Natural Health Tips

Rice Starch to Nourish & Nurture Skin

Rice starch has been used for eons across Asia to help refine and nurture skin.  Asian women traditionally bathe their skin in the water from cooked rice to soften, refine and moisturize.

A study in the Archives of Dermatology and Venereology (2002;82:184-6) found rice starch in all forms benefited people with eczema or damaged skin. While dermatologists have long recommend rice starch for those with dry and irritated skin, this is one of the first studies to clinically document its effectiveness. Specific measurements of water loss in the skin were taken daily, reflecting the moisture of the skin. In those with chemically damaged skin, all forms of rice starch led to a significant improvement in the moisture of the skin.

Because rice starch softens skin and does not strip it of its moisture, ground natural rice is an ideal gentle exfoliating agent – helps remove dead skin cells, soothes inflammation, improves moisture content in the skin and leaves a silky, soft feeling.