The Benefits of Rice Water on Natural Hair

Have you seen rice water tutorials popping up all over YouTube? Are some of your favorite brands releasing products with rice water? If so, you might be wondering, what is the origin of rice water being used for hair? In the village of Huang Luo in China, a group of Yao women have routinely used rice water to grow their hair to extremely long lengths.  After researching the Yao women, I no longer feel like I reserve the right to say "long hair don't care" anymore about my own hair....

In recent years, increasingly more brands are incorporating rice water into their products including cleansers, conditioners, scalp treatments, leave-in conditioners and stylers.  Some of my favorite products that include rice water are listed below. (I also listed products that I am currently testing to see if I like them or not.)

Favorite Products with Rice Water

Soultanticals Sprout Follicular Rice Tonic
Soultanicals Sprout-Rice Vitamin Butta Shampoo
Curls & Potions Chebe and Rice Water Rinse
Curls & Potions Growth and Restore Shampoo
Curls & Potions Deep Moisture Potion
Belle Bar Organic Rice Water Hair and Strength Masque

Products I am Currently Testing with Rice Water
Curls & Potions Blends Rice Water & Acai Pre-Cleanse Primer
Curls & Potions Blends Rice Water & Acai Magic Rinse
Curls & Potions Bamboo and Rice Water Deep Repair Masque
Curls & Potions Rice Milk Leave-In

Buying Tips

Am I saying that you need to buy all of the aforementioned products? No. Check out your stash and examine your needs. Maybe when you run out of your shampoo you try one of the aforementioned cleansers. Check these products out and see which if any you may like.  As for me and my house, the Curls and Potions Chebe and Rice Water Rinse, Belle Bar Organic Rice Water Hair and Strength Masque will ALWAYS be in my cabinet PERIODT!

1. Wait for a sale

All of the aforementioned brands periodically have sales.  Soultanicals is notorious for having sales ranging from 20-50% off throughout the year and especially on Black Friday.  Curls and Potions often has coupon codes/sales as high as 35% off.  Belle Bar Organic has sales between 15-20% off.


2.  Do your homework.  Read reviews on the website, Naturallycurly.com, and other natural hair forums. Also, check out YouTube videos. It can be helpful to see reviews from people who may have a similar hair texture or porosity to you.

3.  Don't overdo it.  While Luther did sing "never too much, never too much, never too much," it is possible to use too many strengthening products and to experience "protein overload." Rice has protein and is a strengthening product. While some people are able to use products with protein weekly, others use strengthening products more sparingly.  After some trial and error, I've learned how frequently my hair can tolerate strengthening products.  (I use the Belle Bar Organic Rice Water Masque 1-2x a month and I always add it to a moisturizing conditioner. Also, remember that there are other products in your cabinet that have strengthening ingredients like green tea, wheat protein etc. Be mindful of how frequently you incorporate products with protein into your hair routine. Maybe start with once every 4-6 weeks and see how your hair resopnds.

4. Examine where rice water shows up on the ingredient list.  When an ingredient shows up toward the end of the ingredient list, the product does not have as much of that ingredient within it.

5.  Consider saving your coins and making your own rice water. There are a plethora of videos but here is one from the incomparable @curlyproverbz.

Have you tried rice water? Did you have good results? Did you make your own rice water concoction? Comment below!