Is Rice Water Good for High Porosity Hair? | Solved!

Are you here because you’ve heard the buzz about rice water and how it makes hair shinier and smoother, not to mention healthier? Read on to learn all about rice water and whether you should use it on high porosity hair. 

What Is Rice Water?

Rice water is exactly what it sounds like: it’s water you collect after rice is cooked or soaked in it. As you might expect, rice water has a starchy texture. It’s the starch and protein in rice water that benefits the hair. 

When you use rice water on your hair, you’re taking part in an ancient tradition. This is especially true in Asia, including Southeast Asia, Japan, and China. In Japan, women in the Heian period frequently used rice water on their hair.

As a result, their hair stayed so strong and had so little breakage that it grew all the way to the floor. This type of hair was called Kurokami. Rice water is fantastic for those who have high porosity hair. The benefits include: 

• Adding shine
• Improving health
• Reducing breakage
• Strengthening strands

Rice water is easy to prepare and use. So, don’t miss out on this venerated beauty secret! Let’s discover everything you need to know about rice water and how it can transform your hair.

Read Next: Rice Water for Hair, Explained

Should You Use Rice Water on Your High Porosity Hair?

Yes, rice water is good to use on high porosity hair. High porosity hair is a hair type with strand cuticles that are further apart than you would find with low porosity hair.

This space between the cuticles means that moisture gets into your strands more easily, but it also means it will escape more quickly. 

Read Next: What Is Hair Porosity?

Rice Water Helps Smooth the Cuticle

The cuticle is one of the layers on hair strands. Put simply, it’s the top layer on each strand of hair. The layer beneath that is called the cortex, and the layer underneath that is called the medulla. Each strand of hair actually has numerous cuticles, making up the cuticle layer.

If the cuticles are packed together and lay flat, you have low porosity hair. If the cuticles have space between them and lay at an angle, you have high porosity hair. The cuticle is what protects your hair and keeps moisture in.

This is why if you have high porosity hair and little protection from the cuticle layer, moisture (and product) sinks into the inner layers of your hair more easily and quickly. Yet it also means that moisture seeps out of your hair much more quickly than it would otherwise. 

There is Protein in Rice Water 

Did you know that rice is protein-rich? It’s a good source of protein in your diet, and rice water will provide protein to your hair. That means when you put rice water on your hair, you’re giving it a protein treatment. This kind of treatment is wonderful for high porosity hair. 

Rice Water Offers Nutrients for Your Hair

There are other nutrients in rice water, such as amino acids and B vitamins that are so crucial for healthy and beautiful hair. It also contains vitamin E and minerals. A key nutrient in rice water is called inositol. It’s an antioxidant, and it’s known for how it benefits hair. 

Inositol can repair hair. If your hair is damaged, you’ll probably find rice water beneficial. Rice water leaves a thin coating on your hair, providing it with an extra layer of protection. 

Rice Water May Help You Grow Long Hair

Contrary to what you may have heard, rice water doesn’t directly cause hair growth. Instead, it’s how rice water helps hair strength and resilience that makes your stands more likely to reach greater lengths without breaking. 

How to Make and Use Rice Water

There isn’t just one way to use rice water for beautifying your hair. To begin with, there are three different methods for preparing rice water. Here they are below: 

Option 1: Boil rice with extra water

A common way of making rice water is through boiling rice. To do this, use half a cup of rice. Make sure the quantity of water you add is about twice as much as you would use when preparing rice to eat. 

This will ensure you’ll be left with enough rice water. Of course, wait for the rice water to fully cool down before using it on your hair. 

Option 2: Soak rice in water

Most people consider this the easiest rice water preparation method. You just need to put rice in water in a container or pan, and then let it soak for at least 30 minutes. If you want stronger rice water, let the rice soak for two hours. 

Option 3: Make fermented rice water

Some people find fermented rice water is more effective for their hair. If you want to try this, you just have to leave rice soaking for a full day. This will give you fermented liquid. 

No matter which technique you use for making rice water, you’ll need a strainer to remove the rice from the liquid. Once you have the water in a container, put it in the fridge. This will keep it fresh for around five to seven days. 

Using Your Rice Water 

You should use rice water after rinsing out your shampoo and conditioner. When putting the rice water in your hair, start at the top of your head.

For the most intensive treatment, leave the rice water in for about five minutes. If you don’t have enough time for that, just leave it in for two minutes. 

Do You Have High Porosity Hair? 

There are certain signs of high-porosity hair. If your hair has any of these qualities, you probably have this type of hair. 

• Lack of shine
• Drinks up products and water
• Dries extremely quickly 
• Higher risk of breakage
• Gets tangled quickly
• Prone to frizziness
• Dry appearance and texture

The fact the cuticle layer isn’t flat and smooth, and the cuticles are too far apart, is why high porosity hair lacks shine. Do the products you put on your hair seem to get absorbed quickly by your hair? This is another sign of high porosity hair. 

Have you noticed your hair dries extremely quickly when you wash it? You may have high porosity hair. This is because of how high porosity hair absorbs water. 

When it comes to breakage, high porosity hair is more vulnerable because it lacks full protection from the cuticle layer. The fact that high porosity hair cuticles don’t lay flat means that they can snag on each other.

This can get individual strands tangled with others. If you’ve noticed your hair tends to be frizzy, you may have high porosity hair.

With this hair type, moisture escapes quickly and this leads to frizz. It may also lead to frizz during humid weather (especially in the summer), as moisture from the air will so easily get into your strands. 

Some people find it confusing that high porosity hair tends to look dry. After all, it absorbs water quickly. But as we discussed earlier, it also loses moisture rapidly. In fact, almost as soon as water is absorbed into this hair type, it will come out and evaporate. 

What causes high porosity hair? 

You may have inherited your high porosity hair. In other words, it is often genetic. But even people not born with high porosity hair may end up with that kind of hair if they do certain things.

For example, if you’re not careful about protecting your hair from damage, it can become high porosity. A common example of something that can lead to damage causing high porosity is too frequent chemical processing.

For instance, you may be dying your hair too frequently, in the wrong way, or with the wrong products. Overuse of hot styling tools is another common culprit, as is too much exposure to the sun. 

Test Your Hair Porosity

If you’re not sure about your hair porosity, there is a test you can try. To do it, you’ll have to shampoo your hair beforehand. This is important, as there shouldn’t be any product on your hair. Once you’re ready to do the test, here are the steps. 

Prepare a glass of water

Pour some water into a glass. You should fill it to almost the brim. 

Pull out one hair from your head.

Select one hair on your head and pull it out. 

Put the strand of hair in the glass. 

Lightly drop the hair onto the surface of the water. 

Observe what happens to the strand. 

If the hair immediately sinks and goes to the bottom, your hair type is probably high porosity. On the other hand, if it floats around at the top of the water for a significant amount of time before sinking, this is a sign of low porosity.

If you notice the hair floating but in the middle rather than at the top of the glass, this is usually a sign of medium porosity.

Read Next: What Is My Hair Porosity? Quiz

Frequently Asked Questions 

Let’s take a look at some of the most frequently asked questions about rice water and high porosity hair. 

How often should you use rice water on high porosity hair?

It’s up to you how often you use rice water on your high porosity hair. Some people use rice water every time they wash their hair. However, it’s more common to just use it once every two weeks, or even just once a month. 

What is good for high porosity hair? 

If you have high porosity hair, giving it more protein is an important priority. When you give this kind of hair more protein, it’s easier for your strands to retain moisture. You should also look for hydrating products to use on your high porosity hair. 

How can I grow my high porosity hair? 

With any hair type, the key to growing long locks is reducing breakage. And of course, to reduce breakage, you must make your hair stronger. Using rice water is a fantastic way of strengthening and reducing breakage in low porosity hair. 

Is rice water good for low or high porosity hair? 

Rice water is best for high porosity hair. If you’re careful, rice water can be used on low porosity hair, but should only be used for short periods. Using it too often can also lead to problems with breakage. 

Is eating rice good for your hair? 

Rice is a healthy food overall and yes, it does contain nutrients that may help with your hair health. Brown rice is better than white when it comes to nutrition. One of the minerals in brown rice that helps your hair is silicon. 

So, Is Rice Water Good for High Porosity Hair?

As we’ve learned here, rice water is an excellent treatment for high porosity hair. If you have this hair type, you’ll be thrilled by what rice water can do for you.