Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract
Also known as Rice Bran Extract, Oryza sativa bran extract, Rice (Oryza Sativa) Bran Extract
“CIR Expert Panel says: safe as used in cosmetics.”
The CIR Expert Panel concluded that Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract is Safe (S) — no formulation conditions imposed — in the 2006 Amended Final Report covering 14 rice-derived cosmetic ingredients (PMID 17090480, IJT 25(Suppl. 2):91-120). The Panel found that current levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and heavy metals in rice-derived ingredients used in cosmetics are not a safety concern, that rice bran protein hydrolysates are not acutely toxic and not skin/ocular irritants or sensitizers in animal and clinical tests, and that rice-derived ingredients generally are considered to be non-allergenic. The bran fraction is the pericarp/aleurone layer removed during rice milling and is the richest plant-part source of gamma-oryzanol (a mixture of ferulic acid esters of triterpene alcohols and sterols), tocotrienols, tocopherols, phytic acid, and B-vitamins. A 2022 J Drugs Dermatol systematic review (PMID 35133117) of 10 studies concluded that rice bran extract 'is non-genotoxic, non-cytotoxic, and appropriate for human use in cosmetics' and documents topical mechanisms relevant to hair growth (β-catenin upregulation, 5α-reductase inhibition). A 2012 niosome-encapsulated rice bran extract anti-aging study in 30 human volunteers (PMID 22235888) demonstrated improved hydration, pigmentation lightening, skin thickness, roughness, and elasticity over 28 days with no erythema or edema observed in 72-hour patch testing. The CIR cautioned that pesticides and heavy metals should not exceed currently reported levels for rice-derived cosmetic ingredients — a sourcing/manufacturing-quality concern, not a formulation restriction.
CIR-assessed Safe (S) for cosmetic use without formulation conditions per the 2006 Amended Final Report (PMID 17090480, IJT 25(Suppl. 2):91-120) — among the cleanest CIR verdicts for any botanical extract in this corpus.
Antioxidant content: gamma-oryzanol (a mixture of ferulic acid esters of triterpene alcohols and plant sterols), tocotrienols, tocopherols (vitamin E), phytic acid, and ferulic acid are characteristic constituents of rice bran extract and support antioxidant cosmetic positioning.
Anti-aging activity in topical formulations: a 28-day human study of niosome-encapsulated rice bran extract bioactives (ferulic acid + gamma-oryzanol + phytic acid) demonstrated improved hydration, pigmentation lightening, skin thickness, roughness, and elasticity.
Hair-growth-relevant mechanisms documented in systematic review: β-catenin upregulation, 5α-reductase inhibition, and growth-factor expression for cell proliferation in the anagen phase; 'non-genotoxic, non-cytotoxic, and appropriate for human use in cosmetics'.
Plant: Oryza sativa L. (Poaceae/Gramineae family); the BRAN preparation specifically is the pericarp/aleurone fraction removed during rice milling — distinct from rice starch (endosperm), rice bran oil (lipid fraction extracted from bran), rice bran wax (high-MW ester fraction), rice germ oil (germ fraction), and hydrolyzed rice bran extract (enzymatically cleaved). Each has its own INCI and each has its own QRT row in the 2006 group assessment.
Pesticide and heavy metal contamination of source rice bran is a documented sourcing concern: the 2006 CIR amended final report cautioned that pesticides and heavy metals should not exceed currently reported levels for rice-derived cosmetic ingredients. This is a manufacturing-quality control issue, not a formulation restriction — the CIR Finding remained S (Safe).
Plant-part identity discipline: Oryza sativa has multiple distinct INCI preparations covered as separate QRT rows in the same 2006 group assessment (Bran, Bran Extract, Bran Oil, Bran Wax, Extract, Germ Oil, Germ Powder, Starch — all S). This packet covers BRAN EXTRACT specifically; formulators using other rice-derived preparations should not inherit this packet's evidence wholesale. Distinct INCIs include rice flour, rice bran oil, hydrolyzed rice bran extract, and rice ferment filtrate (Bifida-style ferments are separate ingredients with separate research packets).
Cosmetic 'brightening' marketing claims for rice bran extract are weakly supported in topical clinical trials: in-vitro tyrosinase inhibition is well-documented for purple-glutinous rice bran cultivars (Plants 2023, PMID 36840317; Plants 2024, PMID 38999635) but standardized human trials of unfermented Oryza Sativa Bran Extract for hyperpigmentation are limited. Most clinical evidence in the corpus is for fermented or niosome-encapsulated preparations rather than the plain extract.
CAS number ambiguity: the EINECS-registered substance 'rice bran' (CAS 68553-81-1, EC 271-397-8) bundles bran, bran oil, and bran extract under a single botanical entry; some third-party INCI databases list 90106-37-9 instead; the 2006 CIR final report does not assign a CAS number. Packet records cas_number as null per the 'do not invent CAS numbers' rule.
Rare contact dermatitis to rice has been reported in Asian dermatology literature (occupational rice handlers), but the CIR Panel concluded rice-derived cosmetic ingredients are 'generally considered to be non-allergenic.'
CIR Quick Reference Table (September 2022) — Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract row: Finding=S, Citation=Final Report 2/2000 Available from…
“Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract S Final Report 2/2000 Available from CIR;Final Report 6/2001 Available from CIR;IJT 25(Suppl. 2):91-120, 2006”— QuickReferenceTable_AllConclusionTypes.pdf, p. 312