
I’m a sucker for a good TikTok hack. Can't get enough of them. And if you're anything like me, you usually come across most of TikTok's beauty gems when you're laying in bed, having a scroll before going to sleep. Am I right?
This, friends, is where I landed on #HairTok (a section of TikTok dedicated to everything hair), and came across a video of another user washing her hair with... wait for it... rice water!
Why? Because apparently rice water is the latest way to nab thick, shiny and strong hair.
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In case you missed it, people all over TikTok are sharing before and after snaps of their results, with the hashtag #ricewater hitting up more than 150 million views.
And look, I'm not going to to deny it – people's hair looks amazingly shiny and luxe post-wash. I'm hooked!
So naturally, I did a little bit more research and gave it a go for myself!
What are the benefits of using rice water on hair?
Research tells us that rice water is packed with hair-loving ingredients like natural proteins, vitamins and minerals that help to detangle, strengthen, and hydrate your hair.
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Wondering where this whole trend comes from? Well, there's an ancient city in China that is often referred to as "the land of Rapunzels" (give it a Google!), because the women are known for their strong, shiny and lengthy hair.
And you know what they use to wash it? These women have been keeping their locks long and luscious for years with the help of, you guessed it, rice water!
How to prep your rice water.
When I prepped the rice water for my hair, I pretty much just followed the instructions on TikTok. However, there are lots of different videos out there, and the prep differs slightly. For example, some people add essential oils to the rice water, while others use Jasmine rice because it’s naturally a bit more fragrant.
I used good old Basmati rice as my go-to, for no other reason than it was already in my pantry.
To prep, I basically just soaked one cup of rice in one cup of water and let it sit for about a day and a half.
The process.
Now for the fun bit!
I washed my hair with shampoo first (I just used Toni & Guy’s Damage Repair Shampoo) and rinsed with normal shower water. I then used conditioner (Toni & Guy Damage Repair Conditioner) on my ends and rinsed.