Rice Water - 6 Unexpected But Super Helpful Uses
With some items, it’s pretty obvious that
you can reuse them. For instance, it’s just common sense to use a
single-use plastic bag as a trash bag or to repurpose an empty glass jar
as a vessel for mixing and storing homemade salad dressing. On the flip
side, the potential of other items, such as pasta water or baby powder
is hidden until someone tells you precisely how you can use it.
Rice water belongs to that second category.
Yes, we do mean that cloudy water that you usually pour down the sink
while rinsing rice. Surprisingly, rice water has a multitude of handy
uses around the house and even for your body. After reading this
article, you will never throw away rice water again.
1. Strengthens the hair and maintains scalp health
The practice of using rice water on the hair is by no means a new
invention. In fact, rice water has been the secret behind the shiny and
long locks of Japanese, Chinese, and other Southeast Asian women for
millennia. For example, Japanese women from the Heian period (8-12th
century AD) would rinse their floor-length hair in rice water to make
it stronger, shinier, and more elastic.
Today, we know that rice water is brimming
with vitamins and minerals essential for hair strength and growth,
namely folic acid (vitamin B9), magnesium, allantoin, niacin (vitamin
B3), inositol (vitamin B8), and selenium. Folic acid, niacin, allantoin,
and selenium are all important to maintain the health of the scalp,
strengthen the hair, and stimulate hair growth. Magnesium helps remove
hard water residue from the hair follicles, whereas inositol increases
the shine and elasticity of the hair.
Overall, you can expect the following hair benefits from rice water:
Strengthens the hair follicles and hair strands. According to a 2017
study, rice bran mineral extract strengthens the hair, stimulates hair
growth, and helps prevent hair loss.
Improves hair density. A 2010 study found that an inositol
supplement stimulated hair growth and reduced thinning in participants
after 6 months of daily use.
Makes the hair smoother, shinier, and more manageable. One study
investigating Japanese rice water (called Yu-Su-Ru) stated that it
improved hair elasticity and reduced surface friction.
All hair types can add rice water to their hair-care routine. It’s
recommended to use rice water on your hair 1-2 times every week. You can
either use it in place of shampoo or as a treatment after you've washed
your hair. Simply saturate the entire hair and the scalp with rice
water, and then massage your scalp to make sure it gets absorbed. We
recommend doing this in the shower, as you will not have to worry about
spillage.
Keep the rice water on the hair for anywhere between 10-30 minutes, and
then rinse with water as usual. You will likely experience improved
shine and elasticity after just a few weeks of use, but it usually takes
at least a month or two for you to notice the strengthening aspect and
the improved hair density, so be persistent and consistent.
2. Skin-soothing and plumping
Rice water isn’t only good for the hair.
Your skin can also benefit from all those nutrients present in rice
water. The use of rice water and skincare products that contain rice
extracts is gaining popularity across the globe, and rightfully so. What
benefits can you get by using rice water on the face and body?
Anti-aging benefits. According to a 2013 study, fermented rice water
increases collagen production in the skin and helps improve the signs
of sun damage. This means that using rice water regularly will help
prevent wrinkles from forming or worsening while also ameliorating
sun-spots.
Sun protection. We all know that we must protect our skin from the
sun every day to prevent skin cancer. While rice water will not replace
sunscreen, the chemicals present in rice will help boost your skin’s sun
protection, as proven by research.
Improved hydration. People with dry skin and eczema can also benefit
from using rice water. It was shown to alleviate skin irritation caused
by SLS, a common cleansing agent in skincare and hair care products. In
India, rice water is also used as an Ayurvedic treatment for eczema.
Using rice water on the skin is easy. If you want to apply it onto the
face, simply dampen a cotton pad in rice water and swipe it on a clean
face and neck like a toner. Follow up with your usual moisturizer. You
can do this every day. If your goal is to reduce inflammation and
irritation in an area, you can soak a cotton pad or a cloth in rice
water and let it sit on an area for 10 minutes. This trick works wonders
for sunburn or dry patches on the skin.
Lastly, if you intend to use rice water on the body, you can also add it
to bath-water and take a bath in the mixture. This method works best if
you have dry skin on the body.
3. Watering plants
Even if you don’t feel like using rice
water on your hair or skin, there are still plenty of ways you can
repurpose it around the house. One of the best ways to do so is by using
rice water as a mild fertilizer. As we’ve already explained in-depth,
there is a number of starches, enzymes, vitamins, and minerals in rice
water. And humans aren’t the only ones who can benefit from these
nutrients.
Using rice water to fertilize your plants will enrich the soil with
starches that help encourage beneficial soil bacteria, as well as bring
in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium into the soil. Some experts even
say that rice water is superior to store-bought fertilizers because it’s
difficult to over-nourish plants with rice water. Regular use of rice
water on plants takes the worry out of over-fertilizing.
4. Starching clothes
Don’t have any plants at home? Worry not,
you can easily use rice water to starch clothes (and we’re sure you have
plenty of those). If you’re not familiar with starching, it’s a
practice that can really help improve the longevity and appearance of
clothing, especially that of dress shirts. Starching prevents stains
from penetrating fabrics, which makes them easier to remove. Starched
clothes also retain their structure and ironed appearance for longer,
and white starched clothes stay crisp white even after several washes.
Ordinarily, starching powders or sprays containing cornstarch are used
before ironing. But these can be messy and costly, so many people decide
to skip this step. Well, an alternative way to starch your button-down
shirts is to simply soak them in rice water, hang out to dry, and iron
afterward.
5. Cleaning 
We’re no strangers to the use of natural
cleaners, such as baking soda and vinegar, to tidy-up our homes. After
all, these ingredients already live in everyone’s pantry, and they are,
frankly, quite cheap. Welcome another member to that list of natural but
effective cleaners you already have in your pantry - rice water.
The next time you’re cooking rice, save some of that rice water and use
it to clean countertops, kitchen appliances, and even cookware. After
all, it’s something people in China have been doing for centuries, and
with great success! The reason why rice water is an effective cleaning
agent is that the starchy sediment in rice water is abrasive, so it will
help you to manually scrub off any dirt or grime from various surfaces.
In addition, rice water is slightly acidic, so it will help you get rid
of any mineral deposits. This means that you can also use it to remove
hard water stains or rust from shower doors, kitchen utensils, and even
the toilet bowl. Just make sure to keep it away from granite and natural
stone countertops and tile, as the acidity may ruin their shiny finish.
Simply dip a cloth or sponge in rice water to clean the item in
question. Let it sit for a few minutes, and then rinse away with water.
6. Restores healthy digestion
The last but definitely not the least
method to reuse rice water is to drink it. Yes, you read that right. Why
would you want to do that, you ask? Boiled rice water is great for
soothing indigestion and improving digestive health in acute diarrhea.
In these cases, rice water functions as an electrolyte-replacing
beverage.
According to a study from the 1980s published in The Lancet journal,
rice water can be more effective than an electrolyte solution in babies
with acute diarrhea. The solution was able to reduce the number of bowel
movements in the babies better than a compatible drug.
Important: If you decide to drink rice water for digestion, make sure to
only use BOILED rice water. Uncooked rice water could contain Bacillus
cereus, a pathogen that commonly causes food poisoning, and high
temperatures kill the germ. We explain how to make boiled rice water
correctly in the next and final section.
How to Make and Store Rice Water
There are several methods of preparing rice water, and the one you
prefer will probably depend on the way you choose to use it. You can use
any rice in any of these recipes.
Soaked Rice Water
This is the fastest way to make rice water, and it’s fairly
straightforward. Simply take any amount of rice you want, rinse it with
water, then cover it with water and soak it for 30 minutes. About 2 cups
of water should be used for every cup of rice. Afterward, just strain
the rice and use it in cooking, and reserve the milky rice water for
later.
Soaked rice water can be used for hair care, skincare, cleaning,
starching, and watering plants. You can store soaked rice water in the
fridge for up to 3 days.