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The Ultimate Guide to Rice Water for Hair Care

Updated on March 27, 2026 | 3 min read

Jaclyn LaBadia, Davines Writer

Rice water is a natural hair care treatment that has become a hot topic online for its texture, strength, shine, and hair growth benefits. But what exactly is it, and how can you achieve a DIY rice water treatment at home? Since we aren’t the type to shy away from silky, luscious locks, we needed to know more, so here’s what we found out.

Key Takeaways

What to Know About Rice Water for Hair

Rice water contains nutrients that may support growth, shine, and overall hair health.
Making rice water for hair is a simple and affordable DIY hair treatment.
While a rice water treatment is generally safe, prolonged use can cause protein overload, leading to buildup, dryness, and frizz.
Your hair type determines if your hair is a good candidate for a rice water hair treatment.

Is It Good To Put Rice Water on Hair?

While the scientific community remains a mixed bag of believers and non-believers on the concrete benefits of rice water on hair, we do know for sure that rice water is chock full of a rainbow of nutrients—E and B vitamins, magnesium, zinc (particularly helpful when it comes to hair growth), antioxidants like inositol (nature’s hair rejuvenator), and more. So it seems reasonable to assume that this nutrient-rich, starchy water could be beneficial, replenishing important amino acids and nutrients healthy hair needs to make it smoother, longer, less knotty, and so on. Whether you’re adding it to your haircare routine as a quick rinse or a leave-in treatment, let’s discuss how to use it properly.

How Do You Use Rice Water for Hair Care?

Since rice is one of the (cheap) kitchen cupboard staples most of us already have, this ‘experiment,’ if you will, is a low-risk, low-cost one. Before applying rice water, gently cleanse your hair with shampoo to ensure it’s clean, and rinse as you normally would. Now it’s rice water time. Apply using a spray bottle, starting with the ends, and massaging the mixture into your scalp and roots. Make sure to thoroughly rinse out the rice water after 15 to 30 minutes with cold water. Too much of a good thing (in this case, rice water) can cause dryness or buildup if left on strands for too long.

How Do You Make Rice Water?

Making rice water is as simple as it sounds. There are three main ways: soaking, boiling, or fermenting the rice, and then straining out the water. Soaking and fermenting uses uncooked rice. Boiling requires simply making cooked rice with twice the amount of water you would normally use, and then straining out the excess water after the rice is cooked. Here’s the full how-to breakdown:

Research Your Rice

Given the wide variety of rice available, it helps to know a bit about them. For example, black rice is antioxidant-rich. Researching types of rice can help you match the rice to your hair’s needs.

Rinse the Rice

As you likely already know from cooking rice at home, certain types require rinsing. It’s best to start with a clean slate.

Soak the Rice

Next, allow the rice to soak in room-temperature water for up to 24 hours if you are making fermented rice water. A shorter soak is often more feasible, so between 30 minutes and two hours also works great.

Strain the Rice

After the rice has finished soaking, strain it into a clean bowl or container. That milky, starchy water that’s left behind is your hair magic potion: rice water.

Store the Rice Water

You can then funnel the rice water into a spray bottle and refrigerate it until you’re ready to treat your hair.

What Are the Benefits of Rice Water for Hair?

The benefits of rice water date back centuries, most commonly in Asian cultures. The Yao women of ancient China credit their hair’s strength, length, and color (i.e., lack of grey) to this traditional beauty treatment, while Japanese women living during the Heian period also swore by this secret. History aside, the trick has certainly caught on, and here are some of the top benefits we’ve uncovered—all of them related to improving the overall health and appearance of hair.

Promotes Hair Growth

Amino acids are crucial for supporting hair growth, so amino acid-rich rice water may do the same. Vitamin E and vitamin B can also strengthen the hair shaft, which in turn supports hair growth.

Conditions, Enhances, Smooths, and Adds Shine

Boring, dull strands? The starches in rice water may help hair look shinier, feel smoother, and have an overall healthier look.

Protects Against Damage

Just as protein is an important part of a healthy and balanced diet, it’s also crucial when it comes to hair health. The protein in rice water is believed to help improve the overall condition of hair, making it less susceptible to damage.

**Who Should Not Use Rice Water on Hair?**

While rice water is generally safe to use on hair, no two heads of hair are alike—what works for one person may not work for another. That said, there are some things to look out for, including the potential of residue buildup that can make your hair look dull. To avoid this, some doctors suggest using it only once per week (talk to yours if you are unsure). Here are a few other things to consider before making DIY rice water:

Adverse Reactions

Those with scalp conditions should use caution. If you’re dealing with inflammation, using rice water can further exacerbate symptoms. Sensitive scalps beware: not rinsing rice water from your hair and scalp thoroughly can also irritate. If you’re susceptible to these conditions, heed the warning.

Overuse

Too much of a good thing is most often… not a good thing. Since rice water is so nutrient-rich, overuse can cause damaging protein overload, leading to dryness, frizz, and brittle strands. That’s why many say that once a week, and no more, is your hair care happy place.

Hair Type

With rice water, or any hair care treatment for that matter, hair type comes into play. It may not be as effective for certain people due to their specific type of hair. For example, those with lower-porosity hair may not see great results because their hair is less likely to absorb the nutrients.

DIY Risks

As with many DIY beauty projects, understanding your goal and doing your research are crucial steps. Knowing that overuse can cause issues and that mild side effects are possible simply means rice water should be used thoughtfully and in moderation to support healthy hair. Luckily, a good clarifying shampoo can break down the extra protein if you do happen to overdo it. Plus, we’ve got other helpful tips to strengthen your hair if your DIY goes awry.

Don’t Want to DIY?

All in all, you don’t have much to lose by testing out the popular rice water method. So we say, give it a shot! However, we also know that DIY beauty concoctions aren’t for everyone. If you fall into that camp, there are lots of other protein-rich products and treatments, as well as alternative ways to strengthen your hair and keep it looking beautiful—without having to break into your cupboard.

Whatever you decide, we’re with you. Here’s to happy, healthy hair.