I am not a beauty blogger, and I have no desire to be. But multiple people have asked me to blog about my rice water rinse experience, so here it goes! Also, understand that there is no one-size-fits-all fix for hair growth. Some people find this process drying. Some people don’t see results. Everyone has to find a process that works for them! So this is just about my personal experience.
I went to get my hair trimmed and colored back in November, and my hairdresser noticed that I had a bunch of baby hair and how much my hair had grown out. Last September, I came across an Instagram post that talked about using rice water rinse for hair growth. I don’t care about length as much as thickness and volume. I have always had thin hair and very little of it. Once in college, I got a partial refund after getting a perm because they “only used ⅓ of the solution.” I have spent most of my life looking for ways to volumize my hair. So when I came across rice water rinse, I was very interested since I only use natural products in my hair. Besides, rice water doesn’t cost me anything since I cook rice at least once a week.
As usual, I did a lot of research and watched a lot of YouTube videos. So in October, I decided to give it a try… and of course, I always take before and after photos. The before photo was taken on October 10, 2020, and the after was taken on January 10, 2021 (exactly three months later). I even had a trim and color in November, but you can see new hair growth that I can’t seem to tame (since I don’t use hair styling products). I tried my best to line up the photos so you can see how much my hair has grown in three months.
Since I’ve done a lot of research, let me save you some time. The video that was most helpful to me is the one below. It’s about 10-minutes, and this method is the one that works best for me. However, feel free to google “rice water rinse” for other methods.
Few other things I have learned are:
- Fermented brown rice water smells the worst, but it seems to work best on my hair. When I use fermented brown rice water, it also untangles my hair, and it feels soft.
- I’m always looking for time-saving and easy ways. Therefore, I usually soak rice overnight and drain the rice water in a mason jar in the morning to let it ferment for about 12 hours, then I put it in a spray bottle and refrigerate it for use the next day.
- I don’t use commercial shampoo and conditioner. The video recommends co-wash, but I have used my homemade shampoo (ingredients differ all the time, but I have been using bentonite clay lately) and conditioner (usually ACV & water) before the rice water rinse.
- I usually don’t use up all the rice water. I leave some behind to use on my skin for sunspots and blemishes.
- This has been easier because I’ve been working from home during the pandemic, and I can rinse my hair 20-30 minutes after. I have wondered if I need to shower at night once life goes back to pre-covid.
Well, here it is folks! I’m always opting for a healthier lifestyle that doesn’t cost much and realistically doable without completely changing my routine. This was an easy one, so give it a try and let me know how it works for you! By the way, you can also use rice water to water your plants!
gloria s. lee 