From moisture masks to hair butter, there’s no shortage of homemade hair elixirs you can create yourself. One of the more recent au natural concoctions to hit the hair care world is none other than fermented rice water.
Yes—the very same water you use to rinse & even cook rice with.
While it may sound odd to ask yourself "Is rice water good for curly hair or locs?" rice water has been linked to providing curly & coily hair with a few noteworthy benefits—namely, smoother strands that grow faster.1
If you’re interested in learning more about this ingredient, dig out your nearest bag of starchy goodness from the pantry or better yet, begin your search for specifically-formulated rice water hair products. In this blog, we’re exploring what rice water is, the benefits of rice water on hair & how you can incorporate rice water into your natural hair care routine no matter your curl type.
What Is Rice Water?
Putting rice-soaked water on your hair may not be at the top of your list of ways to repair natural hair breakage & smooth your strands—but hear us out.
Over a thousand years ago, during the Heian period, the Japanese ladies of the court combed starchy water (made of water that had been sitting in rice) through their floor-length hair to keep it strong & help it grow.2
Fast forward to present day.
While you can still make a rice water mix yourself, scientists have bottled the power of rice water by creating an extract you can use in hair care products. PATTERN has taken advantage of this seemingly magical elixir by incorporating a rice water ferment into our Treatment Mask, making it easier for your hair type to soak up the advantages of rice water.
4 Benefits of Rice Water for Hair
By now, you may have a few questions, like “What does rice water do for your hair?” or “How does rice water support hair health?”
The science behind the magic involves the notion that rice water contains some of the vitamins & minerals found in rice, including:1
- Vitamins A & E
- Zinc
- Fiber
- Manganese
- Magnesium
As mentioned earlier, this vitamin & mineral-infused water has been shown to provide hair with a handful of benefits; & while the efficacy of rice water is still undergoing tests, many people who’ve used it in their hair care routines have experienced:1
- Hydrated & smoother hair
- Improved hair strand strength
- Reduced friction in their tresses (a.k.a., diminished frizz & boosted smoothness)
- Increased rate of healthy hair growth
How to Make Rice Water at Home
If you’re interested in trying out rice water hair care, there are multiple ways you can create a rice water rinse at home. Feel free to try all three kinds to determine which hair care treatment works best for your curls & coils:1
- Option 1 – Soak your uncooked rice in a bowl of water for 30 minutes or longer. When it’s done soaking, drain the starchy water into a bowl or spray bottle.
- Option 2 – Boil water & rice in a pot until the water turns murky. Let the water cool & pour it into a container.
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Option 3 – Ferment the rice in water for up to 24 hours before draining the water to use as a hair rinse.
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How to Incorporate Rice Water Into Your Curly Hair Care Regimen
Ultimately, there are two ways to incorporate rice water into your at-home routine:
Use a Homemade Rice Water Mixture
If you’ve made your own rice water, here’s how to make the most of your concoction:
- Step 1 – Wash your hair & rinse out the shampoo.
- Step 2 – Dry your hair with a microfiber towel.
- Step 3 – Pour or spray the rice water into your hair.
- Step 4 – Massage it into your scalp & strands thoroughly.
- Step 5 – Cover with a shower cap & let sit for up to 20 minutes.
- – Rinse with warm water & apply our Medium Conditioner.
Apply a Product that Includes Rice Water
Of course, there’s a simpler (& more luxurious) option: Treat yourself to PATTERN’S Treatment Mask, which contains rice water ferment to help strengthen & soften your coils & curls. It smells as divine as it feels, & it aims to leave your hair feeling hydrated & silky smooth.
After washing, pamper your hair with the Treatment Mask using these simple steps:
- Step 1 – Detangle your hair with our Detangling Nectar.
- Step 2 – Apply the Treatment Mask while your hair is still wet.
- Step 3 – Let it sit for five to 10 minutes.
- Step 4 – Rinse in the shower & follow it up with our Intensive Conditioner for optimum hydration.
Give Your Hair the Treatment it Deserves with PATTERN
Homemade rice water for curly hair can provide a quick, environmentally-friendly way to hydrate a dry scalp & dead ends alongside smoothing & strengthening your hair. But if you’re not much of a cook (or if you just want to treat yourself to something a little more luxurious), you can always count on PATTERN for the curl-approved hair care products you’re looking for.
From our Ultimate Hydration Bundle that has the best products to hydrate & lock in moisture to our Wash Collection that is sure to nourish & restore, all of our products are designed to help you embrace & nourish your beautiful curls & coils.
Get started with PATTERN today.
Sources:
- "The Benefits of Using Rice Water on Your Hair." Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/the-benefits-of-using-rice-water-on-your-hair/
- Inamasu, S. et al. "The effect of rinse water obtained from the washing of rice (YU-SU-RU) as a hair treatment." Wiley Online Library. Abstracts. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1468-2494.2010.00605_3.x
