In a world where skincare products are getting more expensive every day, the real secret to glowing skin is still surprisingly simple — rice water.Most people throw away rice water without realizing they’re wasting a Korean beauty secret. For generations, Korean girls have used it to create that clean, glass-like glow—soft skin, smaller-looking pores, and a naturally bright face. It’s not hype or trend… it’s a traditional skincare ritual that actually works.Here we will discuss the rice water face tips : 9 korean secrets for glass skin in 2026, And once you try it, you’ll understand why Korea never stopped using it.
What many people don’t know is this: rice water skincare isn’t a new social media trend. Korean women have used it for centuries — and even during the Joseon Dynasty, royal women were known to rinse their face with rice water to maintain smooth, calm, radiant skin. That same tradition still lives today in Korean households, passed down like a secret beauty ritual.
Korean girls don’t always rely on harsh treatments or heavy makeup for “glass skin.” Instead, they focus on gentle care that protects the skin barrier and brings natural glow from within. One of their most loved habits is using rice water as a daily face ritual — not because it’s trendy, but because it truly works.
Quick Revision:
Rice water is a Korean skincare secret that helps brighten dull skin, smooth rough texture, and give a natural glass-skin glow. It can be used as a toner, face wash, or mask to make the skin feel softer, cleaner, and more hydrated. For best results and safety, always store rice water in the fridge, use it within 3–5 days, and avoid overusing it to prevent breakouts or irritation.
How to Use Rice Water Like a Korean Girl for Glass Skin
If you’ve ever watched Korean dramas or scrolled beauty reels, you’ve probably noticed one thing—Korean girls have skin that looks unbelievably smooth, clear, and shiny like glass. It’s not just makeup or lighting. That soft, glowing, poreless look is what people call “glass skin,” and the truth is, Korean skincare is not always expensive. One of the oldest and most trusted secrets Korean girls use is something super simple that most people throw away without thinking—rice water.
Step 1: Korean Simple Method
Take ½ cup white rice.
Rinse once quickly. (throw first water)
Add 2 cups clean water
Soak for 20–30 minutes.
Swirl rice with fingers until water becomes milky.
Separate and store .
Step 2: Use Rice Water Like a Korean Toner
How to apply:
After washing face
Take rice water on cotton pad
Gently dab all over face (don’t rub harshly)
OR
✨ Put it in a spray bottle and mist your face.
Step 3: Rice Water Mask (Instant Glow Like Korean Girls)
How:
- Soak cotton pads in rice water
- Put on cheeks, forehead, chin
- Leave for 10 minutes
- Remove & massage leftover into skin
Korean Rice Water Face Wash Trick (For Extra Glow)
How:
- Wash face with your normal cleanser
- Take rice water in a bowl
- Splash and massage for 1 minute
- Rinse with normal water
How rice water works on face
Step 1:It gives your skin an instant clean freshness.
This is almost like a soft Korean toner when the rice water hits the skin. It quickly hydrates the face and removes that tired, dull look from it. That is why your skin immediately feels fresh, like you just washed your face properly and applied something soothing.
Step 2:It starts brightening dull skin slowly and naturally.
Rice water doesn’t “whiten” skin overnight; Korean skincare is never about that. Rather, rice water improves your natural brightness by reducing dullness and making the skin tone look more even. The glow it gives is soft and clean-just the kind of glow Korean girls love.
Step 3:It makes rough skin texture smoother.
Rice water is made of amino acids and light nutrients that gradually soften your skin. If your face is feeling coarse, dry, or otherwise uneven, rice water gradually smooths the texture over time, leaving your skin to feel softer—almost like your skin is becoming more “silky.”
Step 4: It helps pores look tighter and smaller.
One of the reasons why rice water is so famous in the Korean community is that it provides the skin with a finish of being tight and neat-looking. Because of the natural tightening effect brought about by the starch in rice water, your face will look cleaner and smoother.
Step 5: It calms redness and soothes sensitive skin.
Rice water is soothing and relaxing, making it an ideal product to use in case your skin feels irritated, sensitive, or slightly reddish.Korean girls often use it when skin is stressed from sun, pollution, or over-cleansing because it cools and relaxes the skin.
Step 6: It balances oil without making your face dry.
If you have oily skin, rice water can be a blessing. It controls excess oil while still giving hydration, so your face doesn’t look greasy—but also doesn’t feel tight or dry. This is important because glass skin is not oily skin. It’s hydrated skin.
Step 7: With regular use, it improves skin health from inside.
This is the best effect of Rice Water, and it isn’t glowing skin but healthy skin. With Rice Water, your skin will look healthy, and your skin will be in better condition. That’s when the real glass-skin effect starts showing naturally.
Rice water side effects on face
Rice water is natural and mostly safe, but yes — it can cause side effects on the face if you use it the wrong way (too often, stored badly, or not suitable for your skin type). Here are the real side effects:
1) Pimples or Break
This is the most common problem. Rice water has a high concentration of starch. If you have oily or pimpled skin, it might result in the blocking of pores, resulting in small pimples,bumps, or whiteheads, especially in the forehead area.
How to avoid: Use it only 2 to 3 times a week if you already have a weak skin barrier.
2) Itching or Redness (Skin Irritation
In some cases, people have skin that may react to the application of rice water, and it may itch, turn red, or feel as if it’s burning. This may be especially true if one already has weak barrier skin.
How to avoid: Always perform a patch test prior to application to the full face.
3) Allergy Reaction (Rare but Possible)
Nature always has something that can cause an allergy. If there is swelling or it becomes extremely itchy or red, it could be an allergy.
What to do: Stop the use and wash the face with clean water.
4) Dryness or Tight Feeling
In some cases, some girls may experience dryness when using rice water as a toner without moisturizing it. Applying only rice water won’t do. You have to lock it in by moisturizing it.
How to prevent it: Use a light moisturizer after using rice water.
5) Burning or Stinging Because of Fermented Rice Water
Fermented rice water is stronger and slightly acidic. If used daily, it may cause stinging, irritation, and reddening, especially on a sensitive skin surface.
✓ To prevent, fermented rice water needs only to be used 1-2 times a week.
6) Infection Risk if Stored Wrong
If the rice water stays outside for too long, the growth of bacteria may occur. Using contaminated rice water may cause irritation to the skin and even lead to the development of acne and rashes on the body.
How to avoid: Keep in fridge and use in 3-5 days.
Does rice water still work if you don’t get proper sleep?
When you sleep improperly, the skin doesn’t get time for its repair, which means you are up to dark circles, dullness, pimples, and rough texture-and rice water can only improve the outer glow, not fully fix the internal damage. If your sleep gets disturbed ever so often, then you should try this natural method, too, for helping the skin recover from within.
Conclusion:
Rice water is one of the humblest and most trustworthy Korean beauty secrets for achieving naturally glowing, glass-like skin. Though it looks like any ordinary kitchen ingredient, if used the right way, it works like a gentle skin care toner, which helps brighten the dull skin, smoothen out the texture, soften the face, and clean up and tighten the pores. The real beauty with rice water is that it doesn’t give an artificial glow; it improves skin slowly and naturally, just the way Korean skincare focuses on.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can i drink rice water daily ?Rice water has some protein, and for most people it’s totally fine. But if you have hair that doesn’t absorb moisture easily, using it too often can cause protein buildup, which may make your hair feel dry, hard, or rough over time.
- How to prepare rice water for skin whitening ?To prepare rice water for skin brightening, rinse ½ cup rice once and then soak it in 2 cups of clean water for 20–30 minutes until the water turns milky. Separate the milky rice water and pour it into a clean bottle, then store it in the fridge.
- How do koreans use rice water on face?Koreans soak rice in clean water until it turns milky, then use that water on a clean face.They apply it like a toner by gently dabbing it on and letting it absorb.They also use it to rinse their face or apply it as a short mask using soaked cotton pads.
- What kind of rice is best for rice water ?
White rice (most recommended) – It gives the most milky water and suits almost all skin types.
Organic white rice – It's best choice if available (less chemicals).
Jasmine rice / short-grain rice – It also great because it releases more starch (good glow).
- What is the best time to use rice water on face ?
The best time to use rice water on your face is at night (before sleeping) because your skin repairs itself during sleep, so rice water absorbs better and gives more glow.
You can also use it in the morning, but always apply moisturizer + sunscreen after, because brightening skin needs sun protection.
- What can i mix with rice water for glowing skin ?For glowing, glass-like skin, the best thing to mix with rice water is glycerin because it deeply hydrates and makes the skin look naturally smooth and shiny. Simply add 2–3 drops of glycerin to rice water, mix well, and apply it on a clean face like a toner at night.
- Do rice water removes tan ?
Yes, rice water can help reduce tan, but it works slowly and naturally — it doesn’t remove tan overnight.
- Can we use moisturizer after rice water ?Yes, absolutely you should use moisturizer after rice water.
