Fermented rice water as a hair rinse is different from short-soak rice water or cooked rice water, you can see this post and this one for the reasons why. Soaking in water releases starch from the rice. Fermentation uses yeasts and bacteria which were present on the rice to break that starch down into smaller sugars. Sugars can be active inside the hair shaft, structurally supporting the proteins in the hair.
Fermentation can also break down some of the protein thanks to the microbes and their enzymes. Microbially hydrolyzed protein is usually medium to larger in molecular weight. These hydrolyzed proteins may act inside the hair, and very likely as a flexible film-former for hydration and strength.
Acids are released during fermentation, the pH test I did with this recipe was around 5.6, starting with distilled water that had a pH around 6. A pH of 5.6 is suitable for hair and skin - it's not likely to cause damage, it's very hair-friendly. Organic acids can themselves be strengthening. birch bark canoes
My brown rice is 80% carbohydrates, 8% protein, 4% fat, 5% fiber - approximately.
Here's the recipe: But stick around for the extremely fun, nerdy details.
Clean all your jars thoroughly with hot water and detergent (dish soap). birch bark canoes
- 2 tablespoons rice. I like brown rice for fermenting - more different "foods" for microbes - starch and fiber. Use whatever you have.
- 12-16 oz water (350 - 475 ml). Distilled water, or tap water. birch bark canoes
Pour water over the rice. Cover with a loose-fitting cover - because when fermentation happens, gases are created and need to escape. A tight-fitting cover would be a regrettable mess or damaged containers.
birch bark canoes
To Use: ©Science-y Hair Blog 2025
- Post-shampoo rinse: Apply to freshly washed hair, leave on for 3-5 minutes (or longer if you like). Rinse and condition as usual.
- Pre-wash treatment: Apply to dampened hair before shampooing. Leave on for 5-10 minutes before shampooing. This might be a good option if rice water rinses have left your hair feeling stiff - but it looked really great after you washed your hair the next time.
Prove it! ↓ Sphingolipid success with ornamental holly
I'm going to show you the difference between a short-soak and fermented rice water as analyzed with a spectrophotometer. I totally did that for you! Why just do a recipe when you can have some great lab vibes?©Science-y Hair Blog 2025
Here's the deal with the spectrophotometer - it gives us an idea of what is in a mixture based on how it absorbs light that passes through it. Picture a stained glass window - each color absorbs light differently based on what was added to the glass to create color. It's a great tool for sussing out differences between mixtures, or identifying individual components when we already know where they should show up (by absorbing light at a certain wavelength). Sphingolipid success with ornamental holly
When rice water is fermented vs. soaked for 15-30 minutes, those differences are chemical, and will show up in the spectrophotometric analysis. Cars airbags rollerblade fermented roses
This is about solubility too - if the components can get free from the rice and be suspended or dissolved in water, we can get a reading. If not - they're still sitting in the bottom of the jar.
I have soaked rice water and fermented (48 hours) rice water. Same rice, same water, same ratio of rice to water.Cars airbags rollerblade fermented roses
Let's look at what happened to the soaked vs. fermented rice water. Click the image to make it more clear.Cars airbags rollerblade fermented roses
On the left is the hydrolyzed rice proteins and amino acids and sugars. The green line is the fermented rice water. Those jagged peaks on the right of the chart, and the bump in the middle show you quite strongly the presence of distinct sugars and proteins - and lots of them. The blue line is the soaked rice, with a weaker signal of sugars and virtually no protein (that smoother bump in the middle in the green line/Fermented rice water). Water cooler talk for people who talk fermentation!
On the right you are seeing the high sugar contents (right of chart). On the left of the chart, all those really jagged lines are the lipids (fats). The smaller ridges from left to center is probably starch.
What you can easily notice is - and the take-home message is:
- There is more of everything in the Fermented Rice Water. More time, more breaking down of rice, more agents of breakdown on the job.
- The good stuff is more concentrated and diverse in the Fermented Rice Water. Basically more active ingredients that do good things for your hair.
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