Can you use rice water with rose water on your face?

What benefits can you expect?

Do not count on this mixture to brighten skin, reduce wrinkles or treat eczema. A mixing ratio, application frequency, storage life and time to results are not settled for this combination. Rice research includes genetically engineered rice enriched with resveratrol, a plant compound, applied as an extract to mice and tested in laboratory skin models. That preparation is different from ordinary rice soaking water mixed with rose water. The kitchen version and the laboratory version share a word, not a recipe.2

Who should be careful?

Fragrance can cause allergic contact dermatitis, an itchy skin reaction triggered by contact with an allergen. Fragrance chemicals can come from natural extracts as well as synthetic ingredients. If you already have a fragrance allergy, avoid products containing fragrance and products without an ingredient label. Botanical or natural wording does not tell you whether a product contains fragrance allergens. Read the actual rose water label rather than treating every product with that name as interchangeable.3

If you have rosacea, skip using the mixture as a toner. Rosacea care calls for avoiding toners and fragrance because skin is easily irritated. If you use rosacea medication, apply it before a suitable moisturizer rather than replacing either with this mixture.4

How should you test it before facial use?

These are general precautions for a new skincare product, not a validated rice water and rose water routine. A small area test helps screen for a skin reaction; it does not resolve questions about storing a homemade mixture.1

1. 1Choose a spot about the size of a quarter on the underside of your arm or inside your elbow, where the product will not be rubbed or washed away.
2. 2Apply the amount and thickness you would normally use, twice daily for seven to 10 days.
3. 3Leave the product on for the intended contact time. For something you plan to rinse off, test for five minutes or the duration on its label.
4. 4Check for redness, itching or swelling before applying it more widely.

What if your skin reacts?

Wash the mixture off gently and stop using it if a reaction develops. A cool compress or petroleum jelly can help relieve the skin. See a dermatologist if the reaction is severe and these measures do not relieve it. Fragrance reactions can appear hours to days after exposure, so an immediate lack of stinging is not enough to judge tolerance. Repeated or unexplained reactions can require medical patch testing to identify the ingredient you need to avoid.13