Rice is more than an inexpensive, versatile, and nutritious food. You can use rice water for skin and hair benefits, as well. Rice water is starchy water left over after you soak or cook rice, so it’s easy to find and make.
This liquid can improve skin conditions, repair your hair, and more. Rice water for skin and hair is a beneficial home remedy that contains many vitamins and minerals.
Adding rice water to your skin and hair care regime will naturally enhance your skin and hair, free of all chemicals. Learning about the benefits of rice water for skin and hair will help you understand how it can help you.
Why Is Rice Water Good for Your Skin And Hair?
Using rice water for skin and hair is beneficial because it is full of nutrients, promoting the health of skin cells. It also contains triglycerides, lipids, and starch, which can enhance skin health.
Additionally, rice water contains carbohydrates, inositol, and phytic acid. These substances help with achieving and maintaining glowing skin. The water also has high amounts of antioxidants that neutralize free radicals.
With all of these vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, rice water for skin and hair is one of the best options. While most skin and hair products contain harsh chemicals, this technique is all-natural with no damaging components.
Eight Amazing Benefits of Rice Water for Skin and Hair
Here are eight surprising benefits of rice water for the face, skincare, and healthy hair.
1. Rice Water Can Lighten Your Skin
If you have age spots or dark patches of skin caused by pregnancy, hormonal changes, or sun damage, rice water can help. The dark spots fade when you use the liquid as a skin rinse, and your skin texture evens out. You can use rice water for a face-lightening effect.
When your skin is healthy, it’ll glow like it wouldn’t otherwise. Rice water can help naturally brighten your complexion as it has essential enzymes that remove dead skin cells.
2. Rice Water Can Help Treat Dry Skin
Dry skin is uncomfortable and might make you self-conscious as it causes flaky skin. If your skin has damage from sodium laurel sulfate, an ingredient found in many skin and hair care products. Rice water can help. The water eases dry and damaged skin by providing essential nutrients and vitamins.
Rice water gets rid of dead skin cells and promotes cell growth. This process will make your skin smooth and free of dryness. It also helps balance pH levels, making your skin healthy again.
3. Rice Water Can Help With Eczema, Acne, Rashes, And Inflammation
Since rice water helps your skin maintain healthy pH levels, it can help with uncomfortable skin conditions. Research shows that the outermost layer of your skin protects it from microbes, but your natural barrier must maintain specialized lipid cells. If those cells are compromised, you can develop dermatitis, rosacea, and other skin conditions and rashes.
Additionally, rice water can help ease the discomfort of eczema as it clears up outbreaks. It can also help clear up acne and pimples. Using this liquid on affected areas twice daily can clear it up quickly and prevent it from returning.
This natural treatment results in healthier skin with decreased irritation and inflammation because the starches help repair damage. The healthy starches also help strengthen your skin barrier, preventing further issues.
4. Rice Water Can Protect Your Skin From Sun Damage
Studies show that rice water can protect the skin from UV rays. When used with plant extracts, it can be used as sunscreen, allowing you to skip the harsh chemicals in other products.
Rice water can provide a cooling sensation to your skin after sunburn. It also promotes healing when your skin has been damaged by the sun, decreasing your chance of developing wrinkles and dark spots. This water relieves red, inflamed, or itching skin caused by sun damage.
5. Rice Water Is Known To Have Anti-aging Benefits
Everyone has to deal with aging, but you can slow the process by using rice water for the skin. Using this water each day can help you look younger and reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
Your skin contains elastin, making it soft and supple, giving it a youthful appearance. As you age, the elastin becomes less effective, leaving you with wrinkles and sagging skin. Rice water can help with this, as it contains antioxidants that fight the skin and elastin-damaging free radicals.
Rice water also increases the collagen in your skin, reducing and preventing wrinkles. It also contains other vitamins and nutrients that slow the aging process, including:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Allantoin
- Vitamin E
- Flavonoids
- Phenolic compounds
- Ferulic acid
6. Rice Water Reduces Skin Oiliness
Oily skin can cause just as many issues like dry skin, so it is essential to take care of it. Too much oil can clog your pores, causing painful pimples and acne breakouts.
If you use rice water on your skin, the healthy starches in the water will help tighten your pores and eliminate excess oil. It also decreases the shine on your face that too much oil causes.
7. Rice Water Helps With Damage Hair
Your hair builds up toxins, causing it to look flat and dull. Using rice water for hair provides many powerful antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins that return your hair to its original, healthy state. It detoxes your hair and removes damaging chemicals and toxins.
Rice water also increases the elasticity of your hair. More elasticity makes your hair less likely to break off, get damaged, or split. This benefit helps everyone and is a must for people that use styling tools that pull, curl, twist, or crimp your hair.
Additionally, if you have split ends or frizzy hair due to damage and dryness, rice water helps with that, too. It softens your hair and reduces friction on the surface of each strand.
8. Rice Water Helps Treat Dandruff
Dandruff is uncomfortable and can result in itching, burning, and flaking. Plus, it can also be embarrassing. As you constantly scratch your head and shed dandruff flakes, the problem becomes apparent to everyone.
A lack of oils in your scalp typically causes dandruff, which is worse if you have dry hair. It can cause scalp inflammation, too, making it even more uncomfortable and painful. Rice water can help ease the problem and return your skin to a healthy state since it may reduce irritation.
How to Make Rice Water in Three Easy Steps
Rice water is easy to make, and you can choose from three methods.
1. Soak It
Soaking the grains is the easiest and fastest way to make rice water for the skin. Rinse uncooked rice grains in water until the water runs clear. Then, put the rice in a bowl and soak it in water for at least thirty minutes.
While the grain soaks, stir gently and press down with your fingers to release all the beneficial properties. After thirty minutes, strain the water and store it in a container with a tight lid, keeping it in the refrigerator for up to one week. You can also store this liquid in a tightly lidded spray bottle.
2. Ferment It
Fermented rice water is more potent than others and offers additional benefits like conditioning. Rinse the rice with water first, and then put the rice into a glass bowl filled with water.
Let the ingredients soak for two days, triggering the natural fermentation process. Store the fermented rice water in a glass container in the refrigerator with a lid.
3. Boil It
If you want to boil the rice water, follow the instructions for cooking it. Once the rice is done, strain the water and transfer it to a glass bottle. Leave the lid off of the bottle while the water cools down. Then, put the lid back on and refrigerate it.
How to Use Rice Water for Skin and Hair Care
- Hair Rinse: Saturate your hair with rice water and leave it on for 10 minutes before rinsing it.
- Facial Cleanser or Toner: Use a cotton ball to smooth the rice water over your face and neck, rinsing if desired. Washing the face with rice water is one of the easiest applications.
- Bath Soak: Using rice water as a bath soak can offer relief to your entire body. A bath soak is especially beneficial if you are sunburned or experiencing an eczema flare-up.
- In a Spray Bottle: You can spritz your hair or face as necessary if you keep rice water in a spray bottle. Let it air dry on your skin rather than dabbing or wiping it dry.
- As a Hair Mask: After washing your hair, saturate it with rice water and put it in a towel for at least twenty minutes. Rinse the rice water hair mask with cool water and let it dry naturally.
Final Thoughts on Benefits of Rice Water for Skin and Hair
Now that you know this grain is much more than nutritious food, you’ll keep it on hand. This natural beauty treatment benefits you in many ways. But the best part is that you won’t have to use harsh chemicals.
Rice water for the skin helps you look youthful, healthy, and radiant. Plus, you may make your hair appear shiny and full. Regardless of what you ultimately decide, it is well worth your try.