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Rice Water for Hair: 3 Ways To Make It and How To Use It

Rice water might have some health benefits as a hair rinse. Learn 3 easy ways to make your own rice water for your hair.

Read on

It sounds like people are now just randomly selecting pantry items and recommending that you put it on your hair, right?

Well, actually, for rice water there may be some tangible hair benefits to applying what is essentially a stir-fry night waste product to those locks.

Rice water hair rinses originated way back, especially in Japan where the court ladies of the Heian period were known for washing their hair with rice water daily to help grow their signature floor-sweeping beautiful long hairstyles.

Also Read: Strut Hair Formula: Hair Loss Treatment in Women

What does rice water do for your hair?

We know that rice is a pretty nutritious staple that lends loads of vitamins and minerals to the diets of people around the world, but what does rice water contain?

It turns out that the water retained from rinsing or cooking rice, tends to have a lot of the same good things:

  • B-Vitamins
  • Vitamin E
  • Antioxidants
  • Amino Acids
  • Trace minerals

So, the idea behind rinsing hair with rice water is that these components can benefit hair when applied on the outside of strands too.

Anecdotal benefits of using rice water in hair:

  • Damage repair
  • Increased strength
  • Easier detangling
  • Smoother hair
  • Shinier strands

One beauty product company conducted some studies on a compound contained in rice water called Inositol, which is a vitamin-like substance.

According to these studies, Inositol can penetrate into hair shafts to help prevent and repair current hair damage.

A lot of the benefits of rice water for hair are anecdotal, and more studies need to be done before reaching any definite conclusions on rice water for hair.

But, with the safety of use and inexpensive cost, there aren’t really any downsides to at least giving this ancient hair remedy a whirl. Worst case scenario you have some freshly rinsed rice to cook up…

Learn More: The Best Homemade Hair Masks For Hair Growth

How to make rice water for your hair (3 ways)

There are a few different ways to make rice water that can be used in your hair routine, you can just soak the rice, use the water from cooked rice, or use fermented rice water.

The fresh rice water may have a more pleasant smell, but some people claim that fermenting the water may increase its antioxidants and hair benefits.

Experiment with the different ways to make rice water, or switch them up according to what works best for you:

1. Rice Water From Soaked Rice

Step 1: Mix ½ cup of dry, uncooked, rinsed rice and mix in a container with 2-3 cups of water.

Step 2: Stir well and let this mixture sit for at least 30 minutes.

Step 3: Strain the rice and keep the water.

Step 4: Use the fresh rice water right away on your hair, or store in the fridge for a few days for later use.

2. Rice Water From Boiled Rice

Step 1: Mix dry, uncooked, rinsed rice in a large pot with about double the water you would normally use to cook it.

Step 2: Boil the mixture until the rice is cooked.

Step 3: Strain the rice and retain the cooking liquid.

Step 4: Use the fresh rice water right away on your hair (once it has cooled!), or store in the fridge for a few days for later use.

3. Fermented Rice Water

Step 1: Prepare fresh rice water using one of the two above rice water methods (soaking or boiling), but do not strain the rice from the water yet.

Step 2: Allow the rice + rice water mixture to sit, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Step 3: After sitting a room temperature for a day or two, the rice water will start fermenting, and will give off a sour smell.

Step 4: Strain the fermented rice water from the rice and use water in hair right away, or store in the fridge for a few days for later use.

Pro Tip: Don’t eat the rice used in making this one.

Also Read: Melatonin for Hair Growth: Can This Sleep Hormone Help Your Hair?

How to use rice water for hair

Step 1: Take your small container of rice water into the shower with you, and try to find a container that will make it easier to pour over your hair.

Step 2: Wash your hair like usual and rinse well.

Step 3: Either condition your hair as usual or skip this step and allow the rice water to act as the conditioner. If using conditioner, rinse hair well.

Step 4: Carefully pour the rice water into your wet hair and try to thoroughly coat all of your hair.

Step 5: Allow the rice water to sit in your hair for between 5-20 minutes.

Step 6: Rinse the rice water out of your hair and then dry and style as usual.

Strut Hair Formulas Prescribed Online

If you are struggling with hair loss and need to find hair answers ASAP, you might want to look into something stronger than rice water to add to your hair routine.

Or, maybe you think that rice should remain on the dinner table and not in your shower.

Regardless, Strut Hair Formula for women and Finasteride or Dutasteride oral or topical formulas for men contain prescription medications with validated hair maintenance and potential hair regrowth benefits.

To help maintain your locks, have a free Online Questionnaire-Based Visit with our U.S. doctors today to see what options are out there for you.

If you are a good candidate for Strut Hair Formula, Dutasteride, or Finasteride (generic for Propecia), your prescription medication can be shipped directly to your front door.

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