Rice wine leftovers as skincare: what an upcycled cleansing oil actually recycles

What "rice lees" actually are and where they come from

When rice wine (makgeolli) is brewed, the solid sediment left behind after fermentation and pressing — the lees — has traditionally been treated as a byproduct, sometimes used in cooking or, in Korea, historically applied directly to skin as a folk brightening remedy. AboutMe's Rice Makgeolli Cleansing Oil formalises that folk practice by extracting and stabilising the rice bran oil and fermentation compounds from this specific byproduct stream rather than starting from raw, unfermented rice.

Why fermentation byproducts are having a moment in ingredient sourcing

Upcycled ingredients — coffee grounds, fruit pulp left over from juicing, and now rice fermentation lees — appeal to formulators for two separate reasons: a genuine sustainability argument (using material that would otherwise be discarded) and, often, a functional one, since fermentation frequently breaks down larger molecules into smaller, more bioavailable compounds. The lees from rice wine production have already undergone microbial fermentation, which is the same general process that makes ingredients like galactomyces or rice ferment filtrate desirable in K-beauty formulas.

What this specific cleansing oil is formulated to do

The oil is positioned as a gentle, non-abrasive first-cleanse step suited to reactive skin, using rice bran oil's fatty acid profile to dissolve makeup and sunscreen while the fermentation-derived compounds support the skin's brightness and balance. As with any oil cleanser, the actual cleansing mechanism is straightforward emulsification of lipid-based residue — the upcycled sourcing story does not change that mechanical function, only the compounds riding along with it.

Does upcycled sourcing change performance, or just the sustainability story

For skincare specifically, there is no strong evidence that a fermentation byproduct performs meaningfully differently from an equivalent ingredient sourced fresh — the compounds present are chemically comparable once extracted and stabilised. The genuine benefit of upcycled sourcing is environmental (reduced waste from an existing production stream) rather than a claim of superior efficacy, and it is worth choosing on that basis rather than expecting a dramatically different result on skin.

Where an upcycled formula fits in a values-conscious routine

For anyone who already factors sustainability into purchasing decisions, an upcycled cleansing oil like this is a reasonable way to align a skincare choice with that value without sacrificing performance, since gentle oil cleansing works the same way regardless of ingredient origin story. It is a legitimate reason to pick one gentle cleansing oil over another — just not evidence that it will out-perform a non-upcycled equivalent on skin.