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Long before rice water went viral on TikTok and YouTube and ended up on Kardashian blogs, the beauty practice had been used for centuries by women in Asia. According to research published in the Journal of Cosmetic Chemists, court ladies during Japan s Heian Period (794 to 1185 CE) used Yu-Su-Ru (a.k.a leftover water from washing rice) on their floor-length hair.
The method was then popularized by a village in China called Huangluo. The Yao women, who inhabit the town, are famous for their long hair that averages six feet long. According to Medical News Today, the Yao women credit their strong strands and dark color to washing it in rice water.
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Are you ready? Ready to have more fun? Chances are you ve been contemplating going blonde for a minute. Let this serve as a sign from the universe to go for it! While it s always best to consult a professional, if quarantine has you cooped inside, here is a step-by-step guide to safely bleaching your own hair at home. ELLE.com talked to Colorist and R+ Co Collective member Richy Kandasamy and Wella Colorcharm and Clairol Professional Top Artist Oliver Adams who broke down 12 steps to giving yourself the ultimate bleach from the comfort of your own home. Oh, and for the people in the back, Kandasamy s best tip is, Go to a salon or let a hairdresser do their job. If you still can t hear us, read on for a safe guide to DIY bleach blonde hair.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably noticed the massive amount of folks on TikTok claiming that rice water helped them grow Rapunzel-esque strands.
Although it’s super trendy ATM, it’s definitely not a new thing. It actually originated in ancient Japan and a few studies on using it for hair growth have seemed promising over the years. It does appear to help damaged hair due to the ingredient inositol, but we decided to get an expert opinion. R+Co Collective member, expert educator and co-founder of Rikoko Beauty, Richy Kandasamy, decided to fill us in. Read on below for his take on the trend and the answer to your burning question does it even truly work?
Izabela Habur
If you’ve been scrolling on TikTok at all over the past year, you’ve probably seen some bang-cutting, head-buzzing, purple hair-dyeing, and every quarantine cut in between. Since COVID-19 initially shuttered hair salons across the country, it’s inspired bored, socially-isolated aspiring stylists to get a little too creative with their pair of kitchen scissors. And now, the rebels are even trying to bleach their own hair at home, too.
Pretty much every hairstylist will tell you that bleaching your own hair at home is a terrible idea. “Unlike hair dyes, hair bleaching is a more permanent process, so the person doing it should really have some professional knowledge about hair and product usage,” explains Richy Kandasamy, a hair colorist and