A while back I shared with you a blog post on how I make and use my rice hair rinse. I also compared the different ways to make rice water, from the raw rice grains, to rice flour and rice powder. Today, I’m going to be sharing the updated version of how I use rice water on my long thick straight hair. And to make it a little more interesting, I will be using it to clean my mid-back long thick hair that has not been washed for 1.5 years. 

Why I stop washing my hair for 1.5 years?

Though I’ve practiced the No-Poo Method for over 5 years, one variation always intrigued me: the “Sebum-Only Method.” This method believes that our hair can clean itself through natural sebum that coats, protects, and moisturizes hair strands. To take care of it, instead of washing my hair, I would comb it with a bamboo comb to distribute the sebum from hair roots along the hair strands. With this method I find that my hair, though generally oilier than most people, never becomes excessively oily. Actually, it is much less oily than when I used chemical shampoo to clean my hair before starting this No-Poo journey. Meanwhile, my hair became very soft and smooth. Living in a cold, dry climate also makes life easier since my hair doesn’t get dirty with sweat all the time. Plus, as long as my husband compliments my hair, I’m good!

As I was creating my previous blog post, comparing rice water made from different kinds of rice, I was left with a lot of leftover rice water. Knowing from the experiment that our Jasmine Rice Powder makes the cloudiest and most nutritious rice water, I decided to test it on my own unwashed hair to see how effective it is at removing excess sebum. 

Preparation

While rice water can be used directly on hair, I prefer the traditional method of fermenting it overnight. Fermentation allows natural rice yeast to turn the starch into acid and gas, creating active bubbles and a slightly sour smell, similar to soda. This acidic nature not only gives rice water special cleansing properties, it also introduces beneficial microbes that work together with your natural skin and scalp in forming a protective acid mantle, leaving your hair and skin healthy in the long run. 

Washing

Instead of pouring rice water on my wet hair, left it for a few minutes, and rinsed it off like I used to, this time, with longer hair, I used rice water directly on my dry hair. Because I want to see the direct effect of rice water on the sebum-coated hair. And here’s how I do it step-by-step.

1) To avoid wasting the rice water, I poured it into a big basin and dipped my dry hair right in it.

2) I massaged my hair in the water to make sure the water glides through all the hair strands evenly for 10-15 mins.

3) I would also scoop the rice water from the basin and pour it on the hair roots and scalp at the same time.

4) I then twisted the long hair, wrung it, and clipped it up for another 10-15 minutes.

5) After that, I removed the basin, unclipped my hair and gradually poured the leftover rice water and its sediments from the big basin onto my scalp.

6) I would rub the sediments into my scalp and hair roots, giving them both a little exfoliation. 

7) After 5 minutes, I rinse it off with water, making sure that all the rice sediments are properly washed away. 

8) I dried my hair with towel and let it air-dry.

Results

After washing my hair with rice water this time, the before-after difference is noticeable. The oiliness on my hair strands has disappeared. And each of them feels soft, smooth and clean. And after I brush it with my bamboo comb, my hair turns even shinier than usual. It’s like I was giving my hair a little treat and my hair loves it!  Even my husband mentioned that he sees the difference right away and doesn’t mention anything about its fermented scent. He said, it’s a natural smell. 

As I’m writing this, it has been a little over a week and my hair still feels clean, soft, and smooth. Besides, it’s so clean that there’s no reason to wash it anytime soon. I now understand why my ancestors swear by rice water for hair wash. This rice routine is by far my favorite of all the one I’ve tried. And I’ve tried using it in many ways (Just read my posts on rice water hair rinse).

My hair after washing with fermented rice water,

Now, if you are into natural hair care and have not tried the rice water hair rinse, you are missing out big time. And if you don’t live in a rice producing country or eat rice on a regular basis, I would highly recommend making your rice water with our Jasmine Rice Powder Mask instead of the usual rice. It is by far the most nutrient-rich rice water when compared with all the other kinds of rice that we have experimented with. Nothing can beat its freshness, free from chemicals, and natural aroma that comes with it! Besides, you can also use it as a face mask too! 

Highly recommend you to check it out, not because we are selling it, but because it’s sooooo really good!

And if you want to get close and intimate with us along our journey to live, learn, and grow with Mother Nature? Sign up to our newsletter for your little dose of natural living inspiration, farm living, and DIY beauty tips and you’ll get a code for free gift with your first purchase too! 

Until next time!