Both white and black rice have been central to Korean culture for thousands of years. Beyond its obvious role as a staple food, rice has served as currency, a means of paying taxes, a traditional medicinal ingredient, an element in ancestral and religious ceremonies, an artistic material, and a component of beauty rituals.
During the Joseon Dynasty, women in the royal court washed their faces and toned their skin with rice water for reasons we will discuss later. “It’s part of Korean tradition to use every part of an ingredient, so it’s no surprise rice water from rinsing would find its way into skin care,” esthetician Soo-Young Kim Abrams recently told Vogue. “Using rice water on your skin is one of those things that gets passed down casually. Your mom tells you, and her mom told her. It’s less of a formal ritual and more of a kind of everyday wisdom.”
Black rice holds a particularly special place in Korean culture. It sustained people during difficult times and now serves as a beloved beauty and wellness staple. Ahead, we’ll explore why black rice is so revered in Korean culture and why it’s a hero ingredient in the products featured in our signature Black Rice lines, including the Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner and Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence.
Natural Source of Antioxidants & Other Benefits
Black rice gets its deep aubergine hue from a pigment called anthocyanin. This same pigment gives plums, blueberries, eggplant, Concord grapes, and purple sweet potatoes their vibrant purple colors. But it’s more than just a pretty part of black rice. Anthocyanin is a potent antioxidant that helps fight free radicals. If you need a quick reminder, free radicals can build up in your body, leading to oxidative stress. This can cause inflammation and may raise the risk of cancer and heart-related conditions. Because of its antioxidant properties, black rice is often eaten to help reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure, manage blood sugar, and alleviate inflammation.
Even more remarkably, black rice has one of the highest antioxidant levels among all rice varieties, with anthocyanin just one of more than 23 antioxidant compounds it contains. Black rice also tops the charts as the most protein-rich type of rice, ahead of brown rice. It’s also naturally rich in iron, calcium, selenium, zinc, amino acids, vitamin B, and vitamin E. Even better, it’s packed with fiber, which supports digestion and gut health.
When incorporated into skincare products, black rice contributes its antioxidant activity to help protect skin from free radicals caused by UV rays, pollution, and other environmental aggressors. As a result, black rice helps minimize visible signs of aging, such as hyperpigmentation, dryness, fine lines, and wrinkles.
Black rice’s amino acids and other nutrients are also amazing for keeping the skin barrier happy and healthy. They help strengthen it, improve hydration retention, deeply nourish skin, and soothe inflammation, making black rice skincare products incredible for those with dry, sensitive skin.
The black rice extract we use in our Black Rice and Barrier Care lines is fermented, making it more potent and easier for the skin to absorb. This also enhances its hydrating and brightening effects.
You may have noticed that many K-beauty toners feature rice extract these days. However, Haruharu wonder’s Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner delivers twice the effectiveness thanks to fermented black rice, giving you glowy, glassy skin every single day.
Works Well With Other Ingredients
In Korean cuisine, black rice is rarely eaten on its own. It’s typically combined with white rice to make heukmibap (흑미밥), also known as purple rice, because it turns a gorgeous lavender hue when cooked. Black rice is also mixed with millet, barley, beans, and brown rice to make japgokbap (잡곡밥), also known as multigrain rice or miscellaneous grains.
Historically, japogokbap was prepared when white rice was scarce. By mixing it with other native Korean crops, including black rice, a hearty, nutritious dish could be made. Nevertheless, it has evolved from a mere necessity into a fundamental aspect of Korean cuisine.
Japgokbap is eaten year-round, but during the first full moon of the lunar new year, it’s called Ogokbap, or five-grain rice. The five grains symbolize hopes for a fruitful harvest and well-being in the year ahead.
In the skincare world, black rice pairs beautifully with other high-impact ingredients. The Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner also features powerful humectants, including glycerin, beta-glucan, and hyaluronic acid, to draw moisture into the skin for a plumping effect and to strengthen the barrier. It’s also formulated with bamboo shoot extract to help brighten and soothe skin, along with betaine, which helps soften skin and balance oil production.
Another standout black rice skincare product is our Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence. This delightfully milky formula follows the golden ratio of 3:1:1 for a healthy skin barrier, with three parts ceramides to one part cholesterol and one part fatty acids. All of these ingredients work with fermented black rice to improve moisture balance, help skin become more supple and bouncy, and prevent dryness. The Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence also contains galactomyces ferment filtrate and bifida ferment filtrate, probiotics known to improve skin elasticity, texture, and tone for a smoother, more even-looking complexion.
Bottom Line
Black rice undoubtedly holds a significant place in Korean culture, and we are proud to incorporate it into several of our best-selling skincare formulas. Its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and intensely moisturizing properties make it invaluable for everyone who uses our products.
With the help of fermented black rice, the Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner is clinically proven to elevate moisture levels by 57.65% after two weeks of consistent use and improve skin texture by 11.16%.
As for the Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence, clinical studies have found it’s highly effective for those with oily, acne-prone skin. It shows a 40.605% improvement in sebum levels after two weeks of use and 67.763% after four weeks. It also reduces the severity of acne by 33.862% after two weeks and a whopping 55.894% after four weeks.
Layer the Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence on top of the Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner after cleansing, and your skin will be well on its way to your best skin yet!
Why Black Rice Skincare is Popular in Korean Beauty
Both white and black rice have been central to Korean culture for thousands of years. Beyond its obvious role as a staple food, rice has served as currency, a means of paying taxes, a traditional medicinal ingredient, an element in ancestral and religious ceremonies, an artistic material, and a component of beauty rituals.
During the Joseon Dynasty, women in the royal court washed their faces and toned their skin with rice water for reasons we will discuss later. “It’s part of Korean tradition to use every part of an ingredient, so it’s no surprise rice water from rinsing would find its way into skin care,” esthetician Soo-Young Kim Abrams recently told Vogue. “Using rice water on your skin is one of those things that gets passed down casually. Your mom tells you, and her mom told her. It’s less of a formal ritual and more of a kind of everyday wisdom.”
Black rice holds a particularly special place in Korean culture. It sustained people during difficult times and now serves as a beloved beauty and wellness staple. Ahead, we’ll explore why black rice is so revered in Korean culture and why it’s a hero ingredient in the products featured in our signature Black Rice lines, including the Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner and Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence.
Natural Source of Antioxidants & Other Benefits
Black rice gets its deep aubergine hue from a pigment called anthocyanin. This same pigment gives plums, blueberries, eggplant, Concord grapes, and purple sweet potatoes their vibrant purple colors. But it’s more than just a pretty part of black rice. Anthocyanin is a potent antioxidant that helps fight free radicals. If you need a quick reminder, free radicals can build up in your body, leading to oxidative stress. This can cause inflammation and may raise the risk of cancer and heart-related conditions. Because of its antioxidant properties, black rice is often eaten to help reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure, manage blood sugar, and alleviate inflammation.
Even more remarkably, black rice has one of the highest antioxidant levels among all rice varieties, with anthocyanin just one of more than 23 antioxidant compounds it contains. Black rice also tops the charts as the most protein-rich type of rice, ahead of brown rice. It’s also naturally rich in iron, calcium, selenium, zinc, amino acids, vitamin B, and vitamin E. Even better, it’s packed with fiber, which supports digestion and gut health.
When incorporated into skincare products, black rice contributes its antioxidant activity to help protect skin from free radicals caused by UV rays, pollution, and other environmental aggressors. As a result, black rice helps minimize visible signs of aging, such as hyperpigmentation, dryness, fine lines, and wrinkles.
Black rice’s amino acids and other nutrients are also amazing for keeping the skin barrier happy and healthy. They help strengthen it, improve hydration retention, deeply nourish skin, and soothe inflammation, making black rice skincare products incredible for those with dry, sensitive skin.
The black rice extract we use in our Black Rice and Barrier Care lines is fermented, making it more potent and easier for the skin to absorb. This also enhances its hydrating and brightening effects.
You may have noticed that many K-beauty toners feature rice extract these days. However, Haruharu wonder’s Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner delivers twice the effectiveness thanks to fermented black rice, giving you glowy, glassy skin every single day.
Works Well With Other Ingredients
In Korean cuisine, black rice is rarely eaten on its own. It’s typically combined with white rice to make heukmibap (흑미밥), also known as purple rice, because it turns a gorgeous lavender hue when cooked. Black rice is also mixed with millet, barley, beans, and brown rice to make japgokbap (잡곡밥), also known as multigrain rice or miscellaneous grains.
Historically, japogokbap was prepared when white rice was scarce. By mixing it with other native Korean crops, including black rice, a hearty, nutritious dish could be made. Nevertheless, it has evolved from a mere necessity into a fundamental aspect of Korean cuisine.
Japgokbap is eaten year-round, but during the first full moon of the lunar new year, it’s called Ogokbap, or five-grain rice. The five grains symbolize hopes for a fruitful harvest and well-being in the year ahead.
In the skincare world, black rice pairs beautifully with other high-impact ingredients. The Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner also features powerful humectants, including glycerin, beta-glucan, and hyaluronic acid, to draw moisture into the skin for a plumping effect and to strengthen the barrier. It’s also formulated with bamboo shoot extract to help brighten and soothe skin, along with betaine, which helps soften skin and balance oil production.
Another standout black rice skincare product is our Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence. This delightfully milky formula follows the golden ratio of 3:1:1 for a healthy skin barrier, with three parts ceramides to one part cholesterol and one part fatty acids. All of these ingredients work with fermented black rice to improve moisture balance, help skin become more supple and bouncy, and prevent dryness. The Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence also contains galactomyces ferment filtrate and bifida ferment filtrate, probiotics known to improve skin elasticity, texture, and tone for a smoother, more even-looking complexion.
Bottom Line
Black rice undoubtedly holds a significant place in Korean culture, and we are proud to incorporate it into several of our best-selling skincare formulas. Its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and intensely moisturizing properties make it invaluable for everyone who uses our products.
With the help of fermented black rice, the Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner is clinically proven to elevate moisture levels by 57.65% after two weeks of consistent use and improve skin texture by 11.16%.
As for the Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence, clinical studies have found it’s highly effective for those with oily, acne-prone skin. It shows a 40.605% improvement in sebum levels after two weeks of use and 67.763% after four weeks. It also reduces the severity of acne by 33.862% after two weeks and a whopping 55.894% after four weeks.
Layer the Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence on top of the Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner after cleansing, and your skin will be well on its way to your best skin yet!