Most times the little things are what we tend to overlook —
especially when it comes to beauty. We’re drawn to the glitz, the glam, and the
clever marketing materials. But what if I tell you there’s an amazing beauty
product sitting in your cupboard right now?
Using rice water to strengthen and beautify hair isn’t strange.
It dates back to the ancient Heian period in
Japan, when court ladies were known to have beautiful, long hair that draped to
the floor. Their secret was rice water.
Fascinated by this hair treatment, scientists and beauty lovers
alike have tried to find out if rice water can really beautify and strengthen
hair. Studies have found that inositol, an ingredient found in rice water,
is able to penetrate damaged hair and repair it from the inside out. It even
protects hair from future damage.
One of the best parts about this beauty product is that it’s so
easy to make. All you need is rice and water. The “hardest” part of this beauty
trend is actually remembering to take the rice water into your shower, and
evenly applying it to your hair. But don’t worry, I figured out a great method
you can try.
How to use rice water on your hair
What you need:
·
1 cup rice
·
1 cup water
How to make it:
1. Rinse and strain your rice to remove any dirt
or impurities that you don’t want to apply to your hair.
2. Mix the strained rice in a medium-sized bowl
with the water. You should mix until the water becomes pretty cloudy.
3. Strain the rice, this time reserving the
water. Store the rice for later, or cook it up!
4. Put the rice water in a plastic container and
cover it. Let the rice water sit at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. This
allows it to ferment and all of the yummy vitamins and minerals to come out.
Tip: Don’t let it sit for over 24 hours. I let my first batch of rice water sit
for two days (I had forgotten to take it into the shower with me), and it went
bad.
5. Refrigerate the rice water until you’re ready
to use it.
6. Fill a small container, like a travel-sized
shampoo bottle or a small jar, with rice water for application. Keep the rest
in your fridge.
7. It’s
not easy to blindly dump rice water out of a big container and onto your hair
(I know, I tried it). Just don’t forget to take the small container out of the
shower and back to the fridge when you’re done!
8. The
rice water should keep in the fridge for up to a week, so you have plenty of
time to reap the awesome hair benefits.
How
to use it:
You
won’t need to change your washing schedule around your rice water rinse —
simply use it after shampooing and conditioning, whether that’s once a day or
once a week.
When
applying the rice water, try to really focus in on your scalp and work your way
out. Let it sit for two to five minutes, and then rinse. You’ll probably notice
immediately how strong and thick your hair feels.
The results
Here’s
my experience using a rice water rinse.
After
one minute: My hair already felt different. It seemed to have some sort of
outer coating, or a thin shell, around each strand, protecting my hair as I
brushed through it. Usually my hair is breaking as I work my detangling brush
through my hair. But this time, my hair held its own.
After
one day: The morning after my first rice water rinse, my best friend told me
that my hair looked brighter and blonder.
After
one week (approximately four washes): My hair felt thicker, fuller, and more
manageable. I experimented with blow-drying my hair, which I NEVER do because
of the instant broken flyaways that usually frame my head immediately
afterwards.
This
time? Little to no noticeable breakage. My hair was still extremely soft, but
not in a feathery, light way — in a fuller and more noticeable way, like I had
developed a partial mane. I wore my hair half up in a bun with a regular
ponytail holder (I usually always need to use scrunchies to prevent breakage,
no exceptions), and effortlessly pulled it out, letting my hair fall as if it
had never been pulled up.
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