Beauty benefits of rice water

Shahnaz Husain *

Rice water has been used in Asian beauty rituals for centuries to achieve glowing and smooth skin.Using rice water for skin is a natural home remedy in treating and preventing acne, removing acne scars, and getting rid of hyperpigmentation.

Rice water contains amino acids, vitamins B and E, and minerals which promotes cell growth, stimulates blood flow and keeps the skin smooth, youthful and bright in chilly weather conditions. It’s literally a beauty booster used for more and more people all over the world.

Rice is of course delicious as one of the key culinary ingredients around the world, so we all know how to make it but when we are using it for beauty purposes it’s a different process, very simple by the way.

You can use rice water cubes to boost collagen and nourish, refresh skin. Put rice water into the ice tray and freeze it. Add cucumber too. Apply these ice cubes onto the face and uncovered areas around the face, neck etc as a toner. Rice water is great to keep the skin glowing and hydrated during winters.

You can use rice water for reducing dark patches or achieving fair complexion by mixing rice powder with raw milk to form thick paste. Apply thick paste on your face and uncovered skin and leave it for a few minutes and wash it with clean fresh water.

Repeat it once a week to achieve amazing results. Although many beauty companies have launched soaps, toners, creams etc. containing rice water, it is always advisable to go for herbal homely products. Rice water acts as an excellent hair conditioner.

You can add a few drops of essential oils like rosemary, lavender or tea tree oil and apply it on hair to balance PH level on the scalp and act as an excellent hair conditioner. After shampooing, apply rice water to your hair along with a few drops of lavender essential oil or rosemary essential oil.

Let the rice water dry on hair in a natural environment for 15-20 minutes and then rinse with normal fresh water. Fermented rice water is rich in vitamin B which also happens to promote melanin production for hair.

Fermented rice water protects the skin from UV rays and sun tan. Leave your boiled rice water out on your kitchen in open space for 48 hours. When it starts to smell slightly sour, bottle it up and store it in your fridge.

You can use fermented rice water in the same ways you can use regular rice water. Using rice water is also an effective remedy in treating sunburns. Applying it on sun-damaged skin can help the burns heal faster.

You can also prepare rice water with fermentation. In a glass jar put some rice and water (twice the quantity of rice). Keep it at room temperature for a day or two. Strain the mixture and keep the water in the fridge.

Rice wine increases the collagen in the skin, which keeps your skin supple and helps prevent wrinkling. Rice is part of India's beauty legacy which contains ferulic acid, a powerful antioxidant and allantois which contains anti- inflammatory properties. So, whether you eat rice or not, use it in your face pack for glowing skin. The starch in rice water is said to soothe the skin in conditions like eczema.

Dip a clean washcloth into the rice water, then apply it over the affected area. After 2 to 3 minutes, allow the skin to dry by itself. In fact, acne-prone skin or even skin with acne eruptions can be washed with rice water to soothe and heal the skin. It also helps to tighten the pores and refine the skin.

Rice water may be applied on the face with cotton wool and then massaged for a few minutes to revitalize the skin. In fact, rice water has an astringent effect and helps to prevent pimples and acne. Mix cornstarch powder and rice powder in 1:2 ratios. Apply the powdery material evenly on the face by using a makeup brush and wash with clean water after a few minutes for silky smooth skin.

Rice powder or rice flour can be used as a facial scrub. It is ideally suited to oily skin and is effective as a facial scrub. It helps to deep cleanse the skin and unclog the pores, discouraging and dislodging blackheads.

It removes dead skin cells, tightens the pores and brightens the skin. Mix rice powder with curd and a pinch of turmeric. Apply on the face and rub gently on the skin with circular movements. Wash off with water. Rice powder can also be added to ubtan for body scrubs, along with gram flour, curd, rose water, powdered lemon and orange peels, etc.

Rice wine contains antioxidant properties which prevent premature ageing and wrinkles on the skin. Prepare thick paste of rice flour, castor oil and banana and apply over dark circles and wash it after some time with clean fresh water. It will lighten skin around your eyes and keep you younger and fresh.

Take rice powder and Multani mitti in equal proportions and make a paste of it. Apply the paste on your scalp and rinse off with fresh water after 45 minutes for smooth, soft and lustrous hair. Mix honey and rice powder and apply the thick paste on the face and open areas. Leave it to dry in the natural atmosphere and wash after it has dried completely.

Cook a cup of rice. Remove the water and grind it to a thick paste with honey and milk. Apply a thick layer of this paste on the face and neck and let it dry before washing it off with lukewarm water. Add yogurt to the mixture of sugar and rice. Apply the paste on your face and wash your face with fresh water after half an hour to get a flawless, fair and attractive complexion.

It is preferable to use organic rice, clean filtered water, and rinse the rice thoroughly before use to get rid of any topical pollutants and pesticides. White rice is preferred over brown or red rice – since the water from the former has more extensive benefits .

Transcending the boundaries of food, rice offers a plethora of benefits for your skin and hair, a rather surprising beauty staple that’s been used across the world.