth it over your face and neck as a toner. To cleanse with it, massage it into your skin. Rinse if desired. You can also make a face mask with thick tissue paper.
Soaking bath
Grate a little natural bar soap and add it to rice water with some vitamin E for a soothing bath soak.
Body scrub
Add some sea salt, some essential oils, and citrus to create a natural exfoliant. Rub and wash.
Sunscreen
Buying sunscreen that contains rice water extract can improve protection from the sun’s rays. Sunscreens containing rice bran extract along with other plant extracts have improved UVA/UVB protection.
Conclusion
Rice water is very popular now. While not all claims about how it can help your skin and hair are proven, there is evidence that it helps with some types of skin problems such as sun damage and natural aging. It also repairs damaged hair.
Although it is not recommended that you drink a lot of rice water due to its possible arsenic content, applying it to your skin and hair can have positive benefits. Talk to a dermatologist first before starting any skin procedure.
