Back to Basics: Rice Flour

Hello again lovelies! How are you? Hopefully, youve had a good weekend to rest and recuperate! Ready to start the week again? I sure hope so! :) Today it's another one of my favourite topics! Skincare! Now I'm not talking about the fancy stuff like deep penetrating serums and pore refining gels etc [not in this section anyway] but rather the good stuff that our ever-so-kind Mother Nature has provided us with. Okay some maybe we find some in bottles in the supermarket but they have not really undergone any processing. You get the idea. So today's star is one of my favourites: Rice Flour!

The lil Gem! <3

Now what exactly is Rice Flour? Rice Flour is a flour which is derived from of course, finely milled rice. [I feel like I'm giving a cooking class at this point lol] Rice Flour is commonly used in the food of Asia e.g. Japanese Mochi [ <3], Vietnamese banh canh and on and on and on. But did you know, it can also be used for your skin [and face]? Rice Flour is a common element in Asian skincare and has been used by Asian women for years and years in their beauty regime. Supple, bouncy, fair glowing skin [WOW who wouldn't want that?] Skincare Brands such as SKII [their famous Pitera for the skin] have definitely recognised the benefits of Rice Flour and have certainly made a scene with their products in the beauty realm.

Apparently, recent research have shown that rice/ rice water contain a high amount of Ferulic Acid, a potent antioxidant. This can help to relief potential skin irritation from irritants, allergens and toxins as well as promote cell regeneration and healing. With that comes that production of healthier and happier cells and thus the continual renewal of our skin cells. This naturally leads to the 'whitening' property of rice flour.

Rice also has a high amount of allantoin, an anti-inflammatory agent. Hence, it can possibly help reduce any redness from your skin and give it that healthy glow that we all-so-desire. With the promotion of cell regeneration, rice flour is also said to lighten marks, scars and hyperpigmentation left behind on our skin. So does that really seem to good to be true? HMMMMMMM...

Ok now on to my personal experience. I like to sometimes mix some rice flour together with my oatmeal [I did a post on this baby too ;)] and gently rub this all over my face, leaving it there after that for a minute or two. This not only does some gentle exfoliation but also makes me skin feel softer! It also seems to reduce the redness of any unfortunate zits if they ever appear and for the lightening of scars element, it does work for me. Obviously the lightening of scars is not going to happen overnight but you can see the difference after some time of continuous use. If you want to use it as just a mask feel free to do so by adding some water/ honey and green tea to make a paste for your DIY mask! Works just as well! Plus for a quick picker-upper/ easy alternative, you can use rice flour as a mattifying powder to absorb any excess oil on your face without caking up your face with too much powder. And oh? did I mention? It is sooooo affordable lol definitely a purse-friendly beauty babe! Multi-use hey? Definitely one of my favourite beauty tricks to pamper your skin! Cheap, easily available and natural!

Hopefully this helps and can become a nice addition one your beauty regime! Anymore beauty secrets to let us in on? :) Please do share! Would definitely love to hear them! Meanwhile, as always, stay happy healthy and glowing!