Do you have hair that’s feeling limp, or are you desperately trying to grow your hair out? What if I told you that rice water you simply discard when cooking rice may be your secret to strong, bouncy, and shiny hair? Let’s chat about why you need to try a rice-water rinse today, how to prepare one and how to use it the right way.
The use of rice water for hair originated in Heian, Japan (794 to 1185 CE). Women had floor-length hair that they regularly bathed in rice water to maintain hair length and strength. This practice isn’t just limited to Japan; women of the Yao tribe in current-day China cut their hair once in their life, maintaining their long hair by bathing it in rice water. There’s a reason why this traditional rinse has been used for hundreds of years and is still in use today – it works.
The effect of rice water on hair health is due to the amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants present in the grain that release into the water when uncooked rice is soaked or boiled.
The growing anecdotal evidence, as well as the known impact of individual components, suggest that rice water can:
With so many benefits of rice water, one may be tempted to use it as a regular natural addition to a hair care routine. There are some precautions to beware of, though.
There are two cases when you should use rice water with caution. First, if you have scalp irritation, inflammation, or more serious conditions like eczema or psoriasis, the rinse can actually make the matters worse. If you have a dry scalp, rice water hair treatment is not recommended either and may lead to flaking on some occasions.
Also, while rice water is safe for all hair types, you should definitely be aware of protein overload, which simply means that too much of a good thing can have the opposite effect and leave hair lifeless and brittle. How to understand if your hair needs protein or not? Well, if you have relaxed natural hair, bleached or color-treated hair, damaged or thin locks, chances are high that you do need it. Anyway, the best approach is to use rice water for hair in moderation and research your own hair needs.
There are three ways to prepare rice water for hair: via soaking, boiling, or fermentation. For all the methods, you start with rinsed and strained rice to make sure any dirt is removed from the grains. Thus, you either soak or boil ½ cup of rice in 2-3 cups of water. For fermented rice water, the rice should be left soaking for two days.
I prefer the boiling method so I can line this rinse up with my dinner. The below recipe works for short-to-medium-length hair. Double the ingredients for longer hair.
There are two ways to use rice water for hair: as an after-shampoo rinse or as a deep conditioning treatment. If you think that your hair can get over moisturized, stick to the rinsing method and do not let rice water sit in your hair for too long.
Once a week would be the shortest amount of time in between rinses that I would recommend, but it’s important to recognize when your hair needs it. To understand how often you can do a rice water rinse, you have to understand the concept of protein-moisture balance, mentioned above.
Hair products and DIY treatments can contain ingredients that are moisturizing and/or contain protein. Rice water falls into the protein category. If you use too much of either category, your hair can become off-balance. Too much moisture can lead to limp and lifeless hair, whereas too much protein can lead to hair that feels dry, straw-like and frizzy.
So, how do you know when your hair needs what? To give a personal example, I have curly hair and have a TON of different styling products in my arsenal. If I use too many moisturizing products in a row, I find my hair becomes limp and lifeless, which means it’s in need of a protein treatment.
I also have a lot of high protein stylers that I love using. If I do a rice-water rinse after consistently using my favorite high-protein gel, my hair may start to feel a bit dry and stiff. In this case, I would hold off on doing a rinse and deep condition instead.
By paying attention to how your hair feels and what products you are using on a regular basis, you can gauge when it’s time for another treatment! For me, every 3 to 4 weeks seems to be my sweet spot.
After doing a rice water rinse my hair IMMEDIATELY springs up. There is such a difference in how the curls behave; my style lasts for days after a treatment.
Here are my results after one of my first rice water rinses. These photos were taken mere days apart. You can really see just how much body I’ve gained in the after.
Here are my results after a recent treatment. Note the differences in my curl pattern, particularly near the ends of my hair!
Don’t want to go through the trouble of making rice water? There are plenty of other protein treatments that work just as well with similar benefits.
A rice-water rinse is an awesome way to give your hair a boost. It’s cheap, easy, and you probably already have everything you need in your pantry.
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