Hair Therapy for Afro-Caribbean Hair: The Rice water Remedy
I have always been skeptical of changing my hair care routine and using “this treatment” or “that treatment” to fix the multiple problems that my hair faces. Partly because they just don’t work for me!
I have coarse, fine hair that was going through a lot of breakage around the back of my scalp and wasn’t as thick or as long as I wanted it to be. I had lost all hope and kept researching how to fix my hair problems but to no avail.
I realised that the routine I was using for my hair was doing nothing but keeping it clean and wasn’t getting to the roots of my problems.
I’m not going to lie, my hair care routine was pretty basic. It literally consisted of any hair strengthening shampoo and conditioner that smelled good. Then the occasional hair masque every now and then with my daily hair cream routine to moisturise my scalp so that it wasn’t dry.
None of the products I used was targeting any of my issues and one day I just had enough of the state of my hair.
Unsplash
I thought to myself that maybe I should try a natural remedy as this was the one thing I had not tried and was all the craze on YouTube. That is when I stumbled upon the idea of using rice water for hair growth and reparation.
Even though this article is aimed at women who have Afro-Caribbean hair, this hair hack can be used on literally any hair type!
Rice water is the water left over after rice is cooked or left to soak. It looks like a milky liquid and is full of starch, minerals, and vitamins. Women in China, Japan and Southeast Asia have been using rice water as a hair treatment for centuries but since I have tried and tested this method on my own hair, I thought to share my own experience with others who have a similar hair type to myself.
Rice water, as a deep conditioning treatment, repairs your hair, strengthens it, and enhances its elasticity. It contains a wide range of nutrients, including vitamins B, C, and E, which further help in hair growth. It also contains inositol which is a carbohydrate that helps strengthen elasticity and reduce surface friction.
Unsplash
Ever since I came across this remedy, I have added it into my hair wash routine fortnightly and have stuck to it religiously! There are many ways to use rice water but I’ll be sharing with you the method that I like to use and that works for me.
With that being said… I can’t stress enough the fact that you should not overuse this rice water technique on Afro-Caribbean hair!
Over usage of this treatment can work against you and dry out your hair, if your hair isn’t really struggling with lack of protein! My hair lacks protein but is pretty full of moisture so to create a balance I carry out this technique 2 times a month with 2-week breaks in between. If your hair has a lack of moisture rather than protein, I’d still recommend using rice water perhaps only once a month.
Fermented Rice Water Method
This is the method I prefer to use, mainly because I just feel that it is a deeper treatment and find that the longer I leave the rice water to ferment, the better the results.
Put 2 parts rice and 3 parts water in a small bowl or container and mix together. (wash the rice first to get rid of any impurities)
(OPTIONAL) Add oil of your choice, to decrease the smell of fermentation and make your hair softer. Then mix again. Personally, I use coconut oil because it is so rich in vitamins and I like the smell! But I’ve heard of many people using rosemary oil or olive oil instead.
Leave in a cool, dark place for 12-24 hours. It is recommended to leave the rice in water up to a day for the best results.
Sieve out the rice and the water left behind should look cloudy/milky. Keep this water in a reusable bottle or container as this is what you will be needing!
Wash your hair with your regular shampoo and conditioner. I tend to use shampoos and conditioners that target moisture which I find in my local beauty/hair shop.
After conditioning your hair, pour the rice water all over your hair working it in with your fingers or a comb from the roots to the tips of your hair.
Leave in for 30 minutes to an hour and then rinse out the rice water just with normal water.
Dry and style your hair as normal and you shall start to see results over the weeks! The more you keep to this routine, the more results you will see.
Help us keep the City Girl Network running by supporting us via Patreon for the price of a cheap cup of coffee- just £2 a month. For £3 a month you can also get yourself a Patreon exclusive 10% off any of our ticketed events! You can also support us by following us on Instagram, and by joining our City Girl Network (city-wide!) Facebook group.
Written by Madihah Rahman