Rice Flour: An Ancient Beauty Secret for Hair and Skin
Our kitchen pantries are often home to unexpected beauty allies. One such ingredient is rice flour—a time-honored secret used for centuries by women across Japan, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia. Today, its benefits are so valued that rice-based extracts are found in many South Korean beauty products.
Gentle yet effective, rice flour offers a range of cosmetic properties that make it ideal for natural skin and hair care.
Cosmetic Benefits of Rice Flour
1. What Is Rice Flour?
Rice flour is made by finely grinding rice grains. A single grain of rice consists of three parts: the bran, germ, and endosperm. Most commercially available rice flour is made from white rice, which contains only the endosperm. However, for a more complete product with additional nutrients, opt for whole-grain rice flour, which retains the bran and germ.
2. Natural Sun Protection
Rice flour is believed to offer mild protection against the sun due to the presence of compounds like ferulic acid and para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA)—both of which are used in sunscreens. That said, current research is limited, and the concentration of these compounds in rice flour may not be strong enough to provide effective UV protection on its own.
3. Gentle Exfoliation
Thanks to its texture and composition, rice flour makes an excellent natural exfoliant. It helps remove dead skin cells and can reduce signs of aging. It contains phytic acid, a mild alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that’s gentler on the skin compared to other exfoliants—ideal for sensitive skin types.
