I am so excited to give you my thoughts on using the rice water rinse because of the amazing benefits I've been noticing so far. I added this to my hair regimen almost two months ago after stumbling upon an article about the Yao women of Huangluo Hongyao village in China, who use fermented rice water to aid hair growth and to keep their hair manageable and black well into their octogenarian years. You can read more about their interesting traditions here.
Although I was amazed that all these women had hair that touched the floor, I was honestly very skeptical. So I did more research on the benefits of using fermented rice water on the hair. Rice water has amazing benefits for both the hair and skin, full of antioxidants, minerals; and it is known to restore damaged hair, protect it from further damage and improves elasticity. But what rice water contains most importantly, is the carbohydrate Inositol, which has long-lasting effects on the hair even after rinsing.
Since I've been rinsing with rice water, I've noticed a huge difference in manageability and softness. Guys, my hair is so soft! And it no longer feels dry when I wear my hair in twists for the week. I've also recently noticed that the shine in my hair has been slowly restored. While everyone does their own rice water recipe differently, here's the recipe that I custom made for myself.
Now, I just don't use any old cheap rice that you pick up at the store. I chose to buy this organic brown rice from my local bulk store because I know that I'll be using it for my hair.
I don't want to use just any rice that may contain pesticides, but it may be more economical to use the cheaper kind if you're just using it for your hair. I typically start the process the day before wash day to allow the mixture to ferment. Some people may choose to let it ferment for two days but one day is good enough for me. I use probably a 3/4 cup of rice, which I give a proper rinse in a strainer before adding it to my 64 oz glass jar. Having a glass container is important because there will be some deep fermentation happening in there. Then I add about a cup and a half of water, screw on the lid and leave it in a dark corner for 24 hours.
This is what you'll end up with the following day.
Before I use the rice water on my hair, I strain the rice in an old strainer and add the water into a pot and allow it to boil.
Boiling the mixture stops the fermentation process. If you try this, expect your kitchen to smell like a wet dog. But you can add a few drops of essential oil into the water so that it doesn't smell too bad. Let the hot water cool either until it's warm or cooled completely.
I tend to use rice water to rinse out either deep conditioner or a protein treatment before the final cold water rinse. It is not advised to use rice water as a final rinse because it may leave behind a residue in your hair. I repeat the process twice by pouring the water on my hair, making sure that it lands in a bowl below my head to catch what is left. I massage my scalp for about a minute, pour the mixture over my hair one last time and massage for another minute before thoroughly rinsing my hair and scalp with cold water.
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I finally hit collarbone length! I should probably do an official length check soon. 😁 |
Pretty good post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts. Any way I'll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon. Big thanks for the useful info. Health
ReplyDeleteI admire what you have done here. I like the part where you say you are doing this to give back but I would assume by all the comments that this is working for you as well. koktale
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