Ingredient Library
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Oryza sativa
Hydrolyzed rice protein is a plant protein that forms a light, smoothing film to firm and condition skin and hair. Strengthening, it suits dull, mature skin.
A natural history
Rice has been the staple grain of Asia for thousands of years, and just as long it has been a quiet companion in beauty. The starchy water left from rinsing and cooking rice was never thrown away. It became a cherished rinse for skin and hair, a practice prized by the court women of Japan's Heian era and carried down the generations.
The most famous keepers of that secret are the Red Yao women of Huangluo in southern China, celebrated for floor length hair they credit to washing it in fermented rice water. Modern skin care gives the grain a refined new form. Hydrolyzed rice protein, drawn from the grain's gentle protein, lays down a fine, breathable veil that helps skin look smoother and hair feel stronger.
What it does for your skin
Hydrolyzed rice protein is a film forming protein, rich in amino acids, used to condition and smooth the look of skin and to strengthen hair. A cosmetic safety review documents its role as a gentle skin and hair conditioning agent, well tolerated and non irritating.[1] In laboratory testing, rice protein hydrolysates showed antioxidant activity and calmed an enzyme involved in skin aging.[2] In a formula it lays down a fine, smoothing veil that helps skin look instantly more polished. Its firming character is a surface, film forming effect.
References
[1] Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel. Amended final report on the safety assessment of Oryza sativa (rice) ingredients including hydrolyzed rice protein. Int J Toxicol. 2006;25(Suppl 2):91-120. doi:10.1080/10915810600964626
[2] Chen HJ, et al. Evaluating the antioxidants, whitening and antiaging properties of rice protein hydrolysates. Molecules. 2021;26(12):3605. doi:10.3390/molecules26123605
Found in these formulas
Questions, answered
It is a gentle, film-forming protein that helps skin look smoother and more polished and helps condition and strengthen hair.
No. This is the water-soluble, amino-acid-rich protein from rice, used for smoothing and conditioning, while rice bran oil is the nourishing lipid.