In an age where 12-step skincare routines are the norm, our social media feeds are inundated with ads for lotions and potions that make us believe the fountain of youth is only a click away.
While modern products may work wonders for those who can afford them, for the rest of us, the secret to flawless, radiant skin may be in our pantry.
Natural ingredients like spices and herbs – harnessed for their healing properties – have been a part of Asian beauty regimes for centuries. In Myanmar, thanaka, a sun-shielding tree bark paste is worn with pride, while in Malaysia and Singapore, bedak sejuk, a paste made from powdered, fermented rice, is the go-to salve for skin as smooth as a baby’s bottom.
Rice to the rescue
Meaning “cold powder” in Malay, bedak sejuk makes the most of rice, a staple grain that’s also prized for its beautifying properties. Known for its anti-inflammatory properties and packed with antioxidants like skin-brightening niacinamide, rice has been used for centuries by Asian women to prevent breakouts and to tighten and lighten skin naturally.
To reduce the appearance of pores and give their skin a luminous glow, 16th century Japanese geisha were known to wash their faces with rice water, the opaque liquid produced by soaking rice in water. Rice water is also used in traditional Chinese medicine to soothe skin irritations and calm skin conditions like eczema and rosacea.
A fusion of traditional Malay and Chinese beauty practices, bedak sejuk – popular in Malaysia and Singapore – is an affordable beauty aid that helps cool skin and keep it blemish-free in the harsh tropical heat.
One batch at a time
When made the old-fashioned way without the assistance of machines, this snow-white powder, typically shaped into tiny teardrops, is labour-intensive to produce. At Penang’s Lean Seng, the only remaining bedak sejuk producer in Malaysia still doing things by hand, the process involves several laborious steps.
First, broken rice, the fragments of grains broken during milling, is washed thoroughly several times to remove grit and other impurities. Once cleaned, the rice is soaked in water for up to a month, kickstarting fermentation.
Next, the fermented grains, which contain substances that promote cell renewal, are washed to reduce lingering odours from the fermentation process before being ground into a smooth, fine paste. This paste is filtered and hung in a cloth bag for 10 to 12 hours to remove moisture. Once sufficiently dry, the paste is moistened with water and passed through a flat, perforated mould to form the characteristic teardrops.
It doesn’t end there, though. Once formed, the pellets must be sun-dried for several hours and stored indoors overnight. This process is repeated for several days to allow all the moisture to evaporate and to prevent mould from forming when the pellets are bottled. A single batch (about 30 kilograms) can take up to six weeks to produce. The finished product is typically packed with small pieces of pandan, which add subtle vanilla hints to the bedak sejuk.
Do it yourself
Bedak sejuk can also be made at home. First, the raw rice is fermented until the grains are pasty – a slow process that takes weeks. Next, the rice is drained and put through a cheesecloth to remove excess water. A piping bag filled with the white paste is used to produce the buttons. In the old days, matriarchs piped the little dots with funnels fashioned from banana leaf squares.
Some perfume their bedak sejuk with jasmine buds or rose petals for added fragrance. To use, moisten the white beads with water and apply the paste evenly onto the face like a mask. For optimum results, the mask should be left on overnight. Not only does this multi-tasking product help prevent acne breakouts, even skin tone and fade dark spots, it can also soothe sunburns – all thanks to the power of the humble rice grain.
This story by Chitra Santhinathan was originally published on AirAsia. Zafigo republished this story in full with permission from the publisher, simply because good stories should be read by as many people as possible! If you have stories that will be of interest and useful to women travellers, especially in Asia, please get in touch with us at [email protected].
