Rice Water for Hair: Everything You Need to Know

Rice water is the starchy leftover liquid after soaking and cooking the rice in water. Rice is the edible cereal grain and seed of the grass species Oryza sativa. Rice holds many nutrients that make it the world’s most important food source. Rice water has a lot of uses. Rice water can be used for hair, as a remedy to aid digestive problems, and for the face. Rice water contains vitamins and minerals like amino acids, B vitamins, vitamin E, and antioxidants. Rice water carries substances that are popular to protect and nourish the hair. Back in the Heian period in Japan, women have floor-length hair and the secret is most of them used rice water to keep their hair long, healthy, and smooth. The Yao women in China were famous for having a 6 feet length of hair, and one of the reasons was they bathe in rice water to keep the natural colour of their hair. 

Rice water is safe for all types of hair, especially those who have dull and dry hair, as it increases the shine and makes the hair healthy. Depending on the concern, rice water can be mixed with apple cider vinegar, baking soda, or tea. Rice water is easy to make and easy to use. There are three ways to prepare rice water: soaking, fermenting, and boiling. Use the rice water after using shampoo or conditioner on the hair. Rinsing rice water every bathing time is good and doesn’t harm the hair and skin, but do it once a week for most hair types. Rice water can be found on several personal hair products like shampoo, conditioner, and hair spray. Some advantages and disadvantages of rice water for hair are listed below. 

Advantages	Disadvantages
Reverses hygral fatigue	Fermented rice water leaves smell
Easy to prepare and use	Not scientifically proven

What is Rice Water?

Rice water has different purposes depending on the part of the body. Rice water can be used for hair, skin, or for digestive problems. Rice water can treat skin problems like dry skin, dark skin, eczema, rashes, and inflammation. Drinking rice water helps relieve constipation, food poisoning, and stomach bugs and as well as improves the digestive system. Rice water can be used as a facial toner or facial mask that helps tone, tighten and brighten the complexion. Rice water is known for its ability to bring back the life and bounce of the hair. Rice water is well known for its effectiveness and availability. Rice water grows hair and fights dandruff. Rice water can dry out the hair, so it should be used in moderation.

How does rice water works for hair?

Rice water has a strengthener, and scalp nourisher, and is rich in antioxidant that makes the hair cuticle improve, and make the hair strong, smooth and shiny. Rice water makes the hair long and the scalp healthy. It carries a high level of starch that covers the shaft and strand that has the capability to nourish and thicken the hair. Rice water improves scalp health. Rice water fills the scalp and skin with vitamins and antioxidants and calms irritation. The starch of the rice water helps the damaged skin from irritation from the use of personal care products like shampoo and conditioners. One of the main causes of dry hair is split ends, so using rice water minimizes the split ends as it adds hydration to the hair. In addition, rice water increases manageability and improves the elasticity of the hair, making the hair shine and easier to detangle. Furthermore, rice water has an ingredient called inositol that penetrates the damaged hair to repair and protects the hair from future damage. Rice water has vitamin B, vitamin E, Magnesium, Zinc, Fibre, and Manganese. Rice water has no harmful chemicals and is incredibly powerful, but it is not scientifically proven. 

How to prepare rice water for hair

 

Listed below are the step-by-step guide on how to make rice water for hair.

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup of rice
2. 2 cups of water
3. Stainer
4. 2 bowls
5. 1 container with a lid
6. A spray bottle/Jar

Here are several ways to prepare rice water. 

Soaking:

1. Take 1/2 cup of uncooked rice.
2. Pour the rice into the strainer.
3. Rinse well.
4. Place the rice in a bowl with 2 cups of water.
5. Soak for 30 minutes.
6. Strain the rice water into a clean bowl.
7. Funnel rice water into a spray bottle and refrigerate until ready to use. 

Boiling:

1. Pour 1/2 cup of uncooked rice into a strainer.
2. Rinse well.
3. Boil 2 cups of water.
4. Pour the rice into the boiling water and boil until the water is cloudy.
5. Let the water cool down.
6. Strain the rice water into a clean bowl.
7. Funnel rice water into a spray bottle.

Fermenting:

1. Take 1/2 cup of uncooked rice.
2. Rinse well
3. Put the rice in a jar.
4. Add 2 cups of water.
5. Seal the jar and let it stay at room temperature for at least 2 days for fermentation to take place. A sour smell results. The longer the solution is stored, the more concentrated it becomes. Dilute the fermented rice before using it.
6. Strain the rice water.
7. Rinse the hair with the rice water. Since the fermentation process results have a sour smell, dilute with water then add an essential oil or citrus zest to conceal the bad smell.
8. To preserve fermented rice water, store it in the fridge. Cold temperatures slow down further fermentation. This means the rice water would still go bad if stored in the fridge for too long.

How to use rice water for hair

Rice water became known to be a secret to healthy and thick hair. In Southeast Asia, rice water is not only used for skincare routines but also used to wash and rinse the hair. Rice water is an affordable and easy-to-make hair treatment that only uses two main ingredients: rice and water. Rice water has plenty of anecdotal proof, but still, there is no scientific data to show. 

Listed below are the instructions on how to apply rice water on hair.

1. Wash hair with shampoo. Gently cleanse and wash the hair with shampoo to remove the dirt and oil on the hair. 
2. Rinse well. Rinse the hair thoroughly with water from the tap.
3. Pour rice water onto the hair. Simply use the rice water after shampooing or conditioning the hair. Saturate the hair with rice water. 
4. Massage the hair. Pour the remaining rice water onto the scalp and then massage the roots down to the hair strand.
5. Leave on for up to 20 minutes. Let the rice water sit for 20 minutes, up to an hour.
6. Rinse well. Rinse the hair thoroughly using warm water from the tap.

How often can you use rice water for your hair?

For those who have limp or dull hair, that feels excessively soft, mushy, or the pattern curl is looser within an hour after washing the hair, make the rice water treatment 4 to 6 times a week. When the hair starts to feel dry at the end, make the treatment once a week, then gradually to once a month. When the hair becomes lifeless, limp, and oily again, continue or repeat the treatment. For those who have low porosity hair or the hair doesn’t absorb water or treatments, do the water treatment once a month. Basically, once a week rice water treatment is enough for most hair types. Rice water can be used as a hair mask overnight, but not advisable to leave for more than 18 hours.  

Who should use rice water?

Rice water is an organic and mild hair treatment, safe for all types of hair, any textures, even coloured hair. Rice water is extremely concentrated in starch that can be used by those who have dry scalps in deep conditioning the shaft of the hair. Those who have high porous curly hair types tend to benefit more from the vitamins and minerals in rice water like amino acids that can help the hair to be strong and improves the condition of the outer layer of the hair shaft. Rice water is good for those who have low porosity but must limit its use to avoid protein overload.

What are the advantages of rice water for hair?

Listed below are the advantages of rice water for hair.

Detangles the hair. Rice water makes the hair soft and easy to tangle by smoothening the cuticles. Rice water lessens the frizzy surface that prevents the strands from tangling.

Makes hair smoother. The starch from the rice water covers the outer layer that makes the hair smooth, and thick. 

Boost shine. Rice water is rich in vitamins that add shine and makes the hair bounce. 

Makes hair stronger. Protein is one of the essential parts of a balanced diet that plays an important role in managing the hair to be strong and healthy. Protein helps to restore hair’s elasticity and eliminates the split ends. 

Helps hair grow long. Rice water is rich in amino acids that nourish and grow the hair long. Amino acids or identified as cysteine provides sulphur to hair cells that improve elasticity, strength, and hair texture. Hair loss is caused by amino acid deficiency. 

What are the disadvantages of rice water on hair?

Listed below are the disadvantages of rice water for hair. 

Make the hair frizzy and brittle. Too much use of rice water makes the hair feel dry and stiff. 

Leaves a foul and strong smell. Leaving the rice water on the hair for too long leaves a foul odour, as the rice water starts fermenting and the bacterial and fungal growth is mixed with sweat. 

Cause dry scalp. The overproduction of yeast can make the scalp dry. The starch content of rice water can make the condition worse when mixed with yeast. 

Damage the texture. Frequent use of rice water can damage the texture of the hair. Excessive use of rice water can affect the condition of the hair. 

What are the hair products that contain rice water?

Rice water is a homemade treatment that claims to make the hair grow longer and stronger. Some of the best hair products with rice water are Uhuru Naturals Fermented Rice Water, Hairfinity Rice Water Hair Mist, and Mykirei By Kao Nourishing Conditioner. Uhuru Naturals Fermented Rice Water is a fermented water hair spray that has a lot of nutrients from rice water. Uhuru Naturals Fermented Rice Water is one of the hair products that are best for detangling hair. It lessens the friction among the hair strands and enhances the quality of the hair. It is slightly acidic that helps the nutrients to nourish the hair follicles and boost hair growth. Uhuru Naturals Fermented Rice Water adds strength, protection, volume, and shine to the hair. Uhuru Naturals Fermented Rice Water has a powerful aroma, but it is easy to use, has a radiant effect, and makes the hair silky. Hairfinity Rice Water Hair Mist is a rice water mist made from natural ingredients that are essential for boosting hair health and strengthening hair growth. Hairfinity Rice Water Hair Mist is rich in protein and anti-inflammatory agents that can tackle hair loss, dullness, and dryness. Hairfinity Rice Water Hair Mist is suited for all hair types, colour-treated hair or keratin hair. Hairfinity Rice Water Hair Mist has a mild formula, silicone-free, but a little greasy. While, Mykirei By Kao Nourishing Conditioner is a Japanese-designed hair conditioner that is great for all types of hair. Mykirei By Kao Nourishing Conditioner has a rice extract that is used as a source of hair nourishment like proteins, oleic acid, and glycerides. Mykirei By Kao Nourishing Conditioners is cruelty-free and has a lightweight formula, but it has a poor-quality bottle. 

Does rice water grow hair?

Yes, rice water has a lot of vitamins and minerals that give nourishment and strengthens the hair. Rice water is an effective conditioner that enhances the texture and the growth of the hair. Rice water adds elasticity and volume to the hair. Rice water has amino acids that help reduce hair fall and hair loss. Rice water has nutrients like folic acid, niacin, magnesium, and inositol. These nutrients stimulate hair growth, reduce inflammation, rejuvenate hair follicles, and break down calcium build-ups.

Can rice water cause dandruff?

Yes, the protein in rice water can dry out the scalp if used incorrectly or frequently. The overproduction of yeast can cause a dry and flaky scalp. Rice water can be used as a hair mask and stay overnight, but avoid leaving the rice water on the hair for more than 18 hours. Leaving all the starch sugar for too long can make the condition worse, like the building up of dandruff. For those who are experiencing dandruff or have a bad scalp problem, limit the application of the rice water. A maximum of two applications a week is the recommended use of rice water. Wait for the result and if the outcome is good, try to use it more often. 

Can rice water damage your hair?

Yes, rice water can damage the hair due to the amount of protein that the water absorbs. Protein overload can lead to breakage and makes the hair looks dull, dry, and brittle when the protein is too much but lacks moisture. Too much protein can become a problem for those who have low porosity hair because instead of absorbing the nutrients, it will just stick to the hair. Proteins block the hair treatments from entering the hair follicles. It is a bad thing and becomes a problem when the protein layer piles up.