Raechele Cochran Gathers, MD Using rice water for hair growth is really nothing new. In fact, it’s really old news. It’s just news that most of us never really heard about! Japanese women of the ancient Heian period were known for their long hair –hair so long that it touched the floor. It’s said that these women combed their hair every day with rice water, called Yu‐Su‐Ru. The ingredients in the rice water were full of nutrients and antioxidants that are thought to help your hair grow longer and be more elastic.
Nutrients: Why Rice Water May Work
Rice is a staple of the Japanese diet, and goodness knows a lot of us love a plate of beans and rice! But what makes rice water work for hair growth? Rice water is full of many nutrients that are felt to support healthy hair growth. Inositol, which is also called Vitamin B8, is found in rice water. Inositol is thought to penetrate and repair damaged hair, as well as help protect the hair against future damage.
Benefits of Rice Water
Advocates of using rice water for hair growth claim many benefits, including:
- Stronger hair
- Increased elasticity
- Smoother hair
- Reduced graying
- Longer hair
- Shiny hair
Rice Water for Hair Growth: The Science
Anyone can claim that rice water works to give you longer, stronger, more amazing hair. But what’s the science? Is there any? A 2017 study showed that rice bran mineral extract increased anagen (growth) related molecules in the hair and concluded that hair growth enhancement could be expected when rice bran mineral extract was applied to the hair. Another study found that rice bran extract not only promoted hair growth, but also showed results similar to that of minoxidil (a popular hair growth treatment) for hair growth. While this research is certainly not definitive, it does make a case for at least trying rice water for improving the length and strength of your hair!
How to Make Rice Water
Making rice water couldn’t be simpler. You can either soak your rice or you can boil it. Letting it sit and ferment for 12-24 hours is thought to help bring out more nutritive properties of the rice water.
What you need:
- ½ cup rice
- 3 cups water
Soaking:
- Rinse your rice to get rid of any debris or impurities
- Cover ½ cup rice with 3 cups of water
- Cover the rice water and let soak for 12-24 hours at room temperature (this ferments the rice)
- Strain the rice out
- Refrigerate the rice water until ready to use
Boiling:
- Rinse your rice to get rid of any debris or impurities
- Cook ½ cup rice with 3 cups of water
- Strain the rice out
- Cover the rice water and let sit for 12-24 hours at room temperature (this ferments the rice)
- Refrigerate the rice water until ready to use
How to Use Rice Water
- Wash your hair with your favorite shampoo, co-wash or clay wash.
- Condition/Rinse
- Apply the rice water (with spray bottle or by pouring over hair)
- Massage into hair and scalp
- Cover and let sit for 20 minutes
- Rinse
- Style as usual
Here’s a video of YouTube’s UnivHair Soleil using rice water on her hair:
Don’t Want to Make It? Buy it!
Making rice water isn’t hard, but sometimes you may not want to be bothered. You can buy fermented rice water as well. Here is a fermented rice water product by Uhuru Naturals that you many want to check out.
