What are the benefits of rice water for the skin?

For generations, rice water has been one of those simple, traditional remedies handed down for gentle skin care. Easy to prepare and pleasant to use, it is often prized for the soothing comfort and suppleness it imparts after application, like a light veil of hydration. This reputation may be explained by its natural richness in polysaccharides, amino acids, and B vitamins—compounds known to help the skin better retain moisture and maintain its balance.

However, independent scientific data directly assessing its moisturizing effect remain limited. In a study involving twenty volunteers, a rice water–based hydrogel was applied to one forearm for 28 days, while a placebo formulation was used on the other forearm and an untreated area served as a control. After four weeks, skin hydration measured in the area treated with the rice water hydrogel was approximately 10% higher compared to both the placebo and control, a modest improvement but one that suggests a potential moisturizing effect.

Although these results remain modest and call for further research, they suggest that rice water could contribute to a slight improvement in skin hydration.

Rice water is also lauded for its potential effects on the visible signs of skin aging, notably wrinkles, loss of elasticity, and skin laxity. These phenomena are largely linked to oxidative stress, meaning the accumulation of free radicals capable of damaging skin components. This oxidative stress notably promotes the activation of enzymes such as elastase, which degrades elastin, one of the support proteins of the dermis. When elastin and, more broadly, the extracellular matrix deteriorate, the skin progressively loses its firmness, contributing to the appearance of wrinkles and sagging.

An experimental study compared different rice waters based on their preparation method and showed that those obtained by boiling or from ground grains were richest in antioxidant polyphenols (approximately 3.15 to 3.33 mg/L, versus 0.23 mg/L for a preparation using whole grains). In human keratinocytes exposed to chemically induced oxidative stress (hydrogen peroxide) or UV‐induced stress, boiled rice water allowed an approximately 80% reduction in reactive oxygen species production, an effect similar to that of ascorbic acid used as a positive control.

Moreover, rice water appears capable of protecting elastin from degradation by elastase. Indeed, some preparations have demonstrated a strong capacity to inhibit this enzyme’s activity, suggesting a protective effect of rice water on the extracellular matrix.

Taken together, these results suggest that rice water could help limit certain biological mechanisms involved in skin aging (oxidative stress and elastin degradation), although clinical studies are still needed to confirm these effects in humans.

Rice water, particularly when used as a toning lotion, is often recommended for caring for sensitive or redness-prone skin. This reputation is based on the idea that it has soothing and anti-inflammatory properties capable of relieving skin discomfort. To date, no independent clinical study has, however, clearly demonstrated these effects when applied topically. In contrast, several experimental studies conducted in vitro or after ingestion do suggest an anti-inflammatory potential of rice water.

Studies on certain polyphenol-rich rice varieties have shown, for example, a significant decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), indicating marked anti-inflammatory activity. Furthermore, rice proteins appear able to restrain inflammation by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway, which reduces the production of inflammatory mediators like TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in animal models. Other research has also shown that a rice enriched in resveratrol can modulate the expression of pro-inflammatory genes and block key immune signaling pathways, namely NF-κB and MAPK, involved in the inflammatory response.

These experimental results are encouraging and indicate a potential benefit of rice water for skin prone to redness or inflammation. Nevertheless, clinical studies remain essential to confirm this.

Rice water is also often credited with a role in cellular regeneration and support for cutaneous wound healing. This concept is based on rice’s richness in antioxidant compounds, nutrients, and molecules capable of modulating inflammation, all mechanisms involved in tissue repair following injury.

Certain experimental data point in this direction. A study performed in diabetic rats evaluated the effect of a gel containing fermented red yeast rice (5% or 10%) on skin wound healing. The results show a faster wound contraction, associated with reduced oxidative stress (lower malondialdehyde, increased superoxide dismutase and catalase) and reduced inflammation, with lower expression of NF-κB and TNF-α. The treatment also stimulated key markers of tissue repair: increased hydroxyproline and expression of the collagen COL1A1, as well as elevated growth factors involved in angiogenesis and regeneration, such as PDGF-B, VEGF-A, and TGF-β. Altogether, these mechanisms contribute to accelerating the reconstruction of damaged skin tissue.

However, these results should still be interpreted with caution.

The study was conducted in animals and focused on fermented red rice incorporated into a gel, not on rice water applied directly to humans. To date, no clinical trial has confirmed a wound-healing effect of rice water on human skin. In practice, it should not be used on an open or deep wound: at best, it may serve as a gentle supplementary treatment to aid the repair of minor superficial irritations, without replacing appropriate medical care.

We also attribute to rice water a purifying effect, which may limit the proliferation of certain microorganisms on the surface of the skin or scalp. This hypothesis is based on the presence of bioactive compounds capable of inhibiting bacterial or fungal growth. An experimental study thus evaluated the antimicrobial activity of various rice waters derived from different varieties and preparation methods. The results show that certain rice waters—particularly those obtained from rice brought to a boil or from specific varieties such as Kerala or Saffola rice—exhibit significant inhibition zones against diarrhea-causing bacteria, such as Salmonella and Shigella.

These observations suggest an antimicrobial potential of rice water, although it varies depending on the rice variety and the preparation method.

Rice water could therefore be of interest for certain skin conditions associated with microbial overgrowth, such as acne, in which the bacterium Cutibacterium acnes contributes to inflammatory processes, or seborrheic dermatitis, characterized by an increased presence of yeasts of the genus Malassezia. Nevertheless, this remains purely hypothetical, because to date no study has demonstrated an effect of rice water on these microorganisms, much less confirmed a clinical benefit in patients affected by these conditions. Further research would therefore be necessary to validate these traditionally cited uses of rice water.

To prepare rice water for use on the skin, we recommend prioritizing organic rice, in order to minimize exposure to pesticide residues or other contaminants. However, all rice types can still be suitable—white, brown, basmati, Thai, or short-grain—as the desired water-soluble compounds naturally diffuse into the water. After thoroughly rinsing the rice, several preparation methods exist: collecting the rice’s cooking water, soaking the raw rice in two to three volumes of water for about fifteen minutes, or fermenting this mixture for approximately forty-eight hours to enrich the solution with fermentation-derived metabolites.

In all cases, the water obtained must be filtered to remove solid particles and, when sourced from cooking, cooled before any application to the skin.

Once ready, rice water can be applied simply to clean skin using pre-cleaned hands, a cotton pad, or a wipe, then left in contact for about ten minutes before rinsing with clear water. To preserve its microbiological quality, rice water should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container and used within a maximum of about five days. Beyond that, the risk of microbial proliferation increases. It is therefore preferable to prepare small batches of rice water regularly rather than making a large solution all at once.

• BHATTACHARJEE C. & al. Physico-chemical properties of different kind of rice water and their effect on diarrhoea causing bacteria and dandruff causing fungi. Journal of Phytology (2011).

• SIMOES S. & al. Rice water: A traditional ingredient with anti-aging efficacy. Cosmetics (2018).

• YANG L. & al. Rice protein exerts anti-inflammatory effect in growing and adult rats via suppressing NF-κB pathway. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2019).

• SANTHAKUMAR A. B. & al. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of pigmented rice consumption in an obese cohort. Food & Function (2019).

• GEDOAN D. & al. Characterization of natural face toner from rice-washed water. Jurnal Ilmiah Berkala: Sains dan Terapan Kimia (2022).

• BHATIA L. & al. Use of rice water in cosmetology: A review. International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology (2025).

• ABOUBAKR E. M. & al. Red yeast rice expedites wound healing in diabetic rats: Emphasis on its pro-collagen and angiogenic activities. Future Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences (2025).