The Ordinary drew inspiration from K-beauty, specifically milky skincare textures, when developing this moisturizer, and its star ingredient — rice lipids — also nods to Eastern beauty rituals. You might be familiar with rice water in skincare, but lipids are a little different. NYC-based dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD, explains, “Rice lipids are natural fats derived from the outer layer of the rice grain known as the bran, and they have emollient benefits.” This, adds Dr. Zeichner, means they “fill in cracks” between cells on the surface of the skin. As a result, Dr. Zeichner explains that rice lipids can soften the outer skin layer, or what is known as the skin barrier.
