5 Reasons to add rice water to your skincare regime

Who would have fathomed that the leftover starchy liquid from boiling or soaking rice would have a myriad of benefits to the skin and hair? Since new-age skincare regimes have taken over the skincare industry by storm, there has been a rising demand for certain ingredients whose benefits are just now gaining the spotlight, and one such superhero ingredient is rice water.

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Calming benefits

An ingredient that can soothe irritated skin, it has the power to heal skin that has been damaged or irritated due to sunburn, prolonged sun exposure, and redness. Starch-rich rice water can also have a calming effect on skin that has been dried up due to various skin conditions like eczema.

Moisturizing benefits

A multi-faceted ingredient, rice water has moisturizing properties. While calming damaged and irritated skin, Rice water can also hydrate the skin, providing an added layer of moisture. Besides using it by itself, using a skincare product like a face wash would not only help in removing dirt from the skin but can also deliver extra hydration that the skin always craves!

Reduces oiliness

Rice water has natural astringent properties, which can make the skin taut and reduce the production of oil in the skin. This property makes rice water excellent for toning purposes. It can be used on the skin as it is, or with products that contain rice water as the main ingredient to enhance its benefits.

Brightens skin

Rice water packed with antioxidants, offers a healthy glow to the skin. Regular usage of skincare products enriched with the goodness of rice water helps protect and nourish the skin.

Anti-ageing benefits

Rice water has been proven to have the ability to repair and fight oxidative stress-related cell damage and ageing. The antioxidant activity, similar to that of Vitamin C, is based on in-vitro assays and more importantly has been shown to have excellent elastase (pro-oxidant enzyme), inhibitory effect. Rice water can impact the skin’s suppleness and elasticity, which are directly related to wrinkles and fine lines on the skin.

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While antioxidants are added to skincare and cosmetics to make them more potent and effective, rice water naturally possesses it, and can also be procured with ease. For those consumers who rally behind environmentally friendly choices, Rice water is unquestionably a far healthier option than many skincare products on the market when compared to that of synthetic materials, and it is definitely a component that one should consider incorporating in their regime.

(Inputs by Dr Sridhar Rajam, Principal Scientist, CavinKare)