The life of ancient beauty traditions continues to emerge as rice water enters the mainstream culture as the age-old secret to the coveted glass skin
It is often believed that the best beauty hacks combine traditional techniques with natural ingredients. That sentiment, of course, reflects the generation’s renewed curiosity towards ancient skincare practices with a particular focus on the wonders of rice water. There is and will always be comfort in connecting with the rituals of the past—the exact reason why beauty traditions have been an indispensable part of many beauty routines until today.
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Rice water has been a part of many beauty routines since the Heian Period in Japan. For the unfamiliar, Japanese women heralded the natural ingredient as the ultimate secret to achieving long, healthy hair. Meanwhile, in Chinese and Korean beauty culture, rice water is a skincare hero. The benefits are incredibly plentiful: it can help soothe, brighten, and protect skin. More so, it contributes to the reduction of visible signs of aging courtesy of its high antioxidant capacity.
The wonders of rice water
The concept of rice water in skincare is as straightforward as it sounds: optimizing the liquid from soaked rice as a toner. “The amino acids and antioxidants in rice water are natural weapons for combating the effects of aging,” Tammy Weatherhead said in her video. The content creator, who has been practicing the ancient beauty hack for years, shared that it’s her grandmother’s best-kept secret to aging gracefully. “It is fantastic for reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on the skin and it’s also a natural skin protectant.”
Weatherhead is among the content creators who have reintroduced rice water in beautytok. In fact, threads such as #RiceWater have garnered 948.7 million views, while #RiceWaterForSkin has collected 94.3 million views. And like the renaissance of hair oiling, the sudden popularity of rice water made sense. It’s easy, it’s accessible, it’s versatile—the kind of practice that can be adopted by experts or novices.
Ancient-meets-modern practice
Practicing the age-old beauty ritual is usually rather simple. “Take two steps of rice and give it a light rinse and drain,” Mama Linda, a content creator, shared her step-by-step process for creating rice water. “Rinse again and drain. For the third rinse, add four cups of water and gently agitate the rice for one minute. Pour the rice water into a clean jar and let it sit at room temperature for one to seven days depending on how fermented you prefer.” As for the best way to store the rice water? The content creator advises to place it in the fridge.
While the natural ingredient continues to garner popularity, it’s important to remain cautious. There are no proven studies that it is effective as an anti-inflammatory and anti-acne alternative. In this case, it is strongly advised to seek your trusted dermatologist to know the best solutions to tackle these skin concerns.
Its skincare promise, bottled
Many prefer a classic homemade extract in their routines, and that’s okay. But know that the skincare market also offers a wide range of rice water-infused products that deliver the same benefits. Even better, these formulations are infused with an active ingredient to help combat common skin problems. Here are five skincare entries that certainly make a worthy addition to any top shelf.
Photos: MEGA ARCHIVES
