Rice for your Skin?

We know that rice is a healthy addition to a balanced diet. However, it can nourish you externally as well.

This is done by applying rice to your skin. Doing so replenishes your skin with vitamins, giving it a luminous glow, while shielding your skin from sun damage.

One of the most common ways to apply rice to the skin is in powdered form.

Rice powder can be applied in a thin layer beneath foundation or even replace powder foundations altogether. Some beauty supply stores carry rice powder, but you can just as easily make your own.

If you have a coffee grinder or food processor handy, use it on the high or powder setting and grind uncooked rice to a flour-like consistency. When you use rice powder on your face, it will cleanse pores by absorbing oil and dirt without causing dehydration.

Used often, rice powder will leave your skin nourished and translucent.

You can also make a rice paste by adding water to your rice powder. To use the paste, spread it evenly across your face to create a mask. Allow the mask to sit for 20-30 minutes. To remove the mask, wipe your face clean with a damp cloth. Afterwards, your skin should feel firm but hydrated.

In addition to the rice itself, there is rice water. This by-product of rice from boiling it is often dumped through a strainer and poured down the drain. But the cloudy liquid can be just as valuable to your skin as the rice itself.

For when you boil rice in water, some of its nutrients are extracted and the water absorbs them. By patting or rubbing the rice water into your skin, you feed it these nutrients. This rejuvenates skin and increases its resilience.

You can save rice water by pouring the rice and water through a strainer that is set above or inside of a bowl; then place the water in a seal-able container. Stored in the fridge, the rice water should last a week.