Rice Water
Rice water is the new “apple cider vinegar” or the “coconut oil” remedy in the wellness world. Japanese and Korean companies have launched a slew of beauty products based on good old rice water (more on that later) and packets of organic rice are flying off the shelves at Trader Joes in the US.
As with all things, that come back knocking on our door after receiving outside approval, we have woken up to going back to this basic milky looking water that cures everything right from diahorrea to acne , and hair fall to being called the new anti ageing elixir.
I distinctly remember my grandmother starching her cotton sarees in this water, the sarees used to dry in the blazing Kerala sun to a hard board finish and were pressed to a creaseless pile with those heavy duty coal iron boxes. And any remaining water would be mixed with soap nut powder and made into a paste to wash my hair.
I can actually smell this memory!
Rice water can be prepared in two ways
The Boiled Method- Cook rice as you would normally in a deep dish , not in a pressure or rice cooker. However you will have to add double or triple the amount of normal water. Once the rice is cooked, strain it out and collect the water which should be a milky white colour. Let it cool and bottle this liquid.
The Soaked Method – Soak a cup of washed rice in water, such that the level of water is well above the rice. Let it seep for 30 to 40 minutes. Drain the water completely and collect it in a bottle
- You can use either brown or white rice to prepare the above, though brown rice is preferable since it contains the husk along with 90% of the B vitamins.
- Be mindful to thoroughly wash the rice to get rid of any dirt and pesticide remains.
- Skin and scalp irritations can occur even with natural ingredients, hence it is always advisable to do a patch test first.
- This water can be stored in the refrigerator or under normal room temperature. When left out it will result in fermentation over a few days and make it a stronger and potent liquid. The smell changes over time, however the number of antioxidants in the liquid will increase and make it an even more effective product. To me it smells like Sake or Japanese rice wine but if you find the smell unbearable, it can be diluted and if not simply dispose it and make a fresh batch.Coming back to the beauty benefits of rice water, it can be used in various ways-
For Skin
- Refrigerate a bottle of rice water and spray it on your face a couple of times a day.
- Freeze into cubes, and rub a whole cube over the face before applying makeup.
- Simply bottle it and keep it at your washroom counter. Use a cotton pad soaked in rice water and dab all over your face as a toner after cleansing and before moisturising.
Add a spoonful of the liquid for face pack or body scrub preparation.
The skin benefits are as follows
- Fermented rice water contains traces of an invaluable substance called Pitera. This is a unique yeast strain that forms the base ingredient for the Japanese bestselling SK-ll brand of skincare .Of course Pitera has since been trademarked by the company , but you and I can make a milder version of their most awarded 180$ priced Facial Treatment Essence at home. Pitera is known to lighten fine lines and increase luminosity.
- Rice water contains vitamins, minerals and amino acids, that reduce any inflammation present.
- It magnifies and tightens skin pores, stimulates blood flow, making it the perfect toner.
- Significantly helps in healing acne because of its astringent properties.
- Soothes sun burnt skin almost immediately, just use chilled rice water.Rice water is probably the easiest DIY that gets made unintentionally at home anyways.
However if laziness seeps through your bones and you would rather just benefit from readily available rice water based cosmetics, I would highly recommend the The Faceshop range. The K beauty company has a cleansing foam, cleansing water and a make up remover with its prime ingredient being rice water. Personally, I have used the Rice Water Bright All In One Cleanser and loved it, does not leave the skin feeling tight and parched at all. The Foaming Cleanser from the same range has the same pleasant smell and you need literally just a drop to foam your entire face and neck.
For Hair
It is preferable to use fermented rice water for your hair. I have tried using both fermented as well as plain boiled rice water; the former definitely gave me shinier happier hair.
- Mix the liquid in any herbal pack you prefer and apply it on the scalp and length of your hair
- Massage scalp and hair with rice water, leave it on for a couple of minutes and rinse.
- Add a spoon of apple cider vinegar to a mug of rice water and use as a last rinse.
- Do not use a conditioner after this last rinse; you will be washing away the benefits.
- I prefer using rice water as a last rinse, after shampooing, it adds volume and makes the hair strong. My hair has gone through various stages of abuse in terms of styling and treatments and this rice water rinse has helped a great deal to get rid of brittleness and hair breakage.
The hair benefits are as follows
- Fermented rice water has a low Ph level, this helps balance the ph level of your scalp and hair, which is very important for your overall hair condition.
- Rice water contains a water soluble vitamin called Inositol (Vitamin B8) that protects hair from damage and loss. Inositol is regularly used as medication for people suffering from hair loss due to PCOS and other hormonal conditions.
- It clarifies hair and naturally removes any build up without stripping natural oils and thereby increasing the sheen
And as if all these above benefits weren’t mind blowing enough, you would be impressed to know that rice water makes for an amazing energy drink. Just one glass of this water is packed with enough vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates to charge you like a bunny.
Strictly acquired taste!
Arathy Sujeet
January 9, 2018 at 4:51 pmInformative…never knew these benefits before!
Divya
January 11, 2018 at 5:08 amisn’t it amazing that our good old Kanni vellam is a treasure !
Ami
January 11, 2018 at 6:15 amHey Divya…enjoyed reading your blog it’s good n yes very informative..specially about rice water…have subscribed for you newsletter too good luck
Divya
January 11, 2018 at 12:47 pmthanks Ami !
Beena
January 12, 2018 at 11:01 amKnew that rice water is good to drink. But I never knew that it’s so helpful for maintaining good skin and hair. Will try out all these tips. Thank you div.
Divya
January 13, 2018 at 4:45 amyes ! Kanni vellam is sold in bottles now !
Henna
January 13, 2018 at 1:51 pmJust wow u know in my culture a girl bride to be use rice water for face wash at least before a two months of her wedding I’m really happy to see this
Divya
January 14, 2018 at 4:51 pmWow, is it? Its amazing how certain skin care routines prevail across all nations.
Rajashree
January 13, 2018 at 4:51 pmAwesome!! Overloaded with valuable information and all of them are so easy to put in practise! Thank you Divya and Rashi mam
Divya
January 14, 2018 at 4:50 pmthank you so much ! glad to know .
Chupi
January 14, 2018 at 3:26 amDivya, you are fantastic! I always drain out the rice water but never knew this was good for face and hair!!!!! I will start using this from tomorrow. You know I have been listening to all your beauty tips for many many many years( of course we are very young ). Thanks my beauty expert!!!! You are truly amazing!!!!!. Love your style of writing! You rock as always !!!!
Divya
January 14, 2018 at 4:49 pmThank you so much! you know how much you and what you think of it means to me.
Divya
January 16, 2018 at 5:33 pmIt is really informative Divya and beautifully put
Divya
January 17, 2018 at 8:20 amthank you !
Regina
April 3, 2018 at 12:23 amI stumbled upon this rice water thing by accident. It was the best thing I could have stumbled upon. I make a big batch each Monday. I use it in my hair 3 -4 times a week, I use it everyday (a few times a day) on my face. I also use as a body wash and foot soak. It cleared up all the dry skin on my feet from the winter blues. Rice water is amazing!!!
Divya
April 6, 2018 at 10:55 amSo good to know this Regina ! I’m so glad it helped you ! Rice water is such an amazing ingredient that is always under our nose but we just throw away.
Rossette waldrip
April 15, 2018 at 6:30 pmHello. Thanks for chemical relevance and bi products of rice water.
However I’m curious to know if it’s ok to use two month old fermented rice water. I made some and I’m curious as to if I should use it.
Divya
April 18, 2018 at 2:56 pmHello ! Good to know that you are trying the rice water method. I would not recommend using two month old rice water. Fermentation starts almost immediately the water is made, beyond a point it will lead to microbial growth . Do not keep it for more than a week if it is at room temperature. The smell will definitely be beyond off and that is a sign. You can however freeze rice water and use the cubes even if they are two months old. Hope this answers your query !
Rachel
July 8, 2018 at 5:02 amHello this article is really helpful for me!
Can I use pitera with other skin care products that contain AHA/BHA, retinol or any acids?
Divya
July 30, 2018 at 5:54 amHi ! Yes sure you can. I do ! I wash my face with rice water, give it a good soak with it. leave it on for a few minutes. wash it off, and then proceed with aha/bha, retinol or vitamin c , whatever is required. You shouldn’t face any problem .