In a world where beauty products often cost more than a monthly subscription to all streaming platforms combined, something incredibly simple and almost ridiculously cheap is making a comeback: rice water. This cloudy liquid, which most people unthinkingly pour down the drain while cooking, is proving to be a real secret weapon in the fight against acne, dull skin, enlarged pores, and signs of aging. Women in Asia have been using it for centuries, from Japanese geishas to Korean beauty gurus, and now this minimalist routine is taking the Western world by storm—and for good reason.