Before flooding our FYPs as the people’s solution to getting fuller and longer hair, rice water has been a staple in beauty rituals for centuries. With origins traced back to ancient China and Japan, it has been known to hydrate the hair and scalp, soothe and brighten skin, and nourish hair.
Rice water is exactly what it sounds like: water that has been fermented in rice. It can be easily made on your own for a DIY hair treatment or found as an ingredient in hair care products. But does it actually work?
Benefits of Rice Water on Hair
The main benefit people turn to rice water for is hair growth. Countless TikTok videos show drastic before and afters where creators are experiencing significant volume and length after just a few weeks.
But before you take the word of a viral video, there is just one caveat: most if not all of these hair growth claims are anecdotal. Both Hadley King, MD, a New York City-based board-certified dermatologist, and Bridgette Hill, a certified trichologist, say there needs to be a lot more research done to prove that rice water actually helps with growth.
“There is no denying the vitamins and minerals in rice are key factors in healthy scalp and hair growth function,” says Hill. “There is not enough clinical data to prove that using rice water as a hair treatment is beneficial to hair growth.”
But you don’t have to let that completely deter you. King says using rice water is generally safe and is packed with known ingredients that can be beneficial in other ways. “It does contain amino acids, B vitamins, vitamin E, other antioxidants, minerals, and inositol, which could help to strengthen hair strands,” she says. Hill adds that rice water acts as a protein treatment that can minimize frizz and smooth out strands.
How to Use Rice Water for Hair
Incorporating rice water rinse into a routine is fairly simple. King suggests pouring it on your hair after you shampoo and conditioner, letting hair soak up all the nutrients. She says you can also spray it after your washing routine to let it set in. If you’re opting for a product that contains rice water in it, then she says to follow the instructions on the bottle for the best results.
How to Make Rice Water for Hair
Making rice water is super easy if you’re looking for a DIY solution. King says to soak half a cup of uncooked rice in two cups of water for about an hour. Then you’ll want to strain out the rice and save the liquid into a container, whether it be a spray bottle or a bottle, to get you the rice water. Then you’re ready to use it on your hair.
Side Effects of Rice Water on Hair
According to Hill, mixing food-based hair products with over-the-counter or medicated ones may create adverse reactions. “[This is] due to incompatible ingredients in the store-bought products,” she explains. She also says that rice water may not be right for every hair type. Those who have high porosity hair textures (a.k.a. hair that easily absorbs products, water, and treatments) would better benefit from rice water than those with low porosity hair. “[High porosity] hair allows for the rice protein molecules to fill in the gaps [in the cuticle] creating more strength and high shine,” she says. “If you have low porosity hair, then rice water will create protein buildup. Be very careful of rice water; know your hair type.”