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Rice water
Rice water is the starchy water left after soaking or boiling rice, a free and harmless rinse with no clinical hair study behind its growth claims.
Cosmetic ingredient
Cost free
Safety: minor
What it is
Rice water is starch-rich water, used raw, boiled or fermented, and said to come from long-haired traditions in Asia. It is usually rinsed through the hair for a few minutes.
What the studies show
- A search of the medical literature for rice water with hair found no hair trial. The only hair-related item is a cross-sectional analysis of TikTok videos about rice water, which documents its popularity but not any effect.
- A rice-bran extract appears in a herbal review of hair-loss remedies, but rice bran extract is not rice water.
Side effects and safety
Rice water is low risk. Fermented rice water can grow microbes and smell, so discard it after a day or two. Starch plus protein can make some hair stiff or tangly. Wash it off thoroughly, and do not substitute it for treatment.
Bottom line
Marketing claims only. It is free and fine to try as a rinse, and any softness is probably the starch film. Hair-loss claims are unsupported.
Studies 0
No studies are listed for this page yet.