Beer started out as a happy accident in Mesopotamia, and it just keeps making people happy. In the past, it was a form of safe nourishment and hydration due to its slightly antibacterial properties. But did you know that you can make beer a regular part of your beauty routine? And no, I don’t just mean handing a bottle to your dates and waiting for the beer goggles to kick in. Used properly, beer can make a difference to both your skin and your hair (though they probably won’t teach you about it in cosmetology schools or esthetician schools.
Is Beer Good For Skin? Yes!
Beer mixed with some other ingredients can make a surprisingly effective facial scrub that’s also gentle — ask your esthetician. For the easiest version, hull a ripe strawberry and mash it with a fork. Add a teaspoon of beer and make sure that everything is well-mixed.
It might smell pretty tasty but instead of eating it, rub it gently into your face in circular motions, focusing on rougher, drier spots. Rinse well.
This works because the beer has some astringent properties and the strawberries are high in vitamin C, are very slightly rough so that they make a good exfoliant, and they’re full of antioxidants.
Face Mask – When you’re using beer in a face mask, you need a little more heft to the recipe. Take the white of one egg and mix it with a teaspoon of beer. Whip well until the egg white, and the beer are thoroughly combined. Spread the mixture on your face and let it dry. Egg whites are a great choice for a mask because they help to tighten skin, and they’re gentle on all skin types. Egg whites are particularly good at soaking up excess oil, and the beer helps to dry up acne.
NOTE: It is always a good idea to test for allergies before you rub the recipes hard into your facial skin. Try gently scratching a patch of skin somewhere unobtrusive and applying a very small amount of the mixture. If you don’t get any adverse reaction after about ten minutes, you should be good to go.
Washing Your Hair With Beer
Beer helps your hair to look more lustrous and shiny while also imparting volume. There are a lot of ways that you can use beer for hair, with the simplest being to just pour some into your hair and let it sit for a few minutes (but don’t expect this to happen at your average barber salon!). But it’s a better idea to let the beer help the products you already love work harder for you. Mix equal parts beer and your favorite shampoo, and wash your hair as usual. One caveat: If you have dry hair, you may want to use non-alcoholic beer or boil the beer to remove the alcohol since alcohol is very drying for hair.
“What about the smell?” you may ask. Lemon is effective for reducing the odor, but unfortunately, it is quite acidic and could end up just reversing the beer potion’s positive effect. It might be best to opt for a professionally formulated beer shampoo for this reason. Though most of the smell will come out in a rinse, your bathroom could smell like a frat house until the fan gets rid of the shower’s moisture.
Beer Rinse For Hair
While adding some beer to your normal shampoo helps to give your shampoo a clarifying kick, sometimes you need more than that.
If you use a lot of products or your hair just doesn’t seem to feel clean enough, it’s time for a rinse. Again, this is not something that is generally taught in barber school or other beauty schools, but you can mix equal parts apple cider vinegar (ACV) and beer and then add a half part of water to the solution. Simply pour the mixture over your hair, taking care to work it through from your scalp to the ends (it’s not exactly a beer hair mask though some would call it that). Go about the rest of your shower and then rinse and condition as usual. Experiment with how long you keep the concoction on your hair and scalp, but 2 to 5 minutes should be plenty.
Conditioner Boost – You can do the same trick with your favorite conditioner that you did with your shampoo, or you can try something even more moisturizing. Mix a tablespoon each of jojoba oil and beer together and work the blend through your hair to the ends. If you have some time, leave the beer and jojoba oil on your hair for a while under a warm towel – the warmth of the towel will help the mixture to get into your hair more effectively and quickly. Otherwise, rinse the conditioner out at the very end of your shower. Jojoba oil soaks into your hair shaft easily, leaving your hair smooth and shiny for days.
Here’s a rather technical pdf about beer if your up for some heavy reading.