The Magical Potion for Thickening Your Hair Organically
By: Swati Suman
Tags: Hair, Lifestyle, Health, Hair Care, Organic

History of Rice Water

The rice water owes its existence since traditional times.

By definition, rice water is the starchy water left over after rice is cooked or left to soak. In short, either the leftover boiled water or the fermented one. It is thought to make the hair smooth and shiny, supplement healthy nutrition, and promote hair growth. Rice water enthusiasts agree to the same. They believe that rice water detangles their hair, provides with necessary nutrition, makes hair smoother and shinier, and provides healthy functioning.

If the history of its existence has to be covered —

The trichologist Bridgette Hill is of the view, “The use of rice water is an anecdotal but long-living beauty ritual in ancient Asian culture.”

For centuries, Asian women have used this water to enhance their beauty and hair growth. According to researchers, women in the Heian period (794 to 1185 CE) in Japan had floor length-hair and they kept them healthy by bathing it in rice water. This now has hit the mainstream popularity, in treating hair losses and remove skin dampening which has become a cause of worry.

Nevertheless, I kept ignoring this aspect until a long gap of years for other responsibilities of life weighed me down to even have given a thought about it. Ever faced such a similar situation? These are the modern-day issues that we all remain grappled into. And witnessing someone else’s bright shiny hair makes us envy about — Why not me?

A modern-day equivalent of using rice water can be found in China. The Yao women over there are acknowledged for having hair that averages 6 feet long. In addition to its incredible length, the Yao women’s hair is said to keep its colour for longer. Reason — They do not begin to get grey hair until they reach their 80s. They rightly credit this aspect to the rice water conditioning which is practised as part of maintaining healthy hair.

Any Science-Backed pieces of Evidence?

The real-life based question is — Does rice water work for everyone? Does it really promote hair growth?

After all, we live in a generation, where traditional backed practices also require scientific-based proofs. Isn’t it? We all tend towards opting safer sides. In the end, none wants to expose themselves — to the risks bearing side effects that might occur if not taken precautionary measures.

According to health experts, rice water is filled with nutrients like —

Amino acids

Inositol (which helps strengthen hair)

Several vitamins like B and E, antioxidants, and minerals.

So, theoretically, it sums up in contributing some topical benefits to your hair.

However, here’s the twist! While something might work for one person isn’t a clear indication of it working well for the other. Depending upon the person’s genetics, hair type, dietary patterns, hairstyling habits, lifestyles remain the other factors that need to be thought upon. Hence, the use of rice water in daily beauty regimes just marks up as a cultural practice where the supported evidence varies accordingly.

However, few of the studies from 2010, the authors noted that rice water may reduce surface friction and increase hair elasticity. It is just historically driven and lacks unsupported conclusions. Hence, according to experts, there is no reliable scientific-based evidence that rice water promotes hair growth.

To my experience, I can name it as — experienced-based practice.

Mostly like, if you don’t try it you would barely know if it works in your favour or against. Similarly, like the products which make your way through the — trials-apply-keep/discard approach.

My Experience Through Its Application

The concept of Rice water was barely a known topic to my ears until one of my friends suggested it. She after witnessing a positive transformation believed in sharing it with me. After all, Sharing is Caring! Isn’t it? Ahead, the chain follows.

There are certainly many ways to make the rice water and then apply it.

Image by moritz320 from Pixabay

I chose the one which was less time consuming and seemed to be the quickest way of making it. The method named — Soaking.

In this method, one just rinses the rice clean and then add cups of water into it. Keeping it for a certain time duration of 30 minutes to an hour, one can strain the rice and apply the water part.

You can either opt for trying this method or others like — Boiling or Fermenting (the rice water which has left to be fermented and has slightly gone sour). Many people believe in opting for the fermenting method because it has enhanced benefits. Besides being rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, the fermented rice water has traces of pitera (produced during the fermentation process) — a substance that is highly popular because of its anti-aging property, for its cell regeneration and renewal.

However, I still opted for the former one. Also, the idea of fermentation didn’t land in my favour. Contrarily, my friend version was in favour of applying the fermented rice water. Seriously, these beauty secrets seem to have been a debatable concept. I mean it never ends. It’s like every mouth speaking their versions. Also, it’s evenly fair. For we are genetically different beings. Our DNA embedded though might have similar functioning, however, it’s bodily adjustment varies accordingly to individuals.

Solution — Trying yourself with the rice water therapy will give you the best result. Also, individual side effects can be monitored.

Must say, you will, later on, add on your versions to the existing ones thereby adding to the trends.

My experience fairly landed a better place. Rice water followed by the method of soaking did ring its positive alarm in my lifestyle. Far better than the chemically driven products which make the hair feel lifeless, frizzy, and leaves you confused about its authenticity, durability, and its credibility in addition to the hefty sum of the amounts invested.

You keep on investing right from buying the product, then conditioner, then hair masks, and hence follows the series. Its more of like, keeping healthy hair becomes a tedious task, and one day you finally get pissed and wave your hands off it. Similar to a condition that I faced a certain time ago.

Potential Benefits Observed

First and foremost, deriving from my experiences, rice water is an easy approach to maintaining healthy hair. Also, it’s cost-effective and eco-friendly too.

Being rich in minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, rice water detangles the hair, keeps your hair oxygenated, opposes hair fall and frizziness, increases the tensile strength, elasticity thereby making it stronger and promotes hair growth.

Not only does it work wonders for healthy hair, but it can also be applied as a face mask. It acts as a great substitute for reducing the pores in the skin and let your skin breathe. In short, it acts as a body detoxification cleanser.

Note — While keeping the positives in the mind, precautionary aspects should also be looked upon as well. Unlike everything else. Like in what quantity applied, the method opted, and whether or not it suits your scalp conditions.

From centuries till today, people have landed on positive results on rice water applications. However, as stated earlier, because of the different inbuilt traits of an individual, the environment they live in, the climatic conditions, certain lifestyle habits may bring about a differentiation. For certain few, symptoms of dryness, excess of protein overloaded on the hair cuticle, hair breakage has seemed to occur. But that’s how every individual, his genetic conditioning, his environment of survival costs to such a positive remedy.

To try and test can be the best hack to an individual in identifying the benefits of the customary ritual of rice water. I tried. You can too. Give a thought.