HOW TO MAKE A FERMENTED RICE WATER HAIR GROWTH TREATMENT

GIVE YOUR HAIR A NATURAL BOOST WITH THIS FERMENTED RICE WATER HAIR GROWTH TREATMENT! A SIMPLE DIY WILL HAVE YOU ON YOUR WAY TO HEALTHIER HAIR.

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Today I am excited to share a natural way to boost your hair’s health and promote healthy new growth. About a year ago, one of my dear friends asked me to share some hair care tips. I’ve done my fair share of experiments over the past year, but they didn’t all go according to plan. I won’t bore you with the details of the failed recipes, but just imagine hair breaking and falling out. No thanks! It was time to find something that worked well, and healed my damaged mane.

If you’re new to the world of DIY skincare, you may consider checking out this post where I explain 5 Easy, DIY skincare recipes for beginners.

All of those trials have led me to some new findings in the hair world, so let’s dive in!

WHAT IS FERMENTED RICE WATER?

At this point you’re probably thinking this DIY sounds disgusting, but just stick with me here for a few minutes. When boiling rice, have you ever noticed that the water gets white-ish? Essentially that’s rice water, the starchy liquid that is a result of rice sitting in water. Fermented rice water is the result of rice and water together in a vessel sealed at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours.

WHY IS FERMENTED RICE WATER BENEFICIAL FOR HAIR GROWTH?

Fermented rice water contains vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, amino acids and inositol which are all key components for luscious locks. Inositol penetrates into the hair to help repair and prevent damage. Amino acids are key, as fermented rice water contains many of the same amino acids that naturally occur in our own hair’s keratin. Just as a refresher, keratin is the stuff that our hair is made from.

Fermenting rice water allows for more of the nutrients to be pulled from the rice and into the water. Fermentation is optional, but very beneficial.

WHAT ARE THE OTHER BENEFITS OF THIS DIY RICE WATER HAIR TREATMENT?

We have already learned that fermented rice water treatments can heal and prevent hair damage. Interested to find out what else it can do?

• Increases hair shine
• Promotes healthy hair growth (especially with the essential oils used in this recipe)
• Strengthens hair, preventing damage
• Improves overall condition of hair
• Can be a detangling aide
• Helps to alleviate dandruff

In this recipe we are adding rosemary and mint essential oils. Rosemary is known for it’s abilities to promote hair growth. Mint helps to invigorate the scalp and hair follicles while also increasing circulation which can aide in hair growth.

WHAT TYPE OF RICE IS BEST TO MAKE A HAIR TREATMENT?

This was my first question when my co-worker first introduced me to the world of rice water hair treatments. With what feels like a million different types of rice in the world, what do I use?

Thankfully, just about any type can be used with the exception of instant rice. We love Jasmine rice and always have tons on hand, so that is what we use here at the farmhouse.

TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE RICE WATER HAIR GROWTH TREATMENT

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

• Rice
• Strainer
• Water
• Jar with lid
• Measuring Cup
• Spray Bottle (optional)
• Rosemary and Mint Essential Oils
• Printable Label

HOW TO MAKE A DIY FERMENTED RICE WATER HAIR TREATMENT

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To make a DIY fermented rice water hair treatment, start off by measuring one cup of uncooked rice. Place the rice into a strainer and give it a good rinse. Rinsing the rice will get rid of any impurities that we don’t want to put into our hair. Once the rice has been rinsed thoroughly, place it into a bowl or large jar. I like to use a wide-mouth Ball jar for rice water making. Add about 3 cups of water to the rinsed rice in the jar and shake well. Place the lid onto the jar and forget about the rice water for 12-24 hours to allow it to ferment.

Some rice water recipes recommending soaking the rice for about 30 minutes, then removing the rice and fermenting the water only. I personally ferment the rice with the water to extract as many nutrients as possible from the rice.

After 12-24 hours, remove the lid to the jar. Rice water has a unique odor, which is actually a little stinky. Strain the fermented rice water and put into a large bowl or back into the jar. Discard the soaked rice, or throw it into the compost bin.

Add about 10-15 drops of rosemary essential oil and 5-10 drops of mint. Be sure to stir or shake well. The rosemary and mint essential oils not only promote healthy hair growth, but they mask the smell of the rice water too!

Now the mixture is good to go!

PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD

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HOW TO USE A RICE WATER HAIR GROWTH TREATMENT RECIPE

Rice water hair treatments should be used once to twice weekly, but ideal usage will vary from person to person. It should not be used daily and you may need to experiment to see how often works best for your hair. After your normal shower and shampoo routine, apply rice water to the hair and scalp until dripping wet. Some prefer to use a spray bottle for application. For folks with very thick hair like myself, use the bowl method! Pour about half of the rice water mixture into a large mixing bowl. Dunk hair into the rice water and then pour the remaining rice water through hair being sure to get it onto the scalp. If possible, it is beneficial to massage this into the scalp as well.

Allow the rice water hair growth treatment to remain in the hair for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour or so. I have left this treatment in my hair for two hours at a time without any issues. It should be noted that the peppermint essential oils will make the solution feel tingly on the scalp. If the tingling is uncomfortable, scale back and only use a couple of drops of peppermint. Do not use if irritation occurs.

STORAGE OF FERMENTED RICE WATER

After making a big batch of DIY fermented rice water hair treatment, seal up any excess rice water that won’t be used the same day and put it into the fridge. Rice water can remain sealed in the fridge for one week. This recipe makes for a large batch, which is two uses for my hair. So I ferment rice water once per week here at the farmhouse and have plenty to use for my twice-weekly treatments.

 

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Thanks for visiting the Simply Rooted Farmhouse today! We love everything handmade, and hope that today’s post inspired you to create something for yourself or for someone you love.

Until next time!