I have very thin hair, due to overuse of a flat iron. I’ve been trying for years to grow it. I recently found a study that showed using rice water actually helps with the thickening of your hair and hair growth.

Women in Asia have used rice water as a hair treatment for centuries, and it worked wonders for them. Not only does it help with hair growth, it actually has health benefits, too.

What is rice water?

Rice water is the starchy water left over after rice is cooked or left to soak.

What are the benefits of rice water?

Rice water contains many of the vitamins and minerals contained in rice. These include:

• Amino Acids
• B Vitamins
• Vitamin E
• Minerals
• Antioxidants

What you will need:

• 1 cup of rice (any rice is fine)
• 1 cup of water
• A strainer
• A pot
• A spray bottle
• A mason jar or Tupperware jar

Steps to making rice water:

1. Firstly, rinse your rice in a bowl of water, to remove dirt.
2. Secondly, drain the dirty rice water out of the bowl.
3. Place your clean rice in a mason jar, if you don’t have a mason jar you can use any Tupperware as long as it is sealed.
4. Fill the jar with clean water.
5. Stir the rice in the water, seal it and then shake it.
6. Your rice water now needs to sit a day in the closet, at least 12 hours before use, this is to ferment it. When you ferment it, it will enhance the nutrients and it is thus more beneficial.
7. Keep in mind that leaving rice water to stand for hours will cause a stinky smell, so to avoid the smell you can add essential oils to your water, roses or rosemary or you can add orange peels. (This is optional to avoid the smell).
8. After waiting 12-24 hours, you can now pour the water into a separate spray bottle (if you don’t have a spray bottle, you can use a normal jug.

How to use the rice water on your hair:

Now that your rice water is ready to use, follow the simple steps on how to use it effectively:

1. Wash your hair with your choice of shampoo that you normally use.
2. Rinse your hair with clean lukewarm water.
3. Split your hair into sections.
4. Start spraying the fermented rice water onto your scalp and through your hair (if you’re not using a spray bottle, pour bits of water onto each section).
5. Massage the rice water into the hair and scalp.
6. Leave it on your hair for 20 minutes.
7. Rinse hair using lukewarm water.

And there you have it! Your own easy, home-made rice water recipe. You can use rice water on your hair every second week, don’t overdo it. Rice water has many benefits to growing hair, making it feel and look smooth and shiny. Try it out and let us know!

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