Rice Water – The Secret to Healthy and Longer Hair

Nowadays, more and more manufactures are running out of ideas on new innovative ingredients to make their products stand out over the rest of their competitors. First, back in the days, there were the “Olive Oil” craze, then there was the “Argan or Moroccan oil” boom. Then after that, as an industry, we have not found that “GOLD” ingredient that will take our industry by storm. So, until the next one, all we can do is to dab a bit into theories and ideas hoping to hit the jackpot.

These past couple of years, I’ve seen several major ingredients come across my desk. I’ve seen everything from hemp seed oils, CBD oils, grape seed oils to even flammable petroleum oils. But out of all these rare and sometimes strange ingredients, the one that stuck to my head was Rice Water.

Rice water has been around for decades. It is not a phenomenon or a secret that was found overnight. In many Asian regions, women rinsing their hair in rice water has always been a traditional beauty treatment. Asian women are known for their long beautiful, shiny, healthy hair, which can reach 6 feet in length and retain most of its natural hair color. Some credit the length, and the color of their hair is possible because they rinse their hair in rice water. So, it’s no wonder that this traditional beauty routine has been picked up by online beauty advice websites and product makers in recent years. The rice water trend is spreading fast and is now commonly used as a hair treatment by many individuals around the world.

So, what is good about Rice water? Rice water is from the starchy liquid that remains after the rice has been cooked or soaked. It is thought to make hair smoother and shinier. It also increases the speed of hair growth. Rice water for hair growth has been increasingly popular in recent years. Many people who embrace their natural 4c or coily hair say that it makes their hair grow longer and healthier.

Rice water’s purported benefits include promoting hair growth, protects and repairs hair, increases shine, makes hair smoother and stronger, also detangles the hair. Rice itself contains a mix of amino proteins, B vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals.

Hair comes in a variety of types, ranging from type 1 straight hair to type 4 coily hair. So, what exactly is 4c hair? Densely packed hair with strands that create delicate, tight coils is a subtype of type 4 hair. It might be extremely fine or quite coarse. Because type 4c hair is particularly delicate, it necessitates regular strengthening treatments with hydrolyzed protein. Proteins are broken down into amino acids as a result of this process. Rice water may be beneficial to type 4c hair because it contains amino proteins.

Any hair that hasn’t been chemically straightened, such as relaxers or texturizers, is considered natural. The same rationale about rice water being effective on hair applies to natural hair. Natural hair needs a delicate balance of moisture and protein to remain healthier, but it also requires hydrolyzed protein sources. Rice water covers the hair and decreases friction caused by natural hair being groomed and handled in general.

Rice water can be made in a variety of ways, none of which are complicated. It’s a matter of personal preference and whether you want to eat the rice as well. Soaking is the quickest way to make rice water. To use this method: take ½ cup of uncooked rice, rinse thoroughly, place rice in a bowl with 2–3 cups of water, leave to soak for 30 minutes, and strain the rice water into a clean bowl. Another way to make rice water is by boiling the rice. Cover ½ cup of rice with double the water typically used for cooking. Cook the rice in boiling water and strain the rice water into a clean bowl before use. One of the most significant disadvantages of rice water is that it has a strong odor, especially when fermented. To get around this, use a moisturizing cream that’s also infused with essential oils to cover up the odor. This also helps to alleviate some of the dryness.

Rice water can replace a commercial conditioner. To do this, a person should: wash hair with shampoo, rinse thoroughly with water from the tap, pour rice water onto their hair, massage the rice water into the hair and scalp, leave on for up to 20 minutes, rinse hair thoroughly using warm water from the tap.

While it can easily made at home, here are some of the products on the shelf already that use the Rice water in their ingredients that have tried to tap in on Market with this beauty tradition used my many Asian countries.

Mielle Rice Water Collection includes various products that have Rice water as their main ingredients.

1. Mielle Rice Water and Aloe Deep Conditioner 2. Mielle Rice Water and Aloe Braid Gel 3. Mielle Rice Water Split End Therapy 4. Mielle Rice Water Moisturizing Milk 5. Mielle Rice Water and Aloe Itch Relief

Another upcoming Brand that has been received well is the Rice Water Growth Oil by Ippy.

(left)Ippy Black Rice Powerful Growth Oil (right)Ippy White Rice Powerful Growth Oil

In our industry of beauty products, our success depends on who wins the race for the new innovation, the “NEXT” best thing. Sometimes that is easier said than done. It’s almost like the race to the moon. Whoever reaches the destination wins. Because our customers are so versatile like their hair, we can never satisfy with just one product or main set of products. We must come up with and stay with the changes of our society. Stores are running out of space and different needs from different consumers are growing. Until the Next miracle formula that takes our industry by storm, we have to continue to research and test out every possible ingredient until we hit the jackpot.