Who knew that a simple thing such as rice water can come with so many benefits? It is no secret but an old DIY home remedy that is touted by Asians for their perfect skin and lustrous hair.
Asians have rice as their staple food but do you know that it is used in a variety of beauty treatments mainly for skin and hair as well?
Asian women swear by using rice water as their go-to tonic for flawless and clear skin and long hair. Rice contains nutrients that help in improving the skin’s elasticity as well the hair shaft. Rice contains magnesium and selenium—essential nutrients for building the cells of the skin and hair.
Here is how you can easily make rice water at home in 2 different ways.
Method 1
You will need:
- ½ cup uncooked rice (white, brown, long grain, short grain, jasmine or basmati)
- 2-3 cups of water
Directions:
- Rinse the rice in 1 cup of water and remove any dirt or impurities.
- Then place the rice in 3 cups of water and cover the bowl.
- Let the rice get soaked for 30-60 minutes (or even overnight)
- Uncover the bowl, swirl around the rice and make the water cloudy. This will ensure the nutrients of the rice are properly infused in the water.
- Strain out the rice from the bowl and set aside.
- The rice water is now ready for you to use on your skin and hair. You can even use the rice as a scrub for your skin by gently rubbing them together on your face for a deep exfoliation.
Method 2 (fermented rice water)
If you want to see better results for your skin and hair then you can try the fermented rice water method.
All you need to do is to leave the strained out rice water covered in a bowl at room temperature for 1 or 2 days. The water will become sour and fermented. If you want the fermentation process to be quicker then don’t remove the rice from the bowl and let it sit for 12-24 hours.
To boil or not to boil
Boiling the fermented rice water is usually preferred by many but you can leave that out as well should you wish. Make sure to dilute a cup of warm water to fermented rice water as it is very potent.
Benefits of Rice water
Anti-inflammatory
People with acne problems and rashes can rejoice as this natural remedy helps in soothing the skin. Studies have shown that people with severe dermatitis reduced their symptoms drastically by bathing in rice water every day for 15-20 minutes. It also helps in reducing the redness caused by acne and pimples. You can use it as an astringent, facial cleanser or toner to make skin clear, radiant, soft and supple.
Hair growth
The Yao women of Huangluo, China tout this as an age old secret to their long, lustrous and thick hair. Some of the women have even hair lengths up to 6 feet! Not only does rice water grow hair but also makes hair soft, manageable and strong.
Be sure to save some water the next time you cook rice and try this beauty secret yourself!
