RICE WATER for hair Is Buzzy Right Now

It's not a miracle solution, but it's not total BS, either

- MELANIE RUD

ALONG WITH BEING AN EASY side dish and a convenient way to save a waterlogged iPhone, rice is now being touted as a standout hair care ingredient. According to proponents, rice water has the ability to make hair shinier, strengthen strands, and encourage hair growth, among other alleged benefits. Even celebs such as Kim Kardashian and Cardi B. have shouted out rice water as a hair care saviour. If you’re thinking that all these supposed rice water benefits sound too good to be true, we’re right there with you. That’s why SELF asked hair care experts to break down what’s behind the hype so you can determine if using rice water on your hair is a trend worth trying. Here’s what they had to say.

What is rice water, exactly?

Rice plus water equals rice water. Yes, it’s that simple. Rice water is the nutrient-rich water that’s leftover after rice has been soaked, Rick Wellman, a hair stylist and colour expert at the Salon Project in New York City, tells SELF. While using this liquid as a hair treatment has only recently become a viral TikTok trend, there’s actually nothing new about it. “Using rice water for hair is a centuries-old Japanese and Chinese practice,” Jeannette Graf, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Great Neck, New York, and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, tells SELF. Rice water has also long been used for beauty and hair treatment in Southeast Asian countries, including Korea and Thailand.

What are the potential benefits of using rice water as a hair treatment?