Is rice water the secret to thicker, longer and shinier hair?

You know the cloudy water that's left in the pot after soaking or cooking rice? Well, what if we told you that starchy liquid you're about to throw out might actually be the secret to longer, thicker and shinier hair? 

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Yep, rice water is actually an all-natural hair treatment that's been used for centuries within Asian cultures, and more recently, by Kim and Kourtney Kardashian. 

Image credit: @kourtneykardashian

Japanese women have previously attributed rice water as the secret to their floor-length, healthy hair, and it's even been linked to the Yao women in China, who tend not to go grey until their 80s.

Rice water has more recently shown up as a superhero ingredient when it comes to skin care, with Japanese luxury skincare brand, Tatcha, using rice water in one of their best sellers The Rice Polish: Classic ($104, Mecca).

However, the benefits to our hair health have flown a bit more under the radar... until now.

What are the benefits of rice water for hair?

• Stimulates hair growth 
• Strengthens hair 
• Natural detangler 
• Boosts shine 
• Smoothes hair 

What are the key ingredients in rice water?

• Magnesium (stimulates growth and health cell production)
• Folic acid (increases thickness and strengthens)
• Vitamin E 
• Selenium (strengthens and repairs)
• Antioxidants

Alright - convinced and ready to try? There are a couple of methods to which you can retrieve your rice water,  but we've decided to focus on soaking, as it's the easiest. However, boiling your rice will give you the same result. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup of organic rice 
• 2.5 - 3.5 cups of water 
• Bowl 
• Strainer 

Method

1. Rinse rice thoroughly 
2. Place rice in bowl and cover with water
3. Leave to soak for 30 minutes
4. Strain rice water into a clean bowl or vessel, ready to use
5. Take your rice water to the bathroom. Shampoo and rinse your hair, then pour the rice water over your hair. Leave to soak for up to 20 minutes and then rinse. No need to condition afterwards.

Main image credit: @negin_mirsalehi

Have you ever used rice water on your hair? Would you try this?