Rice is the staple of more than half of the planet’s inhabitants. It is consumed in Asia mostly as food. In fact, it is the principal staple food of the Japanese diet. It was due to its fundamental importance to the Japanese civilization that it was once used as a money, and the word for cooked rice (gohan) was colloquially used as synonym of the word ‘meal’.
In the Far East, it was thought to restore tranquility and peace to people who were readily upset. Records from this period also illustrate that rice has been used for hair and skincare.
The components in rice water
Rice is rich in vitamin B1, a superb antioxidant that enhances circulation, and shields us from aging. It contains vitamin B3 or niacin, that has shown how much improves the epidermis, by optimizing the ability to maintain moisture and hydration. Further, it has minerals such as phosphorus and potassium, which are key to maintaining resistant and tense muscle tissue and to regulate the amount of water in the body. Rice is rich in vitamin B complex, which is needed to keep facial skin healthy, shiny, and avoid premature aging.
Fermented Vs Plain Rice Water
Homemade or fresh white rice water can work well to minimize the appearance of pores and create a luminous inner glow. On the other hand, fermented rice water is like the fresh stuff on steroids. It contains pitera, a natural byproduct that boosts cell regeneration. It is rich in minerals, vitamins, and amino acids, all of which are important to anti-aging. Pitera was recently rediscovered by scientists, and it is all the rage in maintaining skin youthful. To give you an example, sake, a Japanese fermented rice alcoholic drink is based on pretty much the same principles as rice water. Workers at a sake factory were found to have unusually youthful hands compared to the rest of their bodies. It was discovered after further study that the pitera contained in fermented rice water and its offshoots are responsible for this remarkable event. Rice bran can also be refined and used as a gentle exfoliator. Not only does it slough away dead skin cells, but the rich vitamins and minerals in the rice bran help to make the skin brighter, clearer, smoother, and more supple than many other exfoliating ingredients.
How To Make Rice Water
One of the best parts about this beauty product is that it is so easy to make. Rice and water are all you will need. Probably, the ‘hardest’ part of this beauty trend is remembering to take the rice water into your shower and use it.
It is best to use organic rice, clean filtered water, and rinse the rice thoroughly before use to get rid of any topical pollutants and pesticides. In general, it is preferable to use white rice over brown or red rice, as the water from the former has more extensive benefits.
There are two ways to make rice water. Soaking is the quickest way to make rice water.
- To use this method:
- take 1/2 cup of uncooked rice
- rinse thoroughly
- place rice in a bowl with 2–3 cups of water
- leave to soak for 30 minutes
- strain the rice water into a clean bowl
The other way is boiling. All you have to do is cook rice as you normally would, and simply adjust the rice to water ratio so that there will be enough water leftover to use as a cleanser. Once you’ve finished cooking, drain the water into a pot or bowl.
If you want to try the fermented rice water, let your freshly prepared rice water sit for one day at room temperature to ferment. When it starts turning slightly sour (meaning it is fermented), boil the water to stop the fermentation process and let it cool off. We will be talking in the next post about the other ways how you can use rice water as skin and hair care.
Storage
Rice water should be kept in a dry place at room temperature, in a jar, vessel or bottle with a lid. It can be consumed immediately, or over 4-5 days. The older the solution, the more concentrated it will become. So you may need to dilute it with water with every day that passes. After 5 days rice water should be thrown away, and fresh batch whipped up.
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