INGREDIENT · RICE
Rice bran extract in skincare: what the evidence covers
Rice bran extract is a skincare staple with a long history behind it. Most of the research is in the lab, in mice, or about rice bran taken by mouth.
You may see it written as
- Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
- Rice Bran Extract
- Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract
What rice bran extract is
Rice bran is the outer layer of the rice grain. A 2025 study notes it has long been used in cosmetics.1
A safety review of rice-derived cosmetic ingredients says rice bran extract is made up of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, mineral ash and water. Its fats include palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acids, and it also contains antioxidants such as tocopherols.2 Analyses of lab-made extracts have found compounds including ferulic acid and gamma-tocotrienol.1,3 Each of those two studies has one author who works for a company.1,3
What the safety review found
The same review covers a family of rice ingredients: oils, waxes, extracts, starch and proteins. It reports that undiluted rice bran oil was not an irritant in animal skin tests and was not a sensitiser. It also notes isolated cases of allergy to raw rice but says rice is in general considered non-allergenic.2
The review also mentions a reported decrease in skin lesions in people with atopic dermatitis after bathing with a rice bran preparation.2 That is a bath preparation, not a cosmetic extract.
What the skin studies show
A 2025 study treated a rice bran extract made with a fermenting fungus. In mouse skin cells it raised collagen production, and in mice it increased collagen and elastin, and improved skin moisture and elasticity by more than 10%.1
Another 2025 study applied rice bran extract to mice with radiation-damaged skin. The extract reduced the severity of dermatitis and skin ulceration and promoted skin repair.3
A 2026 laboratory study made a nanoemulsion of rice bran oil and found it delivered three of its components into the epidermis and dermis of pig and human skin samples.4 That is about how much gets in, not about what it does.
In people, a 2026 trial gave 70 adults rice bran oil enriched with gamma-oryzanol and plant sterol esters by mouth for 12 weeks. Skin moisture rose compared with placebo.5 That was swallowed, not applied. A separate 2026 study applied a cream with 1% ferulic acid from rice bran to one side of the face and a placebo cream to the other in 24 women, and found the melanin index fell on the treated side.6 That is a single purified compound, not rice bran extract. Seven of its ten authors work for a company that makes rice-derived chemicals.6
How to read this
Rice bran extract has a good safety record in the review and several plausible mechanisms in the lab. One small 28-day study in 30 volunteers used gels and creams with semi-purified rice bran extracts held in tiny carrier vesicles, and reported improvements in hydration, elasticity and other measures.7 That is a refined extract in a special carrier, and the abstract describes no blinding, so the benefits on the label are best treated as plausible, not proven.
Using rice bran extract with other products
We did not find a source on layering rice bran extract with other products.
Rice bran extract in pregnancy and breastfeeding
We found no pregnancy- or lactation-specific evidence for this ingredient.
Evidence on cosmetic products in pregnancy is limited overall, so ask your doctor or midwife about the specific product you use.8
What you will see on the label
On a label, look for Oryza Sativa Bran Extract and Rice Bran Extract and Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract. Snifff shows it as Low risk. For the rest of the formula, see what the score means and how to read the list.
As Snifff shows itOryza Sativa Bran Extract
Pregnancy and nursing
We found no pregnancy- or lactation-specific evidence for this ingredient.
Wording as it appears in the extension, which can change between releases.
A FEW MORE ANSWERS
Common questions about rice bran extract
What is rice bran extract?
An extract of the outer layer of the rice grain, made of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and antioxidants such as tocopherols.2
Is rice bran extract the same as rice bran oil?
No. They are separate cosmetic ingredients, though both are covered by the same safety review of rice-derived ingredients.2
Does rice bran extract work on human skin?
Most studies of the extract on skin are in cells and mice.1,3 One small study in 30 volunteers reported better hydration and elasticity with gels and creams holding semi-purified rice bran extracts.7 A human trial found oral rice bran oil improved skin moisture.5
Can rice bran extract cause allergy?
A safety review found rice bran oil was not a sensitiser and describes rice as generally non-allergenic, with isolated cases of allergy to raw rice.2
Is rice bran extract safe in pregnancy?
Snifff found no pregnancy-specific evidence for Rice bran extract. Ask your doctor or midwife about the product you use.
WHERE THIS COMES FROM
Sources
- Fermented rice bran extract delays skin aging by increasing the synthesis of collagen and elastinYan X, Yang M, Cai X, et al. · Frontiers in Pharmacology · 2025
- Amended final report on the safety assessment of Oryza Sativa (rice) Bran Oil, Oryza Sativa (rice) Germ Oil, Rice Bran Acid, Oryza Sativa (rice) Bran Wax, Hydrogenated Rice Bran Wax, Oryza Sativa (rice) Bran Extract, Oryza Sativa (rice) Extract, Oryza Sativa (rice) Germ Powder, Oryza Sativa (rice) Starch, Oryza Sativa (rice) Bran, Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Extract, Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Protein, Hydrolyzed Rice Extract, and Hydrolyzed Rice ProteinCosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel · International Journal of Toxicology · 2006
- Rice bran extract alleviates inflammation and promotes wound healing in radiation dermatitisKuan CH, Hideki T, Wu CH, Kung PJ, Wang WH, Lin SJ, Perng CK · Experimental Dermatology · 2025
- Cutaneous delivery of bioactive components from a rice bran oil nanoemulsion and their biodistribution in porcine and human skinSyafitri E, Kouassi AY, Prezioso C, Kalia YN · International Journal of Pharmaceutics: X · 2026
- Oral intake of rice bran oil enriched with gamma-oryzanol and phytosterol esters improves skin conditions: a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group comparative studyJinnin M, Ishihara R, Hosoda A · The Journal of Dermatology · 2026
- Exploratory study on the effect of ferulic acid derived from rice bran on dull skinZhou J, Kobayashi M, Kimura H, et al. · Drug Discoveries & Therapeutics · 2026
- Anti-aging efficacy of topical formulations containing niosomes entrapped with rice bran bioactive compoundsManosroi A, et al. · Pharmaceutical Biology · 2012
- Cosmetic dermatology in pregnancy and lactation: a risk-benefit framework for clinical practiceKovacs T, et al. · International Journal of Dermatology · 2026
This page explains an ingredient. It is not medical advice, and it is not an assessment of any product. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a skin condition, ask your doctor or pharmacist.