While you’ve been flipping through the pages of beauty magazines and keeping your eyes locked on the latest product launches, your star beauty ingredient was simply sitting in your kitchen cupboard all along. Yes, we’re talking about the widely-raved rice water!
Rice water is an Asian staple that has been used as a skin and hair care product for ages. Today, you can find lots of commercial hair care products that use rice water as their star ingredient. But what if we told you, you could simply use plain rice water from your kitchen, and it will still give you some amazing results?
How is rice water good for your hair?
Rice water is simply the starchy water that remains after cooking or soaking rice. It is believed to be packed with tons of minerals and vitamins, which are, of course, potentially beneficial for your hair.
Minerals and vitamins in rice include:
- Minerals
- Antioxidants
- Amino acids
- Vitamin E
- B vitamins
Benefits of rice water for hair
According to an ancient Japanese tale, rice water helped the Imperial Court women grow floor-length hair during the Heian period. Advocates of using rice water for hair reports that it can make your hair grow longer, stronger, and shinier over time. In addition, rice water can also keep hair tangles at a minimum, claims several rice water fans.
What does the research say about rice water?
Despite the increasing hype around rice water for hair, there is no strong research to prove its benefit. However, there are a few claims that support the use of rice water for hair.
A Japanese research facility suggests the effects of inositol in strengthening hair, which is a component of rice water. Another 2010 research suggests that rice water may increase hair elasticity by reducing surface friction.
While there are lots of anecdotal evidence backing the benefits of rice water for hair, it still requires more scientific research.
Needless to say, you can definitely give rice water a try and see if it works for you! Since it’s natural and contains no harmful chemicals, there’s little to worry about using rice water on your hair.
Making your own DIY rice water:
- Take one cup of rice.
- Rinse and strain your rice first to remove any impurities.
- In a container, mix the strained rice and with one cup of water. Keep mixing it until the water turns cloudy.
- Then, strain the rice again but reserve the water in another container this time.
- Cover the rice water and let it sit for about 12-24 hours at room temperature, and it’s ready for application. Make sure not to exceed 24 hours.
- You can refrigerate the rice water after 24 hours if you’re not ready to use it.
How to use rice water on your hair:
You can use rice water on your hair as many times you want, as long as it does the trick for you!
After your usual shampoo and conditioner routine, you can simply rinse your hair with rice water. Or, if you wish to apply it as a mask, apply it evenly onto your scalp and hair. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes, and rinse with cold water.
