Junk foods, excessive stress, and unhealthy lifestyle habits are not only affecting our bodies but our hair too. Exposure to dirt, unwashed hair, and other factors also contribute to hair damage. This is why most people are looking for an easy way out to improve their hair health and one of the trending practices is Rice water. It might be a simple and good hack but as per a few experts, it is not the perfect solution.
However, most influencers say that after soaking or cleaning rice, they should rinse their hair in starchy, murky water to help with hair development and restore any damage. Several videos tagging rice water are surfing all over the Internet.
Although rice water has garnered a lot of attention for hair health, individual uses and approaches tend to differ. On occasion, people leave the water to ferment, frequently adding citrus peels to cover up the smell. Some use the mixture daily, while others only use it once a month. In general, people are promoting the technique because they believe it will help lift the silkiness and shine. Dermatologists, however, are unsure.
75–80% of rice grains are made of starch. After soaking or cooking rice, the starchy water left over is called rice water.
Many of the vitamins and minerals found in rice are reportedly present in rice water. Among these are – Minerals, antioxidants, B vitamins, vitamin E, and amino acids.
Hair washing with rice water is a centuries-old Chinese and Japanese custom. It is believed that these antioxidants and minerals make your hair strong, increase shine, add more smoothness, grow longer, and detangle hair faster.
Top Benefits of Rice Water for Hair
Given that rice is high in carbohydrates, ladies who want to lose weight should avoid eating it. However, carbohydrates may benefit your hair! These are a few of the benefits of applying rice water to hair.
- The carbohydrate inositol present in the rice water can aid in hair damage restoration and therefore promote hair growth.
- Additionally, the pH level of it is quite similar to that of hair. In turn, this stops breakage and damage to hair.
- B and E vitamins, which are found in rice water, nourish hair and enhance its texture.
- It can ease irritation and lessen scalp redness. It may lessen dandruff and increase the suppleness of hair.
- Longer and healthier hair can result from its ability to fortify the hair roots and stop breaking.
How to Make Rice Water?
Rice water can be made in a variety of methods, such as
1. Soaking
The quickest method for making rice water is to soak it. All you require is ½ cup of raw rice, wash it well, put it in a bowl with two to three cups of water, and let it soak for half an hour. Then, pour the rice water into a fresh bowl.
2. Fermented vs. Plain Rice Water
Fermented rice water, according to some proponents, offers additional health advantages over regular rice water. A 2012 study found that materials that have undergone fermentation contain more antioxidants. Antioxidants are commonly found in beauty products because they may prevent harm to skin and hair cells.
The soaking method’s steps 1-4 should be followed to ferment rice water. Give the rice water a couple of days to ferment at room temperature before filtering. When ready to use, strain the rice water into a fresh bowl.
3. Boiling
Boiling the rice is another method for creating rice water. Use twice as much water as usual to cover ½ cup of rice. When ready to use, cook the rice in boiling water and pour the rice water into a fresh bowl.
Uses for Rice Water
You can use rice water in place of commercial conditioners. To carry out this, one ought to:
- Use shampoo to wash your hair
- Use tap water to thoroughly rinse.
- Use warm water from the faucet to completely rinse their hair after applying rice water to their hair and massaging it into their scalp and hair for up to 20 minutes.
Conclusion
A common traditional beauty therapy in many Asian cultures is rinsing hair with rice water. This complementary medicine for beauty has become well-known worldwide after gaining popularity on the internet.
Rice water is a popular hair treatment that many people find to be helpful. Anecdotal and historical data point to the possibility that rice water can enhance hair’s strength, texture, and growth. To demonstrate the advantages of using rice water, more research is required as the majority of scientific evidence regarding the treatment is equivocal.
However, many influencers recommend this practice for healthy and shiny hair.
It is safe to try at home and can even be applied to the skin, even if the benefits of rice water for hair are still unknown. It has been demonstrated to improve dermatitis patients’ skin health.
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