Meet rice water, a kitchen byproduct turned beauty staple. Trending on TikTok, this popular ingredient has been used in Asian cultures for hundreds of years as a DIY ingredient in cosmetic preparations. Recently, it has come back into the limelight for its purported anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, brightening and anti-aging properties. But is there any scientific proof behind it? And does rice water really work? Let’s find out.
In this blog post, we look at the science behind rice water and explore its potential benefits for skin and hair. But there’s more—we also provide step-by-step guides to creating amazing, beginner-friendly rice water concoctions, from soothing facial toners to nourishing hair masks.
What is rice water?
Rice water is pretty much what it sounds like: a starchy liquid left over after soaking or boiling rice. It is usually cloudy in appearance due to the starches released from the rice grains. This water can then be drained and used in a number of ways.
In recent years, rice water has gained popularity as a natural hair and skin treatment due to its purported properties. Influencers, bloggers, and beauty enthusiasts are incorporating rice water into their skin and hair care regimens, claiming it gives them “clear skin” — aka soft and glowing skin.
Why should you formula with rice water?
Rice water has been used for centuries in Asian culture, particularly in Japan. Over 1,000 years ago, Japanese women used water left over from rice to brighten their skin and stimulate hair growth. Today, rice water is back in fashion. Easily accessible, rice water is all the rage for its purported antiaging and invigorating properties. This is an amazing opportunity for you to incorporate rice water into your cosmetics. But first, let’s find out if there is any scientific evidence to support these anecdotes.
Skin benefits of rice water
Like many ingredients derived from rice, rice water contains many nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids that can provide potential benefits for the skin. While the scientific evidence is still limited, we’ve found some of the key properties and skin benefits of this ingredient so you can unlock its power in your beauty formulations.
- Antioxidant: Rice water is rich in antioxidants, meaning it protects your skin from free radicals and oxidative stress, which can cause premature aging. A 2018 study (i) found that rice water obtained after boiling the rice was high in polyphenols—a class of antioxidants—that exhibited antioxidant activity similar to that of vitamin C (ascorbic acid).
- Antiaging: In the same study, scientists tested a topical rice gel on volunteers and concluded that rice water is a suitable antiaging cosmetic ingredient for skin care formulations. Another study (ii) looked at the anti-aging efficacy of fermented rice water and saw it exhibit interesting anti-photoaging properties in fibroblasts caused by UVA and UVB – also known as sun damage.
- Anti-inflammatory: Additionally, rice water may have anti-inflammatory properties from rice starch. This may help soothe irritation and soothe dry skin, but more research is needed.
- Shine: While more research is needed, rice water may also have brightening properties, which may help reduce hyperpigmentation and age spots.
- Moisturizing: Last but not least, rice water is hydrating, meaning it helps hydrate the skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The study mentioned earlier found that boiled rice water can block the activity of elastase, meaning it can prevent the breakdown of elastin, a protein responsible for skin firmness and elasticity.
Hair benefits of rice water
For centuries, women have used rice water to wash their hair. Today, this ancient practice is turning into the next hair care craze, as more people use leftover starchy rice to rinse their hair, hoping for stronger, healthier hair. But is there actually any science behind it?
Some studies (ii) suggest that fermented water can enhance hair shine, growth and strength. By now, you know that rice water is rich in starch, vitamins, minerals and amino acids, making it a great addition to your hair care routine. Plus, it’s a great recycled ingredient as you’re using water that would otherwise be thrown away. Let’s explore more of the benefits of rice in hair care:
- Nutrient: Researchers have discovered that rice water is rich in amino acids, which help hair lock in moisture.
- Air conditioning: Likewise, amino acids have been shown to improve combability and add lustrous shine to hair.
- Strengthening: Rice water is rich in vitamin B (B1, B2, B6), which helps support healthy hair growth as vitamin B plays an important role in protein metabolism. The amino acids in rice water also help rebuild fiber structure and breakdown.
- Reset: Rice starch is rich in polysaccharides and the carbohydrate inositol, which can help repair and protect damaged hair.
- Antioxidant: Rice water is full of antioxidants, which can help protect hair from free radical damage. Antioxidants also help reduce and neutralize oxidative stressors, such as UV radiation and pollution, against premature hair aging.
Formulation method with rice water
When compounding with rice water, you have two options. You can either make your own rice water and preserve it, or buy pre-made rice water and add it to your water-based formulations. If you are new to this and are not yet familiar with physical maintenance, we recommend the second option as it is much safer.
Option 1: Make your own rice water
The first option is to make your own rice water and use the strained liquid as a gentle tonic or DIY hair mask. Studies (iii) suggest that the best method to make rice water at home is to soak unwashed rice grains in cold water for 30 minutes, which guarantees the presence of essential nutrients for optimal skin and hair benefits, and then drain .
You can then either use the starchy liquid directly on the skin as a face or hair mask (always do a patch test first) or store it in your makeup cupboard. If you want to use it later, you must add a preservative to prevent possible microbial contamination and monitor your preparation for stability. We teach maintenance in our Certificate in Natural Cosmetics Maintenance.
Option 2: Buy pre-made rice water
The second option, which we recommend, is to buy pre-made rice water. This is available as either preserved rice water or fermented rice water extract. Your supplier will tell you exactly how to use it and how much to incorporate into your skin or hair care products.
The best rice water recipes
You can create amazing concoctions with rice water. Any water-based product can contain rice water and benefit from its skin or hair care properties. This includes micellar waters, gels, cleansers, face masks, toners, mists, serums, creams, lotions, shampoos and conditioners. The sky is the limit!
We’ve put together a list of beginner-friendly brews below. Simply replace the distilled water or hydrosol with rice water and use rice water instead of regular water to activate your powder cleansers and face masks.
Micellar waters
How to make a jasmine and aloe micellar water
How to make a vitamin B micellar water
Gel
How to make a natural bubble bath using surfactants
Make this easy DIY under eye gel to rejuvenate your eyes
Cleaners
Create a simple gel facial cleanser
How to do a gentle hand wash
How to Make a Dragon Fruit Powder Foaming CleanserHow to make a face cleansing powder
Face masks
How to make an activated charcoal mask at home
Toners/Mists
How to make a witches graphite
How to make an aloe vera repair mist
Create a moisturizing mist with tropical extracts
How to make a strengthening hair care mist
Serums/Creams/Lotions
How to make a moisturizing rose face serum
How to make a soothing CBD face and body cream
How to make a natural mint and melon shower lotion
How to make a simple moisturizing body lotion
How to make an herbal lotion to soothe itchy skin
Shampoo
How to make a natural cleansing shampoo with jasmine and tangerine
How to make a natural peppermint & rosemary shampoo
How to make an exfoliating pre-shampoo
Air conditioners
How to make an organic & natural hair conditioner
Hair masks
How to make an antioxidant hair mask
Rice water: is it worth the hype?
Used for hundreds of years in Japan, Korea, China and India, rice water is back in style. And it’s easy to see why. Its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and moisturizing properties make it a great addition to your skincare formulas, especially those aimed at mature skin. It is also a valuable ally in the hair care formulation, offering nourishing, strengthening and antioxidant benefits. And while the scientific evidence surrounding rice water is still limited, we think rice water is absolutely worth the hype.
We encourage you to try it yourself and add rice water to your gels, cleansers, masks, toners, mists, serums, creams, shampoos and lotions. Check out our free tutorial where you can learn how to formulate your own effective skincare from home using rice water and other amazing natural ingredients.
References
(i) Marto et al, 2018. Rice water: traditional ingredient with anti-aging e.geffectiveness
(ii) Jamaluddin et al, 2023. Biochemical and gene expressionion studies reveal the potential of Aspergillus oryzae-fermented broken rice and rice-brewery extracts as anti-photoaging agents
(iii) Yusuf-Salihu et al, 2023. Fermented rice water for the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and its antimicrobial activities against microorganisms associated with skin infections
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Ariane is Formula Botanica’s content creator and an active member of the student community. She has worked as a professional journalist, blogger, copywriter and editor before joining Formula Botanica full time in 2024.
