What are the benefits of rice water for your face?

What is rice water?

Rice water is the cloudy, starchy liquid left after rice is washed, soaked or cooked. Rice washing water contains starch, sugars, proteins, minerals and some vitamins. Its composition varies with the rice and the water used, so a homemade batch is not a fixed strength skincare formula.13

What benefits can you reasonably expect?

Traditional facial use is better established than measurable results. Claims about brightening, wrinkle reduction or acne treatment still need scientific validation, and there is no established timetable for those results from homemade rice water. Rice water has centuries of cosmetic history, but history does not come with a results calendar.1

What are the benefits of rice water as a face toner?

Water based toners can help hydrate skin, and ingredients such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid add hydration. Those are general toner benefits, not established outcomes from homemade rice water. Calling rice water a toner gives it a job title, not a new set of benefits.12

Choose a formulated toner by the benefit you need. Glycolic, lactic or salicylic acid can help unclog pores and smooth texture, making pores look smaller rather than permanently changing their size. For sensitive skin, avoid heavily fragranced toners. If you have rosacea and use prescription products, consider how an added toner fits with what your skin already tolerates.2

How do you use a formulated rice toner?

These are general toner steps; follow the product's own directions.

1. 1Cleanse your face first.
2. 2Gently swipe or spray the toner onto your face, depending on its packaging.
3. 3Leave the toner on and follow with moisturizer, applying thinner products before thicker ones.
4. 4Fit the toner into your morning or evening routine. General toner guidance allows once or twice daily use; for strong acids or potentially irritating actives, start every other day.

Is fermented homemade rice water better?

A long soak can introduce bacteria, so do not assume fermentation makes homemade rice water a better facial treatment. A short soak is preferable to a prolonged soak for preparation. Facial application time, frequency and storage life remain unsettled. The familiar 20 minute rice water rinse is a hair instruction, not a facial treatment schedule.3

What are the benefits of rice water and aloe vera for your face?

The added benefit of combining rice water with aloe vera remains uncertain. Aloe gel is commonly used for its soothing, cooling and moisturizing feel. Two small studies suggest that aloe gel used alongside other treatments may improve acne; that is not a reason to replace acne treatment with a homemade rice and aloe mixture.45

Aloe inner leaf gel is different from the outer leaf latex and whole leaf preparations. Topical gel is generally well tolerated, but burning, itching, rash and allergic skin reactions can occur. Stop applying an aloe mixture if those symptoms develop. Avoid aloe gel if you have a known allergy to it.45

If you take medicines, discuss aloe use with your healthcare provider because herbal products can interact with medicines. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, ask before using aloe. The warning that aloe can be unsafe during pregnancy and breastfeeding concerns taking it by mouth; do not treat oral and topical use as interchangeable.5

What are the benefits of rice water and cloves?

A facial benefit from mixing rice water and cloves remains uncertain. Eugenol, a major constituent of clove oil, has antioxidant and antimicrobial activity in experimental work. That does not give a homemade clove infusion an established facial benefit or a safe concentration. Avoid adding undiluted clove oil to facial rice water: excessive concentrations of eugenol raise toxicity concerns.6

A consumer patch testing survey found a very low potential for sensitization at the eugenol concentrations used in consumer products. Sensitization means developing an allergy after exposure. A homemade mixture has no comparable controlled concentration, so do not use that finding as permission to add more cloves or clove oil.7