Lately, we’ve been asked if there are benefits to using rice water for hair and skin care. We’ve seen several before and after photos, but those pictures are often misleading.
Can rice water rinses prevent hair breakage?
Does rice water help your hair grow?
What are the benefits of using rice water for natural hair?
In short, rice water is the starchy water obtained by draining boiled rice.
To make your rice water, we recommend cooking rice in a pot of boiling water according to the cooking instructions on the package.
The starch from the rice is released into the water, creating hair milk made from rice water.
Remove the rice, and you’re done. This process creates what some people call “rice water hair milk.”
So, are there benefits to using rice water for hair growth, breakage, as a hair spray, or as a hair rinse?
There is a fair amount of anecdotal evidence claiming numerous benefits to using rice water, including before and after photos. Although, there isn’t much reliable scientific evidence.
Most beauty bloggers writing about this topic reference an article from the International Journal of Cosmetic Science. Although, I’m not sure that the article can be reliably used as a standalone source.
The article references hair care techniques from the Heian period. In Japanese history, the Heian period occurred during the years 794-1185.
Due to the age of the study, it’s unlikely that the study used modern scientific controls focused on an independent variable. Consequently, this study is most likely an anecdotal report, rather than an experiment conducted in a controlled test environment.
This particular article studied the effect of a hair rinse obtained from boiling rice and using the rice water as a hair treatment. The goal was to explore the history of hairstyles and hair care practices used by women in Japan.
For example, during the Heian time, many women combed their hair each day using Yu-Su-Ru (i.e., rice water). The thought was that rice water would reduce hair breakage and increase elasticity.
So, does rice water increase elasticity and reduced friction when you’re combing your hair?
The article from the International Journal of Cosmetic Science would lead you to believe that rice water can do these things. Although the article doesn’t mention that scientists conducted controlled experiments, it merely refers to practices of Japanese people from the Heian period.
So it’s likely that they’ve found some form of evidence, like written text from the Heian period.
So, does that mean that rice water is not useful for natural hair?
No, it just means that the practice of using rice water for hair growth and other beauty practices is only supported by anecdotal evidence. Said simply, it’s a cultural practice supported by word-of-mouth.
For example, you will find several women that claim castor oil encourages hair growth or regrowth of thinning hair edges.
The problem is there is no scientific evidence supporting this castor oil claim, so we can only use anecdotal evidence.
Anecdotes from Asia suggests a rice water hair rinse, including fermented rice water, gives the hair strength and elasticity. Since this can’t be proven, our guidance is that you can try if you’re interested, but it may or may not work for your hair.
It’s worth mentioning that rice water rinses aren’t an exclusive solution limited to those on the continent of Asia, even though the techniques were originated and were heavily used during the Heian period.
From the studies we have seen, all hair types are basically the same structurally, including African, European, and Asian hair types.
Although, there are differences between hair types. Some hair types are straight, wavy, curly or kinky. In general, all hair types have a common structure with the cortex surrounded by a cuticle layer.
Ultimately, whatever effects a rice water rinse has on one hair type, it’s likely to produce similar results on another hair type, including natural hair.
Lidd Dials says
Hi, do you know how the left over rice water should be stored and for how long? Thanks
Shawneequa says
One week in the refrigerator
Connie says
Will rice water work for white peoples hair
Wendy says
Did it work for your hair I am white to
Bernette says
I will like to know of products that will grow my 4a 4b and 4c natural hair
Alicia says
I have heard to store it in refrigerator for up to a week
Si'mantra says
Im a natural that has used rice water and yes the benefits are amazing and by reducing hair breakage and increase elasticity for me has allowed my hair to increase and I notice the growth, but you have balanc with moisture cause if the protein in the treatment can leave the hair dry and hard and moisture is a necessity.
niha says
my hair has become extremely dry after using it what can i do ?
Challais McDonald says
Deep Condition then follow up with Rice Water and rinse thoroughly.
Sarah says
can i use hair dryer to dry my hair after using rice water or I walk in the sun for it to dry naturally.
Ashley says
Test the porosity of your hair. If you have low porosity.. rice water or any protein treatments are not for you
Anonymous says
Protein treatment is also good for some low porosity hair like mine. Also we have different types of protein treatment. We have heavy protein, mild treatment and light protein. Our hair is made up of 95% protein and protein is important to the hair to strengthen and prevent breakage for those that are protein sensitive a light protein is preferable or the use of strengthenibgbteas and oils is also good.
Mona says
Is it necessary to wash your hair first
Shawneequa says
The Yao Chinese women use it as their shampoo so I would think yes, provided your hair isn’t filled with lots of hair product. I was mines first but i use hair gel, hair butter/ creams, and hair oil daily.
liz says
can the rice water be used daily
Cecilia says
Can I use rice water every single day please?
Yolanda says
It is not advised to use it daily because the protein can build up on your hair. Once a week is fine, definitely not every day.
M.Davis says
Considering how much arsenic is in rice and therefore in the water that will be used for the rinse I wonder if potentially poisoning yourself with such a carsongenic substance is worth quicker hair growth
Freda says
Arsenic in rice????? Why isn’t most of the population dead, considering the number of people that eat rice.
Mw says
After a week should I throw it out
Luz Y Ayende says
I had a boy cut hair style I started using the banana mask since August 2017 and my hair has grown.
1 Banana
2 tbsp. Castor oil
2 tbsp. Olive oil
2 tbsp. Coconut oil
2 tbsp. Honey
1/2 of Garlic
Mixed in a blender put all over your hair massage into scalp put a plastic cap leave on for 1 to 2 hour then wash off.
Beautinsuccess says
Oh yeah the garlic would definitely grow it using that.
Kari says
Wash out with shampoo or water also can I use conditioner afterwards too.
Clara Grayer says
I have. Even using rice water now for three months,I must say my hair has grown in fuller,thick in texture,my edges has changed a lot no longer thin,what so amazing is—my hair looks thicker
Nathalie Bermudez says
Was your hair thin to begin with?
Clara Grayer says
My hair has grown in the last four months thicker fuller no longer have thinner ages I was very skeptical but now my hair is much thicker and fuller than ever I am 68 years old and my hair is thicker shinier and now I’m I will start using the rice water twice a week it does work I wish I could send you a picture
Sakshi Sharma says
how you use it exactly
Barbara says
I rinse my hair twice a week with rice water since Jan 2018, I haven’t seen any growth.??????
Kathy says
I have used rice water in a pass and my hair fell out. I am bald on top and thinner. I discovered that I am protein sensitive and this treatment is not for everyone, and make sure that you rinse it out completely and do a deep conditioner after. People are telling you to leave it in and you don’t have to do a deep condition after, my advice is rinse out completely.
Joanna says
Yup rice water is not for everyone. My hair is thinning out as well, alot of breakage. I only used it twice and stopped completely after noticing the difference. Now trying to reverse the damage. People please dont believe everything you see especially since its not proven. Hope this helps.
Karen says
It is true that a person should NOT believe everything they see or hear, however this IS not the case. This is about what works for YOUR hair type. I CAN’T use many name brand store products on MY hair so I am open to home remedies. I’ve used rice water on my hair for a month now AND it works on MY hair type. Do what works for YOUR hair type. First do the work to find out what specifically works for your hair type. Whether store bought or home made. And be consistent with YOUR hair care regimen.
Litsy says
Actually in a video interview with a Yao woman, the Yao woman was constantly telling the host to wash it all out of her hair. That it’s not good to leave it in.
Zoey Johnson says
what kind of rice do you use? Also I’ve heard that boiling the rice takes out the natural minerals in it that help your hair grow. Is this true?
Lenora says
This is exactly what I have been trying to figure out, cant wait until someone answers your questions
Jane says
You can use different kinds of rice tbh
Brie says
When you make rice water you have to leave it overnight for 12 to 24 hours do not I repeat you do not boil the rice water because it takes out all the protein from the rice and it causes you to go bald and when it is the next day for you to go and wash your hair with the rice water use sulfate free shampoo and conditioner first cuz when you put the rice water before you wash your hair it will not help your hair grow and it will cause you to lose hair or get product build-up and make your hair become sensitive after you wash your hair with sulfate free shampoo and conditioner you add the rice water and leave it in your hair for 30 to 60 minutes and the longer you leave it in your hair you will see results from the rice water so I advise you to leave it in your hair for an hour but if you have sensitive hair just leave it for 30 minutes and when you leave it for that long put a shower cap on your hair even if its for 30 minutes you leave it in your hair still put a shower cap so nothing leaks out and when an hour passes by or when 30 minutes passes by take it off and go right back in the shower or sink however u wash your hair and wash all the rice water out your hair with shampoo and deep conditioner that doesn’t contain any sulfate in neither one of them and after you wash your hair with sulfate-free conditioner and shampoo you can go back to putting whatever moisturizer in your hair and style back in your hair you’re not supposed to use it every single day or every single week if you’re African-American you’re only supposed to use it twice a week if your Caucasian you’re supposed to use it twice a week or once a week and if you use it every single day it is going to build protein build-up and that’s not going to help your hair grow at all it will cause your hair to get thinner and get weaker that at the point your hair will start falling out and you will get baldall at sertain parts of your head so only use this twice a week for African American woman and twice or once a week for Caucasian woman so if you use this every single day and the doctors tell you that you have protein build-up it’s probably cuz you use this every single day or every single week and if your hair starts to fall out and you get a bald spot it’s probably because you use it way too much
Tezra says
My big sister recommended that I try biotin that product had my hair growing like miracle grow unfortunately I stop buying it .Now she told me about this rice rinse I am natural hair woman so I looking for anything that natural and keep my hair growing .I know in the summer my grown the fastest and I need to know what type of rice to use on my hair I use tea tree for my scalp my edges and coconut for my roots I use to use Jamaican black castor oil but my grocery store stop selling it so .That helps with hair growth too but it very heavy so I stop using it .So ultimately I want to know what the right rice to use for this growth .
Karen says
You should not use a protein on your hair more than once a week. There is also no reason to leave it longer than 15 min because the carbohydrate in it that benefits your hair only needs 15 min to penetrate, after that rinse it out. The beneficial parts of the rice water stay in your hairs after you rinse. You want to stop the build up in your hair by adding some shikaki powder or amla powder to your rice water or fermented rice water because those are natural clarifying herbs as well as conditioning. You can add both of you want to. If you have henna in your hair be careful not to use too much amla powder as it can darken the hennaed hair. On hair the hasn’t been colored with henna it won’t affect the color. You don’t need to shampoo your hair as rice has natural saponins it that cleanse your hair. Shikaki is also a gentle cleanser so washing with shampoo afterwards will just strip all the good stuff you just did. The shikaki/ rice water mixture is a shampoo/ conditioner/ tonic all in one. Using anything else after or before just dries your hair out too much. Remember! No silicones, parabens or sulfates in your hair will make a huge difference in your overall hair health and that in turn encourages hair growth.
Karen says
I forgot to say… everyone and everyone’s hair is different so experiment, you’ll be surprised that what works great for you may be terrible for someone else who seems to have hair exactly like yours. If you follow basic rules i.e. protein no more than once a week, no silicone or sulfates etc. then you’re doing yourself a favor already. Other things that help right away are silk pillow slips, natural bamboo pegged hair brushes and not putting your hair up in rubber bands (scrunchies and gentle hair holders are much less damaging) and only loosely pulling hair back will also help your hair tremendously.
Rebecca says
Hi i redond my hair so isit ok if i use this rice water on it? What will happen?
karen says
Hi Rebecca, I would ask your hair stylist about that one.
Rebecca says
Rebond sorry
Xyz says
What if we don’t rinse with plain water after washing with rice water?
karen says
Hi xyz, you can go without rinsing it’ll add more volume but if you’re just looking for the benefits of the rice water in terms of taking the advantage of the vitamins and the starches on your hair then you don’t need to leave it on longer than 15min and rinsing doesn’t matter because all the good stuff in the rice water won’t wash away once it has sat on your hair for 15min.
Rukia says
If you wash your hair with a shampoo with sulfate in it will it ruin the hair?
karen says
Hi Rukia, you should never use shampoo with sulfates in it it’s damaging to your hair, roots, and scalp and there’s no benefit to using sulfates. You also want to steer clear of any shampoo or conditioner with parabens (linked to breast cancer) or silicones. If you want the best hair you can get use herb powders mixed with water to wash and condition all in one mix and then use the rice water rinse at the end. You’ll have super shiny hair that will look like you doubled the thickness overnight. Good herbs to start with are shikaki, amla, aloe vera (powdered), rose petal powder. There are a ton more that are incredible for improving your hair growth hair fall, dandruff, itchy scalp, baldness, premature graying, split ends, brittle hair. That doesn’t even count all the skin benefits of these herbal powders. The list goes on and on. You’d find huge differences in the health of your hair while going 100% organic, chemical free, no binders, no fillers etc only pure dried and powdered plant.
Beautinsuccess says
I agree with Karen
Tina says
Hi Karen where would I find these herbs shikaki, amla, aloe vera (powdered), rose petal powder? Thank you
Farah says
I used rice water twice and it is leaving my hair very very dry, I shampoo and the use rice water and leave it for 5 mins and wash it out?I haven’t noticed any change growth wise but dryness issue? Any recommendations? Should I try fermented rice water? Or the dryness is an indicator, it is not suiting my hair?
Thanks
Mickey says
Rice water does make your hair dry and hard. You have to keep it moisturized with leave in conditioner and natural hair oils.
Nicki says
Drink alot of water. Wash hair with rice water twice a week. Apply castor oil on the hair ends and edges twice a week. Apply coconut oil twice a week. Moisturise once a week. Eat healthy and you good to go.
Marissa says
Apply coconut oil to where? Hair or Scalp? And what is your moisturize routine?
Anndrea Lawson says
I get my hair in box braids all the time do you think it will work if I do the rice water Everytime I take my braids down and my wash ?
ak says
There’s a village in China (Huangluo) where the women have hair up to 6ft long – they use rice water exclusively to wash their hair (no shampoo) and only rinse with cold water, no matter what the season.
Even in their 70’s and 80’s, there’s not a strand of grey hair between them.
Here’s at least one video link about them, but there are others (if I’m allowed to put it here, if not, just do a search in youtube for ‘China’s Village of Real-Life Rapunzels’).
KNK says
I am caucasian. Going on 40 but who’s counting. .. Hair is thin, straight/wavy/spiral curls in that order from top of my head to the nape of my neck, kind of chin length, partially grey, and it grows slowly since childhood. Baby hairs on the hairline to the widow’s peaks never grow longer than an inch. Cauc-fro when it’s humid. It white girl worst nightmare kind of hair. About 2 weeks ago I started using purple organic rice grown in the USA (amazon.com) soaked for 2 days, about 2x/week for about 1hr then rinsing. Organic because of the arsenic, purple figuring maybe there would be anti-brass properties, and USA to support USA farms. I’ll let you know in a few months how it goes for me. Kind of skeptical because of the dumpster fire hair I’m working with, but why not give it a whirl. More to follow. ..
ZBA says
I started using rice water on my permed/relaxed hair about 3 weeks ago and I’ve tried it just twice..my hair seems thicker now but anytime I use it,my hair seems hard…how come? Is it bad??