Rowan & Thistle

PLATE No. 054

Ingredient Collection

Rice Bran Oil

Oryza sativa

Botanical plate of Rice (Oryza sativa): a rice plant with long leaves and nodding panicles of grain, a single panicle, a grain cut lengthwise, a heap of pale rice bran, and a golden pool of rice bran oil.

Figure Key

  • Fig. 1 Rice Plant (Oryza sativa)
  • Fig. 2 Rice Panicle
  • Fig. 3 Rice Grain, Sectioned
  • Fig. 4 Rice Bran
  • Fig. 5 Rice Bran Oil

The Ingredient

Rice Bran Oil comes from the nutrient-rich bran surrounding the rice grain. Naturally rich in skin- and hair-softening fatty acids, it helps reduce moisture loss, smooth roughness, and leave skin and hair feeling soft and conditioned without an overly heavy or greasy feel.

From Plant to Ingredient

  1. Rice Bran Oil, step 1 — The Rice Grain: a nodding stem of ripe golden rice grains.

    1. The Rice Grain

    Rice develops in branching clusters called panicles. Each mature grain contains several distinct layers, including the bran that lies just beneath the protective outer hull.

  2. Rice Bran Oil, step 2 — Inside the Grain: a rice grain cut lengthwise, the white kernel inside its brown husk.

    2. Inside the Grain

    Beneath the hull, a thin bran layer surrounds the large, starchy center of the grain. Although it makes up only a small part of the grain, this outer layer contains much of the rice grain's naturally occurring oil.

  3. Rice Bran Oil, step 3 — Rice Bran Oil: a pale golden pool of the oil.

    3. Rice Bran Oil

    The bran is separated from the grain and its oil is extracted, refined, deodorized, and winterized to produce the light, nearly odorless oil used in our products.

Why We Chose It

Rice Bran Oil gives us substantial conditioning without an especially heavy or greasy feel. Its balance of oleic and linoleic fatty acids—fats that help soften and support the skin and hair—makes it useful anywhere we want lasting softness, smoother texture, and help reducing moisture loss.

What You'll Notice

  • Softer Feel — Helps skin and hair feel smoother and more conditioned.
  • Less Dryness — Helps reduce moisture loss and supports lasting softness.
  • Lightweight Conditioning — Adds richness without an excessively heavy or greasy feel.
  • Smoother Texture — Helps rough-feeling skin or hair feel more supple and polished.

Botanical Profile

Scientific Name
Oryza sativa
INCI Name
Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil
Plant Part Used
Bran
Final Ingredient
Oil
Origin
Mexico and India

A Closer Look

Rice bran contains something especially interesting called gamma-oryzanol—a group of naturally occurring antioxidant compounds found in the outer layers of the rice grain. It is particularly associated with rice bran and its oil, making it one of the compounds that sets Rice Bran Oil apart from more familiar plant oils.

Products Featuring Rice Bran Oil Featured In

An illustrated guide to the botanicals, ingredients, and materials that shape Rowan & Thistle

© Rowan & Thistle 2026