Rice Water Growth Challenge

7 Steps to Growing Gloriously Long Woolly Hair with Rice Water

by: Adira Zaniyah Israel

It seemed strange the first time I heard it. Rinse my hair with what? Something I eat every week? I had never even thought of that.

 Imagine my surprise when I discovered that rice water is an ancient remedy for growing thick long, gorgeous hair. Since I began wearing my hair natural last year, I’ve been using mostly natural hair care products. Many of them I’ve made myself in my own kitchen at home. I had realized that too many of the products on the shelves are packed with all kinds of chemicals and harmful additives that damage and dry out the hair. Discovering these conspicuous, damaging hair ingredients led to me researching and experimenting with various organic hair care options. I’ve been chatting with some of my lovely naturalista sisters and exchanging wonderful, hair care secrets for growing glorious, long woolly hair. I’m learning so much and it’s truly a pleasure to share my knowledge throughout our larger community.

Detangling Black Afro Hair with Rice Water Healthy hair appears shiny, moisturized and nourished. Rice water can provide an instant boost to your hair health and vitality. It also helps greatly in detangling your afro because rice water promotes elasticity of the hair. Rice water treatments soften the hair strands making it much easier for you to comb through your wool. A few of my sisters have personally asked me how to comb out tangles from tightly-coiled, woolly hair. One of the biggest secrets is to deep condition your hair first. Next, you can gently comb out the tangles while your hair is still wet and with the conditioner still in it. Wash all the conditioner out with water. Then you are ready to do your rice water hair rinse. Rice Water Rinse Benefits -More powerful and effective than a hair vitamin-Fast delivery of nutrients to the hair follicles-Promotes hair elasticity and growth-Grow thicker and fuller hair rapidly-Grow longer and stronger hair quickly-Immediate results can be seen on the first treatment I know that a lot of sisters may want to rock their natural locs but are hesitant because their hair is “too short.” Some are completely starting over after the “big chop.” Others are suffering from alopecia, extreme hair loss or edge thinning from weaves and braids. No matter the current condition of your hair, you can greatly benefit from natural rice water hair treatments. Grow out your wool with pride. Gain thick and shiny curls. Reclaim your full, healthy-looking hair edges. Good for all hair types, rice water promotes hair elasticity making your hair easier to detangle.

My Rice Water Rinse Results Of course, I had to try this out before I recommended it to my sisters. My results had me dancing around the house! I’m all the way thrilled with how bouncy, soft and healthy my hair is now. Just one treatment gave me jaw-dropping, beautiful black hair. The key to the rice water rinse is in the fermenting process. I wanted to jump right in and do the rice water rinse as soon as my sister told me about it. But, good things come to those who wait. So, I patiently prepped my rice water and got busy to pass the time. A whole twenty-four hours later, I was ready to give the rice water hair rinse a try. I shampooed my hair with a natural hair soap bar that I had already made. I conditioned my hair with my conditioner as usual. Then, I fully rinsed my hair with water. Next, I patted my hair dry with a towel. I placed my bowl of rice water inside my bathroom sink to keep everything neat. I leaned my head down and lowered my hair into the bowl of rice water until much of my hair was covered in rice water. I poured more rice water over my head so that my remaining hair was covered too. I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my shoulders to catch and absorb the excess dripping rice water. With my wide-tooth comb, I gently combed the tangles out of my hair starting from the ends and moving upward to the crown of my hair. Once my hair was tangle-free, I slipped on my plastic cap and kept it covered for an hour. I flipped on the TV, watched a show and munched on a snack while I was waiting. I kicked back and relaxed while the rice water worked its magic on my hair. Then it was time to check out my results.

I knew that I could either rinse out the rice water completely or keep it in as a leave-in treatment. I decided to keep the rice water in my hair. So I did not rinse it at all. I lifted off my plastic hair cap to have a look at my hair. I felt a beaming smile come across my face. I absolutely loved, Loved, LOVED how my hair looked!

My hair was shiny, soft as silk and it looked so healthy too. From then on, I was overjoyed to share this black hair care secret with my sisters. A bit of rice, water and time can work wonders on your natural hair.

 More Rice Water Rinse Benefits  Naturally contains numerous minerals and nutrients…  -Selenium helps hair to grow and it reduces dandruff-Magnesium, an essential element for the body, stimulates hair growth-Folic acid helps to thicken and strengthen hair-Niacin contains vitamin B3 and transforms dull, weak hair into healthy-looking hair

Recommended Ingredients for the Rice Water Hair Rinse

1 Cup of Organic Rice (any type)
1 Cup of Purified Water
Essential oil (for fragrance)
Large bowl
Strainer/Sieve
Bath towel
Plastic hair cap
Wide-tooth hair comb 

BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Gather all of your ingredients and tools together as you prep your rice water. Follow these seven steps to grow long, beautiful hair naturally. PURIFY THE WATER: Fill a cooking pot with tap water. Bring the water to a boil. Remove pot from heat. The water is now purified. Set the pot of water aside to cool. Pour one cup of purified water into the bowl. PREP RICE: Measure one cup of organic rice and pour into your strainer. Run tap water over the rice and rinse to wash out impurities from rice. Scoop the organic rice into your large bowl. FRAGRANCE: (Optional) Add a few drops of your chosen essential oil into your rice water. About 3-5 drops will do. You should be able to smell the essential oil aroma rather than the rice. If not, add in a few more drops of your scented oil. FERMENTATION: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a plate. Set aside bowl for between 4 hours up to 48 hours. The rice water MUST be allowed to rest and ferment for it be effective. The longer the mixture ferments, the better your results will be. You will know the rice water mix is ready to use when it smells a bit sour. 

WASH HAIR: Shampoo your hair with a sulfate-free shampoo. Condition your hair as normal. Wash out your conditioner completely with warm water. Towel dry your hair by patting it dry. Place towel nearby within arm’s reach.

 RICE WATER RINSE: Pour the rice water onto your hair so that all of your strands are covered. Standup and wrap the towel around your neck to catch all of the excess dripping rice water. Cover hair with a plastic cap. HAIR TREATMENT: Leave the rice water on your hair for 30-60 minutes. Allow plenty of time for your hair to soak up the rice water nutrients. Or you can keep the rice water on your hair as a leave-in treatment. Be sure to use a good moisturizer and then style your hair as usual. Growing your wool long and full is as easy as soaking it in rice water. You’ll have noticeably softer and healthier-looking hair from the very first treatment. Do at least one rice water rinse a week and get ready to grow your afro long and strong.