Using fermented rice water to promote hair growth and improve the overall health of your locks is the “newest” thousand-year-old treatment to take the world by storm.
Fermented rice water contains a ton of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and proteins, that are said to strengthen your hair and promote healthy growth, including powerhouses like magnesium, selenium, vitamin K, and the entire Vitamin B complex.
Fermented rice water can do wonders for your hair; however, there is one rather unpleasant downside.
Fermented rice water, like many other fermented products, gives off a pungent and somewhat disagreeable yeasty smell. This means that if you want to enjoy the fantastic natural benefits of rice water you must also deal with the odor.
For some, putting up with the smell of fermentation in your hair won’t be a challenge at all. But, if you are anything like me, the thought of having funky-smelling hair is unacceptable.
Luckily, there are a few tried and true methods of reducing the smell that rice-water leaves in your hair.
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How Do You Get The Smell Of Rice Water Out Of Your Hair?
When using fermented rice water in your hair, you can remove the smell by adding essential oils such as vanilla, lavender, peppermint, or lemongrass. You can also add some citrus fruit peels to your rice water to infuse their pleasant aroma.
A quick search online will yield dozens of home-brewed tricks for improving the health of your hair with edible products
Everything from eggs and coconut oil, to mayonnaise and honey, can be applied directly to your hair to provide it with a gamut of beneficial properties. The fermented rice water method, then, does not sound that far-fetched.
Is It True That Rice Water Is Good For Your Hair?
Here is a shortlist of some of the most pronounced benefits of soaking your hair with rice water.
- Promotes hair growth.
- Strengthen hair follicles.
- Moisturizes individual hair strands, as well as the scalp.
- Inhibits bacterial growth and reduces the probability of infections.
- Prevents the development of dandruff.
- Reduces itchiness.
- Adds shine to your hair.
- Adds vitality to your hair.
- Heals damaged hair.
- Repairs broken tips.
- Reduces friction.
- Increases elasticity.
Curly, wavy, or straight, individuals with all types of hair can use fermented rice water, regardless of how dry, brittle, or oily it is.
How To Make Fermented Rice Water For Your Hair
If you like what you’ve read so far, and would like to try your hand at using fermented rice water for your hair, you are in luck because the process is extremely easy.
Here is what you will need to make your very own batch of fermented rice water for your hair:
A half-cup of uncooked white rice. I recommend that you go with long-grain white rice for the best results. Other types of rice, such as brown rice or parboiled rice, are either too rich or too lacking in proteins and vitamins.
Two cups of distilled water.
Glass bottle or large mason jar.
That’s it. You don’t need anything else to make fermented rice water. And if you think the ingredient list is straightforward, wait till you learn how easy the process is to make it.
- The first step is to take your cup of rice and, using a sieve, rinse it thoroughly in clean running water.
- Once the rice has all been cleaned, pour it into your container.
- Now add your two cups of distilled water, and let it sit overnight to allow the fermentation process to work its magic.
- In the morning, simply strain the rice out of your fermented water, and, voila! You now have a fresh batch of fermented rice water for your hair.
- I recommend that you add an additional two cups of distilled water to dilute the solution and make it more manageable and reduce the acidic smells of fermentation.
So now that you have your rice water, what do you do?
How to Use Rice Water In Hair
You can use your fermented rice water in a few different ways to strengthen your hair and stimulate its growth. For example:
You can pour your rice water into a clean spray bottle and spray your hair directly with a mist of fermented rice water. Make sure to leave the rice water in your hair for at least 45 minutes to an hour before rinsing clean.
You could also add your rice water to any after-market hair mask or similar product. Simply substitute the liquid required by the mask in its instructions with equal parts of rice water.
If your hair mask does not require the addition of any liquid, you may still add a tablespoon of rice water to get its many benefits without altering the way the mask works.
Rinse your hair with rice water after shampooing, and follow up as you normally would with conditioner.
As long as you wash your hair with rice water on a consistent basis, you will reap the many benefits. Just remember to add some fragrant essential oils or fruit peels to reduce the strong fermented smell.