Shu Uemura’s Izumi Tonic

Rice water is having a serious moment. Although the recent commotion on TikTok may imply that the restorative, strengthening powers naturally found in the byproduct of cooking a tasty starch is a new discovery, the amino acid-rich ingredient has been used in Japanese skin and hair care for decades—contributing to the extra-long, luscious locks of geishas. To harness the full power of rice water, however, you should not simply submerge your head in a pot of the stuff you make at home, one should expertly balance its concentration and amplify it with supportive ingredients like hydrating, fortifying ceramides. With their Japanese heritage (and Japanese-sourced water) and flair for the potent and precise, Shu Uemura has brought us the ultimate in the category—a leave-in treatment for strength, shine, volume, and manageability— Izumi Tonic Strengthening Energizing Water.

With many treatment products, results come slowly. Waiting the requisite 12 weeks is, by and large, necessary, but immediate results are way more fun, and Izumi Tonic delivers some serious instant gratification. Just one application of the tonic that strengthens hair 10x in a single use produced a visibly smoother, shinier, more voluminous blowout. Combing through our newly silky hair with our fingers and bragging about how long our styles were lasting, an honest-to-goodness hubbub took over VIOLET HQ. Obviously, we weren’t going to keep this all to ourselves, and quickly sent it to the Committee of Industry Experts for their stamp of approval.

“Definitely a permanent addition to my styling regimen. My coarse and disagreeable hair has found a savior in the Izumi Tonic. My hair is now soft, manageable, and silky. Shu Uemura has done it again!”
—BRANDON REECE, Director IRL, VIOLET GREY

“This rice water tonic makes my hair noticeably stronger and silkier in just a few uses. It smells incredible and acts as a light detangler as well. My blowouts have never looked shinier!”
—RACHEL RICHMAN, Senior Merchandise Manager, VIOLET GREY

“This is a really nice product that visibly restored my hair.”
—SOFIE PAVITT, Aesthetician

With testers in unanimous (!!) agreement, the life-changing weekly hair treatment known as Shu Uemura’s Izumi Tonic is officially VIOLET CODE APPROVED and has earned a place alongside the rest of the bestselling brand on THE SHELVES.