Rice Water for Hair - Rice Water Rinse

I’ve been doing this rice water for hair treatment for years now and this is what I’ve found has worked best for my hair. It’s soft, yet strong. I’ve got hydrated curls, and frizz-free definition that lasts day after day. Instead of my curls dropping and falling limp and lifeless within hours of my washday.

Rice Water Rinse

Most people do a rice water rinse, using the creamy, cloudy rice water to repeatedly rinse through the hair. Often using fermented rice water, which is more potent, and two bowls. One to pour the rice water on your hair, the other to catch the rice water so you can repeat as necessary. If you choose to do it this way, make sure to follow up with a good conditioner.

If you leave the rinse in your hair for any period of time, longer than just rinsing it through, you need to follow up with a deep conditioner for at least 20-30 minutes. There are 3 ways: boil, soak and ferment, I boil my rice. There are potential side effects if you ferment due to potential bacteria. But it’s meant to be the most potent of the three method, and gives the most dramatic, or noticeable, results. If you choose to ferment your rice, I wouldn’t recommend adding it to any deep conditioner.

My Modified Rice Water Rinse

For my modified rice water treatment, I do things a little differently. The first time I did my my modified rice water treatment instead of a traditional rice water rinse, I left it on my hair for 30 minutes. I didn’t deep condition for long enough afterwards, and my hair felt quite dry. Now I add a dollop of one of my favourite deep conditioners, Hairfinity’s Strengthening Amino Mask, which is what makes it my modified rice water treatment. I leave the modified rice water treatment on my hair for 45 minutes – 1 hour with my Curl Maven Heat Cap.

Top Tip: This DIY protein, strengthening and repairing treatment is perfect if you are suffering from over-moisturized hair. Hair is limp, lifeless and unable to hold a curl for very long past washday. Or hygral fatigue, hair feels quite soft and mushy or gummy, and you may experience excess hair shedding.

My modified rice water treatment works best when you mix it with any conditioner or deep conditioner that already contains protein. Hairfinity is becoming increasingly difficult to find, so stock up when you can. But I’ve listed some of my other favourite conditioners and masks that work well with my modified rice water treatment below.

Deep Conditioner Recommendations:

Innersense Colour Radiance Conditioner – CURLMAVEN for 10% off and worldwide shipping. Or shop here if you’re in the USA, and shop here if you’re in the UK.
Curl Junkie Repair Me!
Act + Acre Restorative Hair Mask
Curlsmith Bond Repair Rehab Salve
Hairfinity Strengthening Amino Mask
Curl Maven Thermal Heat Cap will maximise the benefits of your hair mask/deep conditioner.

How to save and store your rice water

The following ratio will give you enough for one large modified rice water treatment, suitable for thick or long hair. Or two treatments for short-medium length or fine hair. You can store it in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to one week, either with or without the deep conditioner mixed in.

Alternatively, you can cook up a big batch and freeze it in an ice cube tray. Then simply pop out two cubes the night before, and mix with your chosen deep conditioner once they’ve defrosted! Genius time-saving method for anyone who’s really busy but wants all the benefits of rice water for hair growth, length, strength, shine and scalp issues!

Ingredients

Using a measuring jug, use half a pint of rice (organic, jasmine or basmati…) and rinse – however, I think the starch from the rice gives some added benefits to the hair.
Put the rinsed rice in a saucepan and add 2 pints of water
Add some essential oils if you like, such as rosemary which is great for hair growth.
Add some of the Act + Acre Cold Pressed Stem Cell Serum too if you like. The anti-aging complex helps to support the reduction of hair thinning, dryness, and fallout.

All the conditioners, deep conditioners and hair masks I use for this modified rice water treatment already contain protein/amino acids. They’re just not very high up the ingredients list, so they’re not considered a strong or potent protein treatment. When I add the thick rice water gloop, I get much more noticeable improvements and results. I advise doing your own test with both the rice water rinse on its own. And your usual deep conditioner on its own before you try mixing the two.

Method

If you’re just doing a rice water rinse, don’t let the rice go stodgy or the consistency will be too thick. This method is for my modified rice water treatment.
Bring the rice to the boil, stirring until you get a cloudy, creamy, thick consistency of water. This takes approximately 20 mins on a medium-high heat. You want the rice to almost absorb all the water.

Once the rice has absorbed most of the water and appears almost stodgy. Remove from the saucepan and gently press into a sieve to get the thick, creamy, gloopy water out. NB: You only want the thick, creamy, watery gloop to go through the sieve – NOT the rice!!! Otherwise you’ll have rice bits in your hair. I usually have to scrape the rice water ‘gloop’ off the bottom of the sieve, into a bowl underneath.

Add either a teaspoon or tablespoon of your favourite conditioner or deep conditioner, and mix to create a creamy hair mask consistency that you can apply to the hair.
The ratio of rice water gloop to deep conditioner depends on how strong you want the rice water treatment.

Cleanse or clarify your hair as normal, and apply your modified rice water rinse mask to your hair, from the ends upwards. Bring it all the way up and massage into the scalp if you’re wanting to encourage hair growth and/or have any scalp issues. Such as a dry, itchy, flaky, irritated, sensitive, greasy or oily scalp.
If you’re new to protein treatments or hesitant, start off by leaving it in for 10-15 mins. Gradually building up to leave it in for 20-30 minutes, but never any longer than one hour.

Use a Curl Maven Thermal Heat Cap for best results.
If your hair is particularly dry or damaged, then don’t rinse the treatment out fully.
Rinse with luke-warm water, until a milky coloured water runs out the ends of your hair, then style as normal.

I’m a single mum of two kids, I don’t have time for a full wash day, including multiple rice water rinses, a deep condition and then my usual styling routine! So by doing this modified rice water treatment, I’m saving time and getting the maximum results of so many benefits from both the rice water and the deep conditioner.

Extra Potent Protein Boost!

If your hair is extremely over-moisturized, maybe you have hygral fatigue. Where your hair feels so soft and fluffy, it almost feels gummy or mushy, kinda like candy floss. You may be experiencing excess hair shedding and your curls are barely lasting a few hours past washday.

Then give the modified rice water treatment an extra potent protein boost, by adding some Aphogee Two Step Protein Treatment Step 1. Start off by adding a teaspoon into the modified rice water treatment. Gradually increasing it to one tablespoon, if required. If you’re in the UK or EU, shop Aphogee Two Step Protein Treatment Step 1 here. You’ll need to do this for weeks, if not 2-3 months to get the balance right of protein and moisture in your hair again.

So there you have it, my modified rice water rinse routine. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, I know it was a really long post but hopefully you found it helpful! Comment below if you’ve tried the rice water rinse and what your results were. Or if you’re going to try my modified rice water treatment after reading this post. And let me know your results!

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161 Comments

Mary says:

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Would the Joico K-Pac treatment give you similar to the modified rice treatment?

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Misty says:

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WOW, I am so glad I found your page. I am not naturally curly, I perm. The hairdresser said I have to have some natural curl because my hair hangs onto a perm for a couple years. This technique, on just the first time, has done wonders for my hair! I can’t wait to see what the next weeks bring! Thank you!

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Andrea Kuykendal says:

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If I am doing the Joico Reconstructor treatment once a month how could I incorporate the modified rice treatment into my routine? Should I do it once a week on the other three weeks of the month?

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1. Curl Maven Assistant says:
  
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  Hey there! If you’re going to be doing both the rice water treatments and the Joico repair, alternate between those treatments, every week.
  
  Check out the following blog posts to help you navigate your hair Protein/Moisture Balance.
  
  https://staging3.curlmaven.ie/protein-moisture-balance/
  https://staging3.curlmaven.ie/the-golden-triangle-of-healthy-hair/
  
  Good luck!!! x
  
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Grace says:

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I’m embarrassed to say I struggled to cook the rice and get it to the right consistency, so I’m going to give this a go with the cloudy rice water I have combined with deep conditioner with protein in it. Fingers crossed!

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Katalin says:

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Hi! Thank you for this article, it’s super helpful!! I just have a question about applying the treatment to your scalp. You mentioned that the rice water is good for scalp issues and to apply it all over the hair, but I’m afraid that putting it on my scalp mixed with the DC will irritate my scalp? Is it better to leave out the DC and apply it by itself to this area? Or the DC shouldn’t cause any irritation?

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Hi Katalin, I’ve never found any issues because you’re really not applying a lot of product/mix on your scalp, just a little. But you can do a patch test with whatever deep conditioner or hair mask you want to use. Hope that helps x
  
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  1. Katalin says:
    
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    Thanks so much, I will try that and see! 🙂
    
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Kristina Silic says:

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I was nearly to gave up on my curls because for past 2 month I just couldn’t get them to hold or even to look good. So I stumbled on this and tried it yesterday. My curls are looking great again. I will tray more of your tips. And because I’m a hairdresser I do recommend you a lot because your method works better then some other. Thank you for such good description of what and how to do a rice water

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Aww thanks so much Kristina, that’s so great to hear and I really appreciate it x
  
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Karen says:

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Your IG post came at the perfect time to remind me to treat myself to a modified RW rinse! Thanks, I got out of the routine of doing this monthly.

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Rebecca says:

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I’ve been absorbing your content (like my hair has been absorbing all the protein it has been missing from its life) for the last three weeks and I’ve learned so much! My curls are back and my hair looks and feels better than ever.

Just tried your modified RW treatment and game changer! Thank you so much for all your content and I look forward to supporting your curl maven brand in the future!

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janhavi kitey says:

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can i leave rice water in my hair for 15 min and then apply conditoner

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1. admin says:
  
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  Sure, but if you follow my modified version, you don’t need to condition afterwards.
  
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sophie chandler says:

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hi there, im going to try this for the first time and was wondering if i can use the Biolage HydraSource Dry Hair Conditioner mixed in with he rice water instead of the hairfinity?

thanks

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1. admin says:
  
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  You can, but it works best if you combine it with a conditioner that has protein in it
  
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Amy says:

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Thank you so much for this! I started the CGM using your website. I got confused by all the protein stuff at the beginning so chose to ignore it. Now months in, my hair won’t hold its curl past wash day, creates stringy curls and felt so dry and horrible. I just did your modified rice treatment tonight and it looks and feels so much better already! Confidence. BACK. xxx

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Natalya says:

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Most people in my area are not aware that fast hair growth shampoos (of course with no sulfates, no parabens and no DEA) are even a thing. People now may possess longer hair and achieve more alternatives. Definitely worth exploring.

When you’re addressing hair loss, damaged hair, avoiding hair disorders, hair growth, hair and scalp health more often than not, similar rules actualize.

As a general rule, you have to stay away from hair treatments and products that use chemicals such as parabens, DEA and sulfates.

What is beneficial for your hair is beneficial for your skin all the same.

Clearly the content above is spot on for various reasons. It steers away from the usual errors and traps most fall into- purchasing horrible alternatives. Greatly appreciated!

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Kari says:

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Hello, I just found your site and love the information. Here’s the deal with my hair. First off, I am 48, just entering menopausal and the worst diet ever. Anyways, my hair has always been curly, but a wavy frizzy, yucky kind of curl. So my answer has always been to straighten it. Last 2 years I quit all heating tools and now wash/condition my hair and let it air dry on it’s own…so now it just hangs in this sad state of attempted curls. 🙁
Back to entering menopause. I am now noticing that my hair is becoming very brittle, dry, and is cracking…it’s horrible and I have really just given up. I wash my hair with a tea tree oil shampoo once a week and just a moisturizing conditioner 3 times a week. One of your posts suggested if my hair was brittle and dry it was probably over proteined…but I don’t know how…I use no products and the shampoo/conditioner I use contains very little protein, not to mention I eat very little protein (horrible diet). I kind of think just the opposite, I need more protein?
I want to try the rice treatment but am scared to death of those kinds of feats….any simpler suggestions? Thanks so much!

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1. admin says:
  
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  Hi Kari, dry and brittle doesn’t always mean too much protein. It can also mean not enough moisture. I offer 1:1 Curl Clinics, they’re a 30 min consultation via video where we go through all the products you’re using and the issues your experiencing. I then put together a routine and recommend products to suit your hair’s needs, your budget and any other requirements you have. If that’s something you’re interested in, please fill out this form, and I’ll get back to you via email with all of the details. http://www.curlycailin.ie/contact
  
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Jennifer Pitts says:

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I learn so much from your site. Thank you for putting it together!

Have you tried (or what are your thought on) adding Inositol powder to the rinse it is the key player?

Have you experimented with adding collagen *peptides* to a rinse or your rice/conditioner treatment(which i really need to try)? My thought are that peptides are are predigested / broken down proteins to their basic building blocks (like Inositol) so it is not the same as a gelatin treatment. The particles are super small and for example with digestion they bypass needing to be broken down by the stomach and intestines. They just go straight into the blood stream. I was thinking they might be a good additive to a rinse to get some light protein in without drying or weighing down the hair?

I have superfine normal porosity hair. It absolutely loves a rice water rinse. I use it 2x per week.

I thought a lot of the Isonotol and minerals were on the outside of the rice & i found i get better results if i dont rince the rice first. I also don’t do multiple pours. I just use an airline approved size travel bottle and squeeze it thoroughly though my hair and wash my face then rince and condition. It saves time and i think i can get away with more frequent treatment because I’m don’t let it sit long.

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Hiba says:

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Is it alright if I do both the olaplex no.3 and water rinse every week, but just do them each on separate days? Or would it be too much for my hair?

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1. admin says:
  
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  Yep! They do different things, you could do them both on the same day if you want. I tend to do Olaplex treatment every other wash, and on the OTHER wash day, I do a rice water or deep condition.
  
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Manasa says:

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Hi can I use ferment rice water as a rinse and a deep conditioner?
I can skip the boiled rice method?
Please tell me

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Anisha says:

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Hi !

I have 2B/2C wavy curls and I’m new to the curly girl method. Just tried the rice water today and conditioned as usual and styled with curl cream and follows it up with gel. I noticed a lot of curls when I squished my hair and also when I sotc after it dried! I was very happy how it turned out but my curls loosened in less than 4 hours after ! Could you advise me what I can do for them to stay defined? They usually loosen the next day and since I work from home I do not refresh them unless I am going out ! Thank you! Love your blogs btw! So helpful for beginners like me

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1. admin says:
  
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  What you’ve described sounds to me like your hair is lacking in protein. The fact that you got good results immediately, is a sign that your hair needs, wants and benefitted from the protein. The fact that the curls dropped and loosened the next day is a sign that you’re on the right track with the protein, you just need a lot more. Most people need to do a weekly protein treatment for 4-6 weeks in order to build up the protein levels. It’s very similar to iron tablets. If you were iron deficient, you wouldn’t take one tablet and then your iron levels be fine again. You need to take that tablet daily for at least 2 weeks just to start feeling the effects and benefits! It’s the exact same with protein in the hair.
  
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Saz says:

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Hey Gabriella,
I’m new to CG but found an article you wrote when I was researching and now I’m slowly reading my way through your site.
I managed to sit in on the curly clinic the other day and I am dying to try this.
My question is I have really long hair, should I double the amounts of rice and water or add extra deep conditioner?
Thanks
Saz

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1. admin says:
  
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  You can do, whatever you need to cover and condition all of your hair. The quantities in this are quite big so I’d say you probably don’t have to. But see what works for you
  
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Kim says:

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Hi! Thanks for the informative post. Why wouldn’t you recommend adding the fermented version to a deep conditioner? Thanks!

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1. admin says:
  
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  I haven’t ever tried the fermented version, there’s too many things that could go wrong for me
  
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Heather says:

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Hi! I’m super excited to try out the rice rinse, because my hair has been a disaster for the past 2 years (I was a DevaCurl fanatic, but I can almost point to the date that it started to hurt my hair ☹️). Anyways, can you use brown rice for this treatment? We usually only have brown rice in our home, so I’d rather use that than white rice. Thanks for your detailed posts and all the information!

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1. admin says:
  
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  Hi Heather, you can use any rice. Have you checked out this post I wrote on the DevaCurl damage issue? https://staging3.curlmaven.ie/devacurl/
  
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Roisine says:

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Just trying this for the first time now after finding your blog. I was nervous to use the rice on its own, so it made sense to me to add the DC to the mix. I used Noughty moisture mask which doesn’t contain protein. Fingers crossed! Thank you for the guidance.x

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1. admin says:
  
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  I find my modified rice water treatment works best when combined with a protein rich deep conditioner/conditioner
  
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Lana says:

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Every time I try this I get big lumps of rice in the mixture even why I use a sieve. Any idea why? My hair seems to like it but it makes such a mess all over the floor

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1. admin says:
  
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  Hi Lana, I’ve no idea why. Maybe you’re not boiling it enough, you want it to be a really thick, creamy, gloop. Or try putting smaller amounts into the sieve and do it a little at a time.
  
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Shakina says:

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Can I use a protein hair mask instead of a deep conditioner in the modified rice treatment? I only have one that moisturizes and I don’t think it’ll work too well if I mixed it in

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1. admin says:
  
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  Hi Shakina, yes – that’s what I use, a deep conditioner with lots of protein, such as the Curl Junkie Repair Me or the Hairfinity Strenghtening Amino Masque.
  
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Karine says:

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Ohhh another question….

Just read that rice contain Inositol, and I have a natural Inositol supplement. Have you heard some where if we put inositol powder directly in a spray water bottle it can help to ?

My rice hair mask with DC is sitting on my head now hope it turn out well. I push my self to do it today with my really low energy and want to do nothing, but did it

My question is weird I know sorry, but we never know

Thanks Gabriella !!!

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Karine says:

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I am so glad to have discovered you, you are a treasure island, I appreciate what you do and you are professional and give good advise. I am French and I try the best I can to understand, not easy too to find my way there, and I am a little lost on the texture of my hair, the porosity or if enough protein, or hydration but I’m learning, thank you, for all this precious time that you give us. I don’t have a lot of money, but what would be your favorite product when you have fine and easily weightdown hair ? I love mousse but did not find my holy grail. Did not find too shampoo conditioner or cream I really love. I stop following the CG method. I made rice water by rinsing the rice and keep the water, but did not boil or ferment. I’m going to try to boil now since I’m afraid that ferment will stink. Never think of boiling it thanks. Is a pint a cup?

I am trying to get out of anxiety depression and I trying to take care of my hair to help me and change my idea. Sorry.

Thank you for everything and your hair makes me dream, my goal xx

Sorry too long message

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1. admin says:
  
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  Hi Karine, for fine hair that’s easily weighed down – which is like my hair. I recommend the Bounce Curl Clarifying Shampoo, it’s expensive but lasts about a year as it’s very concentrated so you only need a little. And then the Pantene Defined Curls Mousse is great, also available in France as far as I know. If your hair is fine and easily weighed down, I don’t recommend using a cream, unless you mean a conditioner…? Hope that helps.
  
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  1. Karine Berube says:
    
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    Thanks so much for your help !
    
    I will try your Bounce Curl Clarifying Shampoo sugestion
    
    I am from Quebec in Canada
    
    Thanks xx
    
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Brenda says:

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Can I use brown rice for this?

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1. admin says:
  
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  Yes, any rice will do. So long as you wash it before hand. But personally, I find white rice works best.
  
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Rice Water for Hair says:

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I LOVE your curly hair, it’s absolutely gorge! I’ve been using rice water on my thin hair for about a year now, and it’s made such a difference. It feels much stronger, healthier, and it’s also growing quicker too. I have a different method of making it, but I want to try your way out too, so thank you for sharing!

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Jaana says:

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Help needed!
Right off the bat i want to say that i’m quite young and i started following the curly girl method only a few months ago, so i’m a total newbie in hair and life. I mostly need reassuring. Another thing is that product recommendations are a struggle: i live in northern Europe, so i can’t get my hands on any or only very few products that are listed on cg sites.

I’m pretty sure that i’m experiencing slight moisture overload, and i hope that a rice water rinse would do the trick. I have low porosity hair. Here are my questions:

Can i use full grain rice? We only have full grain and i’m hesitant to go shopping for hair purposes only, especially if i’d need to buy a whole box just for an occasional hair rinse.

How long does the rice need to boil for? Does a 10 minute boiling do the trick? Is it necessary to rinse the rice before boiling?

If i’m planning on just rinsing my hair, how long does it take? My bathroom time is sort of limited, i have a large-ish family. I feel like my normal hair routine takes ages already.

Do i need to do a deep conditioning after the rice water rinse, even if i’m experiencing moisture overload? If i do, would Garniers Fructis Banana Hair Food be fitting, it’s the only hair mask i have and it and a few other Garniers hair masks are one of the only ones you can find in my country.

How long do i have to keep the rice water in my hair? Can i just rinse and be done with it? I don’t own a shower cap and i frankly hate having wet, cold, slippery hair just sitting on my head. If i need to let it sit in my hair can i be in a sauna?

I have a lot more random hair related questions i can’t find answers to, but i won’t throw them at you because they are not related to rice water rinses and everyone is quite stressed already during these times. Thank you in advance for answering, i truly appreciate it!

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Hi Jaana, goodness there’s a lot there and a lot of questions. Firstly, I’m in northern europe too, almost everything I link to is available in Europe, with free shipping. So don’t be discouraged on that front. You can use any rice you like, see my blog post on modified rice water rinse for the rest of those questions. If you’re experiencing moisture overload you can skip deep conditioning after the rice water treatment, but only if you’re doing my modified treatment, not the rinse. You’ll need some kind of conditioner after the rinse. Re the Garnier mask, I haven’t used it yet myself, but if that’s all you have – go with that. Again regarding my first point, there are lots of amazing products available in Europe you just need to shop online. Again, all the questions you have are in the Modified Rice Water Rinse post, I also have highlights on it on my Instagram page: http://www.curlycailin.ie/curlycailin.ie. I also do One on One Curl Clinic 30 minute sessions which I think you may benefit from. Fill in this form on my site if you’d like to know more and I’ll get back to you. http://www.curlycailin.ie/contact
  
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  1. Jaana says:
    
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    Thank you so much for answering, you definitely helped so much! I’ll look into your Curl Clinic too, i think it might be just the thing for me.
    
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Aoife says:

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I tried the rice water treatment and I literally could not believe my eyes. I was actually standing in the mirror mouth open staring for around 5 minutes once it was dry. I was in shock by my curl pattern! Ive had curly hair since I was 13 but ignored it, mistreated it most of that time. Only been looking up Curly girl methods in last 2 months, expecting it would take a year or so to start working but doing the rice water treatment seemed to be the magic bullet! Then I got greedy & did it again today, but with less conditioning, and its a frizzy mess. But anyways! I’m learning the balance & excited for next wash & getting it right. Thank you so much for all your help xxx

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mishelle says:

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ok so I tried this but I blended the rice with the water to make it into a cream and it worked great! I didnt have a strainer on hand but I definitely will try with one too!

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Karen says:

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Love your content!
I’ve been on this journey for 7 months and it was going well until I got it cut and highlighted AND the weather began changing. Here in South Texas the dew points are all over the place. So My 2b/2c curls are a mess with frizz. Anyway, I think I will try this rice water and start giving my hair some regular protein. Thank you!

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Aww thanks so much! It sounds like it was a triple whammy for your hair, and it will just need some time to adjust and bounce back. Regular rice water and protein treatments will help, but definitely do some Olaplex No. 3 treatments as you had highlights. And maybe check out my post on Glycerin 101 post as that will help educate you on humectants and dew points, humidity etc. https://staging3.curlmaven.ie/glycerin-101-for-curly-hair/
  
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Kristen says:

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I am a breast cancer survivor since 2017. I had lost all hair and was told when it did start coming back, it would be curlier and a different color. All true. I went from fine but lots of it natural bigger brown curls to tight, very thin, gray poodle curls which I hate and am very sad over. Yes I am glad to have hair at all but ugh! I only wash my hair once a week and spritz to recurl daily as I was told daily washings weren’t good for hair. But by Friday, the curls become frizzy. Can this rice rinse help me? And if doing it once a week, should I start daily washings? I am so paranoid of losing what little hair I have. After 2 yrs, it just past shoulders…so slow! Sure appreciate feedback.

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Hi Kristen, so sorry you had to go through that, but glad you’re still here! Yes, rice water will greatly help with the health of your hair and with growth. No, daily washing is not good for the hair, neither would I recommend it. I recommend washing your hair about twice a week, three times if absolutely necessary but it very rarely is. And then for one of those washes, use the rice water. Hope that helps x
  
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Brittania Sorgdrager says:

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Oh Gabriella I need your help. I love reading your post and watching your videos.
I started the CG in July if 19 after hearing about you.
I used all Jessicurl products. Rocking ringlets, spirouleous, too Shea.
My hair eventually started to get back curl even in the sides. I would say I have 2c 3a hair,
very fine and thin.
But then it started just hanging and not looking curly so I started using Black Castor Olin strengthen and restore shampoo and either mom to bamboo conditioner or Hairfiniity blalance cond.
Giovanni leave in cond. Pantene moose and LA looks gel
My strands are loosing curl and my hair won’t even hold a cast.
I do not eat rice and no one else in My family does either. so making it to use once a
week would be a lot of wasted food.
If I need to use it I will but was hoping for other suggestions as well.
I looked at my hairfinity product and it had fetal alcohol as 4th ingredient. Mop top does as well.
Isn’t CG suppose to be without alcohol?
PLEASE HELP.

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Hi Brittania, So the Black Castor Oil Strengthen product you mentioned, is that the Shea Moisture one? I don’t recommend any Shea Moisture, Cantu or Not Your Mother’s Nature products, for these exact reasons. If Jessicurl was working well for you, I would go back to that. I don’t recommend LA Looks Gel either, it’s not a good product. The amount of rice you need to do a rice water rinse is not a lot and it’s the most cheapest, affordable and effective way to treat hair that needs protein among other benefits that come from rice water. CG isn’t about being alcohol free, because not all alcohols are bad, many are moisturising. IT’s harsh drying alcohols that CG method doesn’t recommend. By the sounds of it, you need to clarify, stop using some of the products you currently have in your line up and do some regular deep conditioning with a protein deep conditioner. x
  
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Olwen says:

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Hi Gabriella,
Your blog has literally been my lifesaver in my CG journey, thank you for being so clear and helpful. I have a question – I think I’m suffering from hard water build up, I get a really itchy scalp, and even when my hair is soaking wet in the shower and I’ve put through all my products, the clumps are still frizzy. It doesn’t necessarily feel dry though when it’s styled and no longer wet – it just doesn’t feel very light or bouncy though, I struggle with root volume and the curls frizz easily. I thought initially that I needed some more moisture so sometimes try the banana Garnier hair food on it, but that just makes my hair feel very weighed down and mushy. Would you recommend a chelating shampoo or this rice water rinse do you think? Or both – and if so in what order? Apologies for all the questions, I’m still quite new to this! Thank you x

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Hi Olwen, thanks so much for your kind sweet words. I actually have a blog post all about clarifying and chelating, I’ll link it here as it answers all your questions: https://staging3.curlmaven.ie/why-when-you-should-clarify-your-hair/
  
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  1. Olwen says:
    
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    Ooh, thank you for replying and directing me! I’m going to clarify with a chelating shampoo then try my first ever rice rinse with the Hairfinity deep condition you recommended. Really excited, fingers crossed it works!
    
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    1. Gabriella says:
      
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      That sounds like an excellent plan, and what I would do if it were me x
      
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Jessica says:

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Hello!
After reading your article I found it interesting that inositol is one of the main factors that makes rise water rinses so effective. Can you just buy the inositol powder and make your own DIY mask instead of boiling the rice each time? Only reason I ask, is I’m not a huge rice eater and it feels wasteful to just throw it out each time. It’s not a money issue as rice is cheap, it’s just a guilt/wastefulness issue. I know purchasing the inositol powder is more expensive, but then there is no food waste for those of us who choose not to eat/don’t like rice.
Thanks in advance for any input you may have!

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Parivash says:

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Hi Gabriella, another curly girl here. I’ve just started my curly journey and learnt a lot from you. I was just wondering if you could teach more DIY masks and deep conditioners using natural products like banana or honey or aloe vera and etc. thanks very much for your perfect blog and tips.

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Hi Parivash, I think I responded to this same question on Instagram yesterday. The reason that there aren’t more DIY masks using food such as banana and honey is because they don’t actually do anything or have any benefits for the hair. The molecules are too big to penetrate the hair shaft, so you’re literally wasting your time, effort and money, with absolutely no benefit to the hair.
  
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Morgan says:

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I might have missed it somewhere but can you tell me exactly how much rice to water you use?

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Scroll up the post for Ingredients and I list it there. x
  
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Tabitha says:

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Hi Gabrielle,

I’m just transitioning into my curly girl routine and i went from over protein to getting lots chopped off! Then my fear of protein the last month has lead me into moisture overload! It’s so so difficult :’) The last couple strand tests I did my hair was pretty set in the middle, a little part floated and a bit sank so yeah ended up bobbing in the middle, I also have fine hair but lots of it! I don’t think i’m in hydral fatigue it doesn’t seem that bad It was fine the day before I left a moisturising mask on for too long… but I still don’t know what is the best way to remedy this! Bit nervous to do a full protein treatment and tip back again.. is it okay to use just a shampoo with lots of protein in and see how that goes first? (no conditioners!) Also I had just done a clarifying shampoo before the moisturising mask so hesitant to do another one right away! I also own Opalex 3 so I could just do that maybe?
Many thanks,
Tabitha 🙂

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Hi Tabitha, goodness it sounds like you’ve had a right time of it! Don’t mind the floating/water test – it’s not accurate at all. I suggest you check out this post, https://staging3.curlmaven.ie/protein-moisture-balance/ as it’s specifically about protein overload and moisture balance and how to bounce back from both. I’ve also got a YouTube video on it so you can really see how my hair is when it’s over moisturised and how to fix it. If your hair is over moisturised atm, then don’t be afraid to do back to back clarifying. Anyway, here’s the post, I think you’ll find it really helpful: https://staging3.curlmaven.ie/protein-moisture-balance/ Gabriella x
  
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Dolores says:

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Thank you!!! I will try it soon and let you know how it goes 🙂

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Dolores says:

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Hi Gabriella, than you so much for all the information you give. I am a beginner, so to speak, and don’t fully understand how to know what my hair needs or doesn’t need protein-wise. Do your have a post in that?

Also, do you use white or whole grain rice?

Than you!!

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Hi Delores, don’t worry, we were all beginners once. White, basmati or jasmine rice is best. Yes, I have a post on what your hair needs regarding protein moisture balance, you can click on this post to read it. https://staging3.curlmaven.ie/protein-moisture-balance/ Hope that helps x
  
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Ginger says:

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Awesome info on rice rinses! I had no idea it removed hard water buildup and did all those things that he said it does benefits and etc! So it Moisturize, gives you protein etc!

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Sheldon says:

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Hi. I’m a guy. I don’t really ever wash my hair with shampoo etc. I just use water when showering. I’ve heard not washing your hair is very good for it. Now as for the rice water… Do I need to wash and condition my hair before using the rice water, or can I just use it on my hair 40mins before showering?

Thanks.

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Hi Sheldon, guys are welcome here just as much as girls! I wouldn’t say not washing your hair is good for it, there are ways to cleanse and condition your hair without damaging it, such as the curly girl method – which is why I love it so much. But to answer your question, you don’t need to wash or condition your hair before using the rice water. If you wanted to use it in the more traditional method that it’s been used as for thousands of years, simply switch out your shower water for rice water and use that to cleanse/condition your hair. My modified method is a deep conditioner. Hope that helps. x
  
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Sarah says:

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Hey. If I do a hot oil treatment and then rinse that out wash my hair, do the rice treatment and deep condition after will I still get a good effect. Im not too sure if the hot oil treatment may create a barrier on my hair so maybe the rice water might not be able to penetrate aswell. I mean I know you wash the oil out but some does stay in the hair. I just dont want this to effect my results as I love to do hot oil treatments but want to add rice water to my routine. Thanks

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Hi Sarah, I personally don’t recommend or use hot oil treatments, because I think it DOES create a barrier on the hair which prevents water and moisture from getting to the hair to hydrate it. Sorry if that’s not much help, as I know you said you love doing them. But that’s just my honest opinion and advice.
  
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Kazria says:

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Hi!
When we’re using boiled rice water, does the heat denature the protein?

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  No, I don’t believe so.
  
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Millie Goodwin says:

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Hi, I really found your article helpful. I want to know how often do I need to deep condition. I wear crochet styles to keep from manipulation of my hair. So I wear the styles fir about s month at a time, then I deep condition and for the style again for another month. But I moisturize daily( very dry scalp) with As I am. Do I need to condition more often?

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Hi Millie, thanks so much! How often you condition or deep condition really depends on your hair, and personal preference and routine. If your hair feels well balanced and hydrated, then keep doing what you’re doing. If it feels like your hair is getting dry, maybe decrease the amount of time between deep conditioning. Does that help? x
  
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Maire says:

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Hi, just wondering if my hair needs protein & is over moisturized because of a deep conditioning treatment, should I just add a regular conditioner to your modified rice treatment?
Thk u!

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Yes, hair can get over moisturised from a deep conditioner, especially if it’s a protein free one. You can add regular conditioner to my modified rice water treatment if you like, although I’ve never used it that way. I’ve tried a few different deep conditioners, and Olaplex, but prefer the Hairfinity Amino Mask. Hope that helps.
  
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Allie says:

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Can I use a leave in deep conditioner instead and just wash it out?

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  I’m not aware of any leave in deep conditioners…..If you’re asking if you can use a leave in INSTEAD of a deep conditioner I would say no. It’s not as moisturising as a conditioner or deep conditioner. But that’s just my opinion, do what works best for you and your hair.
  
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Jan says:

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So what is the ratio of rice stuff to conditioner, 1T of each?
Thanks
Jan

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Hi Jan, umm….I don’t go by a ratio of the rice water gloop. I go by the ratio of rice and water that’s detailed in the post. So to that, I add about a tablespoon of my Hairfinity mask. Or if I need more protein, I’ll put half a tablespoon of DC in. Hope that helps xoxo
  
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Esther says:

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Hiiiii! I’ve had short natural curly hair for the past 2 years but didn’t realize how much TLC it needed. I used any cheap shampoo/conditioner,
never clarified/chelated, never deep conditioned, NOTHING (shame on me!) I want to try growing it out and so I started researching on things i could do to keep my hair healthy and therefore encourage growth. That’s when I discovered your blog! I’d really like to say that I LOVE it. Your posts on CG techniques and developing a CG routine has helped my hair so much and in such short time. I saw differences immediately after trying some of your suggestions. Anyway! I’m running on. Sorry. Haha.. So about this rice water rinse, I’d really like to try it but I just wanted to ask first: I’ve been trying an ACV rinse for chelating (since I live in a hard water area) and it seems to be working so should I REPLACE the ACV rinse with rice water or just ADD rice water to my routine?

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Hi Esther, Thank you so so much for your kind, sweet words. I’m so glad you’ve found my content helpful, it’s always such an honour for me to be a part of someone’s curly journey. You would need to add the rice water into your routine. Which I understand could be a lot of “rinsing” which may be a pain in the back, literally! So try my modified version instead which is easier, and also kills two birds with one stone, so to speak, as you’re combining it with your deep conditioner. Hope that helps! xoxo
  
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  1. Esther says:
    
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    It helps tremendously! Thank you so much for even taking time to respond to me. Hehe. And yeah it’s a lot of “rinsing” but whatever the curls meet after all this time. Poor things have been starving 🙁 but yeah I like your modified idea so much so I’ll work it into my routine with deep conditioning… Also wanted to say that I’ve tried doing this research before, look at other blogs and I just couldn’t. Apart from the fact that I didn’t think it was exactly necessary (dumb #facepalm), I’m also a very visual person so if something doesn’t make my brain happy to look at, I kinda lose interest. Where am I going with this? Your blog is so pleasing to my artistic senses! Of course, not in any way saying the actual content isn’t the cream of the crop here, but I thought it’d be nice for you to know that you also do an amazing job at organizing and I guess design is the word and that those things count too. At least for weirdos like me 🙂 Makes it so much easier for me to focus on the content. The photos are such a HUGE help too, especially on the technique post. And they all have the same mood and everything just flows so well and ANYWAY I’M RUNNING ON! Sorry. Haha. Just wanted to let you know that ALL the work you’ve put into this blog counts 🙂 even the parts that don’t seem so important, it all counts to at least one person (that one person being me ^_^)
    
    P.S. sorry for the long comment!
    
    Reply
Megan says:

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My rice goop had the consistency of mashed potatoes Haha. Did I do something wrong? The first time I made it I don’t think I cooked it right, it was more runny. The second time, after seeing your comments to others, I cooked the rice for about 20-25 min until most of the water was gone and pushed through seeve. Looked like your picture, added Giovanni reconstructor (1 tbsp) and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Maybe it was the olive oil?

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Hi Megan, It’s not meant to be quite the consistency of mashed potato. If you’re on Instagram, I have a highlight on how I make my modified rice water, including the goop, so you can get a better idea of how it should look. I’m http://www.instagram.com/curlycailin.ie You should only use the gloopy, thick, creamy water from the rice, that you push through the sieve. If you get any of the rice in the gloop, then it will have a mashed potato consistency. Hope that helps. xoxo
  
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Xiomara Rodriguez says:

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Hi Gabriella! I have been following your blog for a few months since I started my CG journey and it is SO helpful! I think I may be gettting a handle on the protein/moisture balance, how to recognize what I need and when…and which products to use. I have been doing rice rinses for about month and first my hair had great curls BUT it felt stiff and gross…THEN I tried your modified rice rinse with the Hair Finity mask….PERFECT!

I took your advice and tried the Hair Finity mask alone, twice actually. I loved the way my hair looked but it left my hair feeling very airy, not sure how else to describe it. However, when I used it in combination with the rice rinse, my results were amazing! I was able to go 3 good days (with good curls!) before I started to frizz and needed to add moisture back in.

Thank you for your suggestions…keep up the good work!!

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Aww that’s so great to hear! Thank you so much for letting me know. The Hairfinity mask is perfect if your hair gets easily weighed down, which may be why your hair felt quite “airy” as you described, but with the added punch of the rice water gloop, it truly is a power combo! So glad you like it, and you’ve found my content helpful! xoxo
  
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  1. Clodagh says:
    
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    Hey Curly Cailin! Can you get that Finity Mask only online?! Mucho appreciated! I wanna try it out with this rice water rinse!! ❤️
    
    Reply
    1. Gabriella says:
      
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      It’s currently sold out in a lot of places, but it’s still available in my Amazon shops – just click the UK or USA one, to bring you to your local territory. If not, you can always wait until they’re back in stock.
      
      Reply
How to Heal Damaged Hair - My Merry Messy Life says:

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[…] Rice Water Rinse – you can actually make a protein treatment from the rice water! The protein molecules in rice are larger than gelatin so therefore, they do not penetrate the hair cuticle as easy. So this is less strong and effective than gelatin. If you try a rice water rinse and it doesn’t help much, I highly recommend doing a gelatin rinse and see how your hair responds. […]

Reply
Giorgia says:

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hello Gabriella, first of all your blog is amazing and very helpful!! Thanks for your great job!!
I have low-medium porosity short hair and in transition since 2 month, I had a gorgeous curly hair but during my pregnancy since 4 months ago I straight them. I think my hair are over moisturised (I m using products with low proteins devacurl low poo and original condition, styling cream and ultra def.gel) so today i tried your rice recipe and it worked well but after 3 hours my curls were limp and lifless again….. why??? do you think it s only because my hair are still demaged?
thank you

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Hi Georgia, yes. I suspect your hair is very over moisturised, and it’s going to take more than one rice water treatment to get your curls to bounce back and stay bouncy, instead of falling limp and lifeless again. Did you do my modified method, or the regular rice water rinse? I suggest doing my modified method, mixed with Hairfinity Mask, or Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! mask, every week until your hair starts to hold a curl again between wash days. Also, have you read my protein moisture balance post? That would be very helpful for you. x
  
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E wats says:

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Hi. Question.. can I use rice water the day I color treat my hair? Will it hurt my color or should I wait a week?

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  It shouldn’t cause any issues with colouring, as far as I’m aware. I don’t colour my hair, but I know lots of people who do, and they use rice water rinses all the time. Hope that helps xoxo
  
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Lindsey says:

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Um, I did this and MY HAIR LOOKS AMAZING. I am just starting CG although I never straightened my hair growing up since I was on a swim team and in the pool everyday. There was no way I was going to add heat to that. But I have totally neglected my hair i.e. never getting proper haircuts, dry brushing, or doing anything to it at all besides washing it. I finally got a FOOT cut off and then fell down this CG rabbit hole.

My hair has never seen protein in its entire life. I used to have very curly hair that has turned into these limp, stringy waves and holy shit the volume after this treatment! This is the first time I’ve ever had volume last into 2nd day hair. I added it to the briogeo mask and used a thicker cloth shower cap with a winter hat on top per reallifecurlygirl lol. Left it on for 40 minutes. Obviously my hair doesn’t look like yours! but there is some LIFE in it now.

THANK YOU 🙂

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  oh my goodness Lindsey! You gave me the biggest fright! When I saw you said you got a FOOT cut off, I thought you meant your actual foot! ha ha. And I was like oh no, she’s been on the swim team and now she doesn’t have a foot, but oh I guess it’s okay coz she seems really pumped about her hair! ha ha ha. I’m such an eejit! Well, now that I realise you meant you got a foot of hair cut off, I feel much better and more relieved about the whole thing! I’m so so glad this treatment worked for you and you love it as much as I do. Keep it up, and the results will keep going from strength to strength!
  
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  1. Lorna G says:
    
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    Haha! I thought she meant her FOOT too!!
    
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    1. Gabriella says:
      
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      ha ha ha! Well at least I wasn’t the only one!
      
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Krista Bunnett says:

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Im just staring my curly girl routine. Ive been doing it for about a month and still trying to figure things out. It can sometimes be very frustrating as i dont have a holy grail products yet!!! How do i know if im protien sensitve, lacking protein or over moisturized? Im not sure of how to test for each of these things?!?!?! I low poo, condition, squish to condish, mousee and gel. I have 2b/c, low porosity, medium density hair.

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  a post on the protein/moisture balance and how to know what your hair needs is coming soon. But in a nutshell, if your hair is dry, straw like, stringy and brittle, often snapping and breaking, that’s a sign that you’ve got too much protein in your hair. If you hair is lifeless, limp, unable to hold it’s curl pattern and feels incredibly soft, almost mushy – either wet or dry, then your hair has too much moisture and needs more protein. Hope that helps xoxo
  
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Liz says:

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Love your blog and this post can’t wait to try it!! I have just restarted my curly journey an am so happy I came across your blog. I have fine, low porosity (I think) hair. Unfortunately it is very thin as I lost most of it due to health issues 🙁 I know I may never get my hair density back but I’m hoping to get the most out of the curls I do have! I have a couple of questions.
1) I started using a DC and keeping it in over night and rinsing it out in the morning, would this routine work after rinsing the rice water out.

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Hi Liz, I’m so happy you’ve found my content helpful! I would not recommend sleeping overnight with a DC in your hair as this can lead to many problems, including hygral fatigue, which is a nightmare! Hope that helps and answers your question.
  
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Matilda says:

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I’m really confused about how to know if my hair needs more protein, more moisture or both. I’m scared to death of getting it wrong and making it worse!
Thanks

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  I know what you mean, and I will be doing a post on that very subject shortly. The deep condition balances out the protein in the rice water, so this shouldn’t knock your hair out of the protein/moisture balance. But the best way to test it out on YOUR hair, is to leave it on for 10 mins, then 20 mins, 30 mins etc until you figure out what works best for you and your hair’s needs. Hope that helps xoxo
  
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Haydee Quesedo says:

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Hi! my hair loved this mask. I did it without the extra protein treatment, but it worked very well. Thank you so much for this tip!

Haydee Q

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Liz says:

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I have low to medium porosity hair.
Do I shampoo my hair first before this treatmenton wet hair?
Then when rinsing cowash out?

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Hi Liz, I prefer to cleanse my hair first, sometimes clarify – which usually gives me better results – then apply this treatment, then simply rinse out. You don’t need to co-wash it out. Although if your hair doesn’t feel smooth, hydrated and moisturised after rinsing the treatment out, either apply some conditioner, or some leave-in conditioner. Hope that helps xoxo
  
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  1. Liz says:
    
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    Hi,
    
    Thank you so much for the reply.
    I did this over the weekend, but the water wasn’t thick, but left standing it thickened up.
    
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Kim says:

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Has anyone else made this? Mine still lumpy bits in like half grains of rice? Anyone else get this or just me?

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  That’s just due to how you’re straining it I imagine. You just want the creamy gloop from the rice, not the rice itself. Hope that helps.
  
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Jeanette says:

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I have a Cezanne Keratin treatment. Can this be used in addition to the keratin treatment once a month?

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  I’m not familiar with that keratin treatment I’m afraid, so I’m not sure. Sorry I can’t be of more help xoxo
  
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Cindy says:

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If using fermented rice water ive read some dilute with water so as to not overproteinize…is this true?? Or can i just use as is and rinse out before my DC or do rice wash leave in and put DC over it and leave for 20min??

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  I’ve not used fermented rice myself so can’t say. But the routine is to wash your hair, or clarify if you need to – I always get best results when I clarify first. Then either rinse your hair with rice water, or do my modified method of mixing it with your DC. Then I rinse it out and style as usual. If you just rinse with the rice water, you still need to DC afterwards. Hope that helps xx
  
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Jasmine singh says:

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How often can this be done? can you leave the dried mixture on all night?

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Hi Jasmine, it depends on how your hair tolerates protein and how much it needs. I do mine once a week, other people two it once a fortnight or once a month, depending on what your hair needs. I wouldn’t leave any kind of DC or treatment on overnight as it can cause hygral fatigue which is just as bad as protein overload. Hope that helps xx
  
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Megan says:

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Can you use instant rice for this? It’s all I have. xx

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  I’m not too sure to be honest. Sorry!
  
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Julia Jakobsen says:

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First of all I just want to say your site is a treasure and I have had so much fun reading your articles, thanks for making this whole curly method a lot easier to understand! I just got into it and hoping my own curls will come back from wherever they are hiding 🙂 I have a question about the rice rinse : would it be ok to add the Boucleme Intensive Moisture Treatment or will it clash with the wheat bran protein (not really sure how much there is of it in the treatment, it’s about halfway down the ingredients list), and also for how long do you cook the rice for – just an estimate as I want to try make this in my pressure/rice cooker? Again thanks for everything!

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Hi Julia, thank you so so much for your kind sweet words! I’m glad you’ve found my content so helpful! I haven’t tried mixing the rice water with the Boucleme Intensive Moisture Treatment myself, but yes it should be fine. The protein in that is a very small amount, I use it with Hairfinity Strengthening Amino Mask and that has protein in it too. I cook my rice for about 25-30 mins to get the thick, creamy, gloopy consistency that coats the back of a spoon or the sides of the saucepan – that’s how I know it’s done. When the rice has almost absorbed all the water and I have to really push the rice into the sieve to get the gloop to squeeze out underneath. Hope that helps lovey! xoxo
  
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  1. Julia Jakobsen says:
    
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    Thanks for replying! You’re a star and by far the online source that has helped out the most with figuring all this out 🙂 And your heat caps are so cute, have spent all my money on products this month but the second I can afford one, the yellow one is on my wishlist! x
    
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Anna says:

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Hi Gabriella
I was wanting to try this with the Briogeo Don’t despair repair. Which has protein but quite far down on the ingredients. Do you think that it’s the wrong type of DC for this? Have you ever tried it with this one? ( as I noticed from a previous post you have used this mask)

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Hi Anna, yes the protein in the Briogeo mask is pretty far down the list to make any real difference – in my opinion. I haven’t used it with my modified rice water treatment, but next time I purchase it I will. It is fine to mix it with the rice water, it will just up the protein content – similar to what it does with the Hairfinity mask I use with the rice water. Hope that helps, let me know how you get on xoxo
  
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Jaqui says:

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Do i need to rinse the rice water?

Reply
1. Gabriella says:
  
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  If you do my modified method using a hair mask with the rice water gloop, then yes you need to rinse it out. If you use the rice water as a rinse, then no, I don’t believe you do. But if you would prefer to, then go ahead. It’s all about what works best for your hair, we are each different. Hope that helps xoxo
  
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Tricia says:

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I’ve tried making the fermented rice water treatment and it was horrible. It smelled like mildew. I must have done it wrong. I won’t try that again

Reply
1. Adele says:
  
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  That’s y it’s called fermented rice water it is meant to smell when fermented…U can only add few tins to prevent such a very strong smell.tins lik lavender oil, green tea etc
  
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  1. Maria says:
    
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    I put a few orange peels before fermenting and smells great.
    
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    1. Gabriella says:
      
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      That sounds like it would smell amazing, but do be mindful of the acid from that in the mix.
      
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    2. Carol MacDonald says:
      
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      I did the same thing except with grapefruit peels. It doesn’t smell bad at all. My hair loves it. I also have Rosacea and even put it on my face with amazing results. It has definitely calmed the redness down.
      
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2. Sandra Liberman says:
  
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  Hi, question when applying the rice water with hairfinity, does this include tue scalp as well? Or just roots to ends? Thanks!
  
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  1. admin says:
    
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    Hi Sandra, whenever doing a modified rice water treatment, I always recommend applying it to the scalp as well as there’s so many benefits to the scalp! Hope that helps x
    
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Naj says:

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Hi dear ! Lovely article 🙂 I have low porosity hair and my hair doesnt like protein products much . But I feel this is great way to add protein once in a while, as the store bought DC s are too high on protein and doesnt suit my hair 🙂 In that case how often would you recommend this treatment ? Thank you 🙂

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Aw thanks so much! I do it every week at the moment until I get the moisture protein balance right, then I’ll see how often my hair needs it. But weekly is fine. Gabriella xoxo
  
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Mahmuda says:

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When I used it first time, I loved it my hair was smooth and managable but when I used 2nd and 3rd time my hair felt rough and lost all the definition. I’ve 2c/3a curls almost like u. Please help!

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Oh dear, that’s not good! How often are you doing rice water treatments? Are you doing my modified method by combining it with a deep treatment? If so, which one. The cocktail might not be quite right, you may be doing them too often or your protein/moisture balance may be off. Let me know, so I can help!
  Gabriella xoxo
  
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  1. Mahmuda says:
    
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    I did the fermented one.
    
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Dina says:

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I have a couple questions. I mixed 4oz of rice water with my DC. I poured the rest on my hair after I washed and conditioned then rinsed. So the rice water that ended up in the collection bowl, should I throw it out since it ran through my hair or reuse it. My second question is can you do a rice rinse on dry hair. My hair was dripping like crazy and it was super annoying.

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Sarah says:

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Do you use the stuff still in the strainer? Or the water that has passed through the strainer?
You hair looks fantastic! I cannot wait to try this!

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Hi Sarah, the stuff that you’ve pushed through the strainer and it’s come out the other side. You can eat the rice in the strainer x
  
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  1. Connie Graham says:
    
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    I’m still confused about this. Is it just water that you’ve pushed through the strainer, are you trying to push the rice through the strainer (break it up) or both? My water is not nearly that thick. Help, please!
    
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    1. Gabriella says:
      
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      It’s just the water that I’m pushing through the strainer, not the rice. You’ve got to boil the rice for at least 20 – 30 minutes to get the water to thicken up enough into a creamy gloop, to then push through the strainer. A few grains of rice can sometimes fall through, but generally the rice is so stodgey that it doesn’t. Really hope that helps! xoxo
      
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Andrea says:

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Could I ask if the rice water mixture lasts in the fridge if you are just using one tablespoon a week? Or do you throw out the rest? TIA!

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  The rice water can last in the fridge for a few days, maybe up to a week is sealed tight. I get way more than 1 tablespoon of rice water gloop. I just add 1 tablespoon of my deep conditioner to the rice water to modify it and make it into a mask.
  
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2. AliP says:
  
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  I wonder if you could freeze enough for each treatment? I assume that the nature would be unchanged when defrosted
  
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  1. Julia says:
    
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    I haven’t tried rice water (yet! I will be this week, since it’s clarify/ deeeeep condition time anyway)… but whenever I made flaxseed gel, I would portion it out into single servings (in 2oz to-go cups, like from dressing) and I would freeze it. I’d take one out of the freezer and let it thaw in the shower, so it was ready to go when I was. It’s lasted months, and consistency is preserved, so I’d assume you could do the same with rice water.
    
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    1. admin says:
      
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      yep, absolutely!
      
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Elizabeth says:

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I love it! I love your webby too Gabriella ypubdid such a pretty job I’m going to try it this way next time !!

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Thanks so much Liz! I can’t wait to see your results, this is my favourite DIY treatment now!
  
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Nia says:

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I really want to try this! What do I look out for in a deep conditioner to make sure it doesn’t have protein?

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1. Gabriella says:
  
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  Anything that has the words protein in it, things like wheat, silk, amino or keratin. Hope that helps!
  
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  1. TB says:
    
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    I’m not sure if aloe vera is considered to be a protein or if it can act like a protein, but it should be included in this list. Once my hair has decided it’s full on protein AV seems to overload it. Just something to be aware of.
    
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    1. Gabriella says:
      
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      I didn’t know aloe contained protein, or mimicked it. I know when I’ve tried to put aloe on my face or hair, it immediately dries it out! Both natural straight out of the leaf, and store bought aloe vera gel. Very interesting! I’ll look into it more, thank you x
      
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      1. Phoebe says:
        
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        Oops. I just made a rice mask mixed with aloe. Way too much protein then!
  2. sophie says:
    
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    Hi,
    would it be possible to maybe freeze the rice water in say ‘ portion size’ treatment rises in an odd cube tray?? One could either pop out the required amount into a Pyrex bowl and then just let it sit inside a bigger bowl with a few inches of boiling water in it to melt it…THEN mix with your conditioner.I.live alone and sometimes cooking a decent size batch of rice is too much and ( for eating) I often cook say 6 portions in one too and freeze them .really far better when living alone .
    I btw have fed my houseplants with rice water but generally when cooking use the absorption method which creates the fluffiest rice.
    
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    1. Gabriella says:
      
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      yes but I wouldn’t advise using boiling water to melt it. Absolutely pour the rice water gloop into an ice cube tray, and then just pop out a couple of cubes the night before you want to do a treatment, then mix the defrosted rice water gloop with your conditioner and you’re good to go.
      
      Reply

My Modified Rice Water Treatment

Rice Water Rinse

My Modified Rice Water Rinse

Deep Conditioner Recommendations:

How to save and store your rice water

Ingredients

Method

Extra Potent Protein Boost!

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Rice Water Rinse

My Modified Rice Water Rinse

Deep Conditioner Recommendations:

How to save and store your rice water

Ingredients

Method

Extra Potent Protein Boost!

feeling overwhelmed + don’t know where to start?

Book a Curl Clinic Consultation

Gratitude + Support

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

161 Comments

Holistic Hair, Beauty + Wellness for the modern soul by wavy + curly hair expert Curl Maven

Join the Mailing List

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