Looking and staying young is what all of us desire and most people would go to extreme lengths to succeed in this task. With the ancient Japanese ‘rice water secret’ given below, you no longer have to take this task to crazy extremes because rice can easily do the trick for you!

Rice beautifying benefits and uses

In China, the rice has always been the sole foundation of a healthy diet, but apart from the excellent nourishment, it can also provide you with great beauty benefits that you may not have realized so far.

The rice water is the best beauty secret of Japanese Women. It is rich in beauty nutrients that make it fantastic for both skin and hair.

This effect of rice is due to its antioxidant content, which is known to slow down and minimalize the appearance of wrinkles and to delay the process of aging. The rice powder is also used in certain Asian practices to treat and soothe skin irritations and to cure acne.

Use rice water for a gorgeous mane of hair and flawless skin

Use rice water on a daily basis as part of your cleansing and toning skin care routine, morning or evening. For your hair I would recommend you use it once or twice a week either as hair wash or last rinse (I prefer the latter).

• Use rice water as part of your face and body cleanser (rice water, lemon juice, and lavender essential oil mixed together to make a face or body wash).
• It is a great substitute for your regular toner and helps in reducing the size of the pores on your skin.
• Rinsing your hair with rice water brings shine to your hair and helps to keep it strong and healthy.
• You can also use it as a part of moisturizing face mask.
• For smooth and baby soft skin, grind the left over rice and use as body scrub.
• Make a rice bath soak along with your favorite herb and treat your skin to a fabulous Do-It-Yourself spa.

Use rice water for a hair rinse

Plain or fermented, the rice water is an excellent hair conditioner. It strengthens and repairs damaged hair shaft while providing elasticity and smoothness. Add a few drops of essential oils such as lavender, rosemary or chamomile for extra nourishment.

This is the procedure:

• Pour the rice water on your hair after foamy shampooing.
• Gently massage your scalp and hair and leave it on for 4-5 minutes.
• Rinse your hair through and through with plain water.
• Use it once or twice a week as a last rinse.

Rice water shampoo:

Rice water contains natural saponins, so it can also be used as a mild soapy cleanser. Add some shikakai powder or orange peel powder to this water for better cleansing effect.

Rice water may build up on your hair over time, especially if you have hard water. That is why, you should consider using a natural chelating agent such as orange peel powder, amla powder, shikakai powder, some lemon juice or apple juice, along with the rice water. It will help remove any build up and make your hair soft and shiny.
Add about ½ tsp in 1 cup of rice water and use as suggested.

Rice Water Mask Recipe

First of all, calm down, because you will not plaster your face with whole rice grains to reap the benefits of a rice mask. Instead, you will use rice water, which is the byproduct liquid of cooking rice until it softens.

Here is the traditional Japanese rice face mask recipe:

Ingredients

• 2-3 tbsp. of rice
• cold water
• 1 tbsp. of milk
• 1 tbsp. of honey

Instructions

• Cook 2-3 tablespoons of rice in cold water over medium heat until the rice is soft.
• Drain the rice making sure to preserve the cooking liquid.
• Then wash the cooked rice in cold water.
• Remove the rice whole grains from the liquid and add 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of milk.
• Apply it to your clean neck and face once this mixture has solidly bonded.