Fermented rice water provides a near-perfect, if not perfect, ingredient for faster hair growth because of it is choking full of nutrients including vitamin B, vitamin E, trace yeast, and inositol.

Used for centuries, even among the people with the longest hair on earth, rice water has been known to provide many essential nutrients for hair growth. But the process of fermentation concentrates these nutrients in rice water, making it even better, and that cannot escape the attention of hair care enthusiasts.

Why is fermented rice water useful for hair growth?

• It makes hair smoother.
• It detangles the hair.
• Increases hair shine.
• It makes hair grow long.
• It makes hair stronger.

Read on for a detailed exploration of: what it is; what it contains; how it compares with ordinary, boiled rice water; its benefits, among other aspects. (Oh, for a little historical perspective, there is even a story towards the end of this post on how it has put the Chinese Yao women on the world map.)

What is Fermented Rice Water ?

Fermented rice water is just that ordinary rice water, as you know it, only that this time it is sour. It results when the rice starch is kept aside for some time and allowed to ferment or turn sour, usually for 24 hours.

Abundance of vitamins

Rice water has an abundance of nutrients including vitamin B, vitamin E, trace yeast, and inositol, but fermentation concentrates these nutrients in the rice water.

Minerals

The minerals present in fermented rice water include potassium, magnesium, selenium, phosphorus, amino acids. Other minerals such as inositol [1] are good for thinning hair. These nutrients and minerals lead to growth, shine and silkiness, thanks to the nutrient-rich ingredient.

Protein

Believe it or not, fermented rice water contains protein, even more than ordinary, non-fermented rice water. Actually, there is 6-8% protein in brown rice and 7-8% in white rice, and fermentation is what makes it a useful nutrient for hair growth.

Through fermentation the protein breaks down into amino acids, which are readily absorbed by the body to help in hair growth.

Boiled or Fermented Rice Water? Which One Takes the Glory?

Whether it is boiled or fermented rice water that has more benefits for hair growth is a debate that is not quite settled. But research suggests that fermented rice water has a higher amount of antioxidants and proteins compared to the boiled alternative.

Benefits of Fermented Rice Water

A quick reading of an article, Rice water for hair: Is it the miracle social media claims? University of Nebraska—Lincoln, makes a statement that echoes the tone of the social media blitz. “Rice water may be useful for all hair types and help grow floor-length, silky hair. It may promote elasticity, increase volume, tame frizz, protect hair from damage and cure dandruff.” 

That statement summarizes what this “wonder” treatment is all about, but clearly, the University too does not think there is much science to back up such a claim.

The fact is that finding authoritative sources to back up the claims that fermented rice water makes hair grow long is quite a stretch. currently there are few scientific studies done on the subject. Most of what exists is anecdotal.

To be fair, one study (there could be more) [2] found that fermented rice water has notable benefits. But those who advocate for using rice water for hair growth are not waiting for more studies; they strongly believe it helps in:

• Making hair smoother.
• Detangling the hair.
• Increasing hair shine.
• Making hair grow long.
• Making hair stronger.

Making hair smoother

The starch content in fermented rice water coats the hair shaft, making its surface smooth and reducing its friction. The result is hair that is easier to detangle and has a silkier feel. Then, there is the shine and smooth look from light reflection.

Detangling the hair

Over time fermented rice water has been used to detangle hair, with the specific benefits being smoother hair with improved manageability. Rice water coats the hair shaft thus reducing friction, making it feel smoother and easier to detangle.

Starch also acts as a mild conditioning agent, making the hair more manageable especially where the hair is dry or coarse. This tames the frizz as well.

 Making hair grow long

You have to nourish the scalp with vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. With its abundance of proteins, which are essential for hair growing in the follicles, rice water promotes growth of longer hair. Besides, the overall improved manageability of the hair limits friction and breakage that could affect growth of long hair.

Making hair stronger

As far as hair strength goes, there is no greater nutrient than proteins. Rice water contains amino acids, which is the basis of the proteins used to strengthen the hair. Besides, the starch coating on the hair shaft creates a protective layer that minimizes mechanical damage resulting from brushing or styling.

What is more, tangled hair is prone to breakage. Rice water is therefore necessary to improve the hair manageability to decrease breakage and make hair stronger.

How Long Should Rice Water Ferment?

 Ideally, it should ferment for 24 hours and be refrigerated and used within three before discarding it.

What Happens if You Ferment Rice Water for Too Long?

So you have added a little oomph to your rice water by fermenting it and are set to begin using it. Fine. However, are you sure how long it should last? Here is an important fact on that: left to ferment for too long, rice water becomes sour and develops a strong smell. It also produces lactic acid, becomes cloudy and becomes slimy to touch. It simply goes bad.

How to Make Fermented Rice

To make fermented rice water:

• Take ½ cup of uncooked rice
• Rinse thoroughly
• Add  2–3 cups of water to rice in a bowl
• Soak for 30 minutes
• Leave the rice to stand and ferment  for up to 2 days
• Strain the rice water into a bowl and use as appropriate

Note: before leaving the rice water to ferment, you may add lemon peels, lime peels, grapefruit, orange peels, pomelo peels, pumpkin, papaya peels, and rosemary and cloves, to boost the nutrients in the water.

The peels of each of these substances contain nutrients needed for hair growth. But you should use organic peels to avoid pesticides and chemicals.

• Lemon peels: Contains vitamin C in lemon may aid collagen production, which is important for hair health
• Lime: Similar to lemon, it has vitamin C but has stronger acidity
• Orange peels: Contains vitamin C essential for hair growth
• Pomelo peels:  Helps rid the scalp of dandruff and constant itching; also has anti-fungal properties thus promoting hair growth
• Rosemary: Adds anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties to the water to improve scalp health and potentially promote hair growth. 
• Clove:  For blood circulation and promotes hair growth
• Grapefruit: Rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, but with a milder scent
• Pumpkin: Has vitamin A, C, & E
• Papaya: Contains papain, which is useful in removing dead skin cells and promoting scalp health

For a more detailed recipe, you may look at this article.

How to Know if Fermented Rice Water is Bad

So where are we? Happily singing our way to a great hair day! It is a great thing to know. You have seen that there may be something special, a potential gem, about fermented rice for hair faster hair growth. However, that’s just one side of the coin. Lest we forget, the other side of the coin has possible downsides. There are a number of signs to look out for, which might just tell you it’s time to get off the train. Quit using fermented rice water when you see that your hair is:

• Dry and brittle: This results from protein overload and is common among those with low-porosity hair. The moisture fails to penetrate the the hair leaving it dry and more likely to break.
• Stiff and lacks volume: When protein build ups, it can weigh down your hair and make it feel stiff and lifeless.
• Increasingly tangled up: When the hair becomes all dry and brittle, it ends up being tangled up.
• Dull: The initial shine that rice water adds to your hair can easily turn into dullness as protein builds up.

The above could be the tell-tale signs that fermented rice water is not DOING YOU ANY GOOD, but there is something else you must consider. It is how to tell that fermentation has gone wrong.

Typically, when it has over-fermented, rice water will:

• Have mold or discoloration: It’s time to discard the rice water if it shows any signs of mold or discoloration; the loss is not comparable to the damage it could cause your scalp and hair.
• Give off a sour smell: Fermented rice gains a sweet or earthy scent, but when the smell becomes strong and sour, the liquid is over-fermented and not fit for use.
• Cause an itchy scalp/ irritation: This happens because of too much bacteria and yeast in the rice water, an indication to give it the boot; it isn’t good for your hair any more.

Case Studies

Really, you cannot ignore all the glitz and glamour that has surrounded rice water and its use in growing long hair. The social media is full and heaving at the seams with videos on it.

Well, it may be that the Yao women with their floor-length black silky hair have turned heads towards the beautiful terraces that hold one of China’s “rice baskets” (it is a world-wide staple, really). But don’t you wonder when media big guns like Vogue and CNN Underscored are also eagerly trying to sniff out the secret?

I mean, from Calin Van Paris’ Using Rice Water for Hair Health Is an Ancient Practice That’s All Over TikTok (Vogue, Nov 19, 2023) to Sophie Saw’s How to boost your hair’s shine, strength and growth with rice water (CNN Underscored, July 18, 2022), rice water has no shortage of interest.

Not to be left out, I decided to sample a couple of youtubers to see just what folks are saying out there.

Here are the case studies of Shushmita’s Diaries (31m views) and Audrey Victoria (10m views), two influencers with significant following and a lot to say about fermented rice water for hair growth.

Case Study 1: Shushmita’s Diaries

In this video, the youtuber talks about using fermented rice water to grow and repair damaged hair. She says it’s a practice that Asian women have used for centuries with amazing results. The water has anti-oxidizing, moisturizing and healing properties.

Case Study 2: Audrey Victoria

This social media influencer shares a Yao-woman-inspired video of fermented rice water for hair growth. She goes on to share a recipe for making fermented rice water. According to her, this type of rice water enhances extreme hair growth.

Here is the video.

From anti-oxidants to amino acids to inositol to yeast, fermented rice water unleashes a wonderful mix of important nutrients for hair growth. Audrey Victoria swears it as means of making the hair faster.

Application in Context: The Red Yao Woman’s Holy Grail for Hair Growth

Now that you know what fermented rice water is, and we have tried to answer the big question: “Does fermented rice water help hair grow?” let’s visit some people with the longest natural hair in the world.

Among the curvaceous Longji Rice Terraces for which Longsheng China is famed, you will find the mountaineer Red Yao woman.

The Red Yao woman’s hair is a record-breaking black flowing spectacle that features in the pages of the Guinness Book of World Records—“The world’s longest hair village.”

The rice from the spectacular terraces in Huangluo village has fed the Yao woman (and man) for centuries. But now, as you will soon learn, there is a lot more to the water. Water from fermented rice (rice water) has nourished this woman’s hair to such enviable lengths that it has made her totally unforgettable.

 At 1.8m, up the mountains, the Yao woman’s hair is like a waterfall, pure elegance. It is an unforgettable record that makes “one feel like they rule the world.”

Rice water, research has it, has active ingredients like vitamin B, vitamin E, trace yeast, and inositol that benefit the hair. But what if fermenting could actually concentrate these nutrients in the rice water (now fermented rice water) for even greater advantage?

Could this sour-starch treatment then be the secret to the flowing black mane that has cemented the Yao woman’s hair in history? Yes! So says the Yao woman.

The Yao women believe that using fermented rice water makes their hair stronger and delays greying. So, what is the secret in fermented rice water?

But another variant of this DIY hair care treatment is currently gobbling up as much attention, if not more. Now even Vogue and CNN Underscored are contributing to the social media blitz on fermented rice water hair therapy.

Conclusion

Rice water contains what your hair needs to grow the long and healthy strands you need to look good. Fermenting water increases these nutrients making it even more beneficial to your hair, but be careful to observe certain guidelines. Consider  your hair porosity, for example, as the water contains a lot of proteins, which may not be good for everyone’s hair at the same rate. It is safe to do a patch test first.

What I mean is that as happens with any new treatment, it is good to be cautious. Do not be too ambitious and overdo anything. Start slow: you may leave the fermented rice water on your hair for a short time (one week or so) to gauge how your hair responds to it before going full-blown on this option.

Then, once you have used fermented rice water on your hair, be patient and wait for the results. The great change you desire will not happen in an instant. Honestly, rate at which everyone’s hair grows varies from one individual to another. Even the Yao women do not grow their hair at the same rate.

The Yao woman might have her hair reaching the floor, and social media is awash with influencers trying to encourage you to adopt this kind of treatment. It is all good, for there is some science to back up some of the claims, especially on the nutrients in rice water. They also give you something to try out, but remember to differentiate the facts from the hype.

There are other factors that go into having long hair, and these might as well include genetics. The Yao woman’s hair may be a good aspiration alright, but focusing on gaining that same length may not necessarily be realistic. Be proud of and celebrate whatever length you gain.

Sometimes, protein overload can cause the opposite of what you desire. If this happens, please take it easy. But withdraw the fermented rice water treatment from your hair care routine and treat the hair with the appropriate moisturizers, and you will have the damage reversed in no time at all.