Hello my curly girls! If your strands are looking limp and lacklustre, you may want to try a rice water rinse. Rice water rinses are very popular among curly girls because they’re easy to use, inexpensive, and so beneficial for curly hair. In this post, you’ll learn about the history, benefits, and best methods for doing a rice water rinse.

Here’s everything you need to know about the rice water rinse.

History of Rice Water Rinse

One thousand miles from Beijing, in the heart of China, there is a village of women who are famous for their long locks. Many of the local women only cut their hair once in a lifetime, when they are 18 years old. After that, they grow their hair until it is long and luxurious, often reaching their feet. Despite its incredible length, their hair is healthy and lustrous, and it often stays inky black until they are quite old. What is the secret of these gorgeous locks? They wash their hair in a specially formulated rice water rinse. This technique was also used by Japanese court ladies during the Heian Period to nourish their floor-length hair. 

More recently, curly girls have started to incorporate this age-old practice into their hair routine, with striking results. Using a very simple rice water treatment, their curls have received a number of amazing benefits. Here are some common benefits of this technique.

Benefits of Rice Water Rinse

Gives more manageability

Provides more shine, softness, and curl definition

Reduces surface tension and friction

Protects hair from damage

Stimulates more blood flow to scalp 

Repairs damaged hair from the inside

Adds volume

Reduces hair loss

Strengthens and thickens each strand with amino acids (protein)

Relieves itchy, irritated scalp

Continues to repair damage even after one use

Increases elasticity and bounce

How the Rice Water Rinse Works

The most important ingredient in a rice water rinse is inositol. It’s a carbohydrate that occurs naturally in many plant and animal foods. Often used a supplement to treat health conditions like PCOS, inositol can penetrate the hair shaft. There, it repairs and strengthens damage on the inside. It will remain in the hair strand even after washing and styling and continue to strengthen it. According to Verna of The Mestiza Muse, it also reduces friction and makes your hair more elastic. 

In addition, rice water contains amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. When you use a rice water rinse, your hair can absorb these amino acids to rebuild damaged hair. It will also strengthen your curls, smooth the cuticle, and add shine. It’s a fantastic protein treatment for curly hair.

The Recipe

There are 3 basic ways to make it: soaking, boiling, or fermenting. Today, we’ll discuss the easiest method—boiling your rice. 

You will need 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of rice (depending on how much hair you have). First, rinse the rice under running water. Place it into a pot with double the amount of water. Then, boil until the water looks cloudy. Strain the water through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl, and allow it to cool.

The Method

Once the rice water has cooled, you can apply it to clean, wet hair (after shampooing). Dip your hair into the bowl, and then pull it out, still holding it over the bowl. Gently squish the water up into your curls to encourage absorption. Repeat this several times until you run out of rice water or your curls feel saturated.

Next, you can rinse your curls either immediately or after waiting 5-10 minutes. Don’t leave the rice water on for too long as it can be drying. Once you have more experience, you can leave it on for up to an hour.

Apply your favourite deep conditioner or regular conditioner and continue your hair routine. 

How often should you use a rice water rinse?

This treatment is considered a protein treatment because it provides lots of accessible protein for your hair. So it depends on your hair porosity and how much protein your hair needs right now. As a general rule of thumb, low porosity hair does not need protein as often, while high porosity hair responds well to regular protein treatments.

If your strands feel soft and frizzy and don’t hold a curl well for long, you may need a protein treatment. And the rice water rinse is a great one to try first, because it is easy to do.

Start by doing a rice water rinse once every 1-2 weeks, and see how your hair responds. If your hair tends to be sensitive to protein, test a small area first to see how it responds. Learn to know what your hair needs by trial and error. 

Let’s Chat:

Have you tried a rice water rinse before? Rice water rinses are easy, affordable, and provide so many amazing benefits for your curls. If you haven’t tried one before, just go for it! 

love,

Claudine

For more curly hair posts, read this post: How to Get Naturally Curly Hair Back.