How To Make Rice Water For Stronger Hair & Growth

Hair rinses tend to fall into that category. There are several types of hair rinses out there—some branded as clarifying products, others hydrating ones. In the case of rice water rinse, hair growth and strength are the top benefits reported. For what it's worth, we did an explainer on the benefits of hair rinses here, if you want more information. But if you just want a thorough tutorial—complete with tips, tricks, and add-ons, you've come to the right place. 

All the tools you need—plus a few optional:

Creating your hair-helping is pretty low lift, trust us. 

For a more thorough walk-through, we broke it down for you: 

As I noted earlier, we have a full explainer on rice water benefits for the hair, but for a quick rundown here are our favorite benefits:

Rice water contains antioxidants, minerals, and amino acids. The antioxidants are a vital part of hair health, as they neutralize free radicals, which can cause major stress to strands. Minerals can strengthen the hair. And amino acids can help build the hair back up, as it's made primarily of the protein keratin (keratin is made of several amino acids, including proline, alanine, leucine, arginine, and cysteine). It's also rich in an active called inositol, which studies have shown helps mend and repair hair1. 

Thanks to the starch, the water can form a thin yet protective layer around the hair: keeping strands safe from wear and tear. "Rice water is rich in starch, which forms the surface of the hair shaft," says Zeichner. "This adds strength, enhances hydration, and minimizes the appearance of split ends."

Not related to the water but a tangential benefit if you apply the rinse right: Scalp massages are hugely beneficial for hair health—with studies even showing that they do contribute to increased volume of the hair2 over time. 

The most famous benefit from rice water is hair growth. See, for ages and throughout many cultures, it has been used as a holistic treatment to encourage length. At the moment, no formal research has been done on this claim—but anecdotal evidence abounds. Regardless, it checks out: Anything that helps the health of the strand can theoretically help the hair grow longer. With less friction, breakage, and stress comes longer and more lush hair, no? 

On a rinse kick? Well, rice water isn't the only option available. Check out some other popular rinses you can try, plus their benefits. 

This wellness industry darling can be blended into a hair rinse to increase shine and reduce frizz. It all comes down to pH. The hair's pH is very important, as an unbalanced hair and scalp can cause irritation, dryness, dullness, and frizziness. Your hair and scalp hover around 5.5 normally (studies even show that when your hair products are at or below 5.5 pH, it can reduce damage and frizz3). Since water is a neutral pH and most shampoos are alkaline, simply taking a shower changes the pH of your hair. So rinsing your hair with diluted apple cider vinegar post-shower can bring down that pH, improving the appearance in the process. There's also some evidence that it can help with dandruff. Check out our full apple cider vinegar hair rinse tutorial here. 

Tea is full of antioxidants and caffeine, making it a star ingredient for the scalp. Caffeine has been shown to have hair-growth properties when used, typically, on the scalp. In fact, one 2018 study shows that a caffeine-based liquid topical can be just as effective as Minoxidil4, active in brands like Rogaine and the traditional topical treatment for hair loss. For more info on making a green tea rinse, see our guide. 

While not as pigmented and potent as traditional toning products (like purple or blue conditioners), botanical toners can help you in a pinch. To find one that can help enhance your hair color, a color wheel is your friend. Simply identify the undertone you want to color correct, and use the opposite color to cancel it out. For yellow tones, use purple; for orange, use blue. Then find a like-colored botanical to help. Don't worry, we did the work for you: Here's our guide to natural toners. 

Rice waters are a super easy at-home routine you can effortlessly add to your weekly lineup. While limited research has been done on the rinse, tons of anecdotal evidence suggests it may help you achieve your hair growth goals.