A test to see whether rinsing your hair with beer really does make it shinier and stronger.

Beer. Such a globally beloved beverage with many familiar memories. It reminds me of so many things: college parties, summer beach trips, old fashioned beer can curlers, or my dad drinking his favourite Boston lager. It’s the thing I might imagine taking a cool sip of after a long week of work. Beer is for many people many different things. It can be a beverage, it can be a batter, it can a beard accessory. But, I never thought it would be used as a natural cosmetic. I was recently proven wrong when I found out about an old urban legend that advocates rinsing your hair with beer. Legend states that it can work to make hair fuller, shinier, and stronger. Beer’s boundless benefits never cease to baffle my brain. But tried and true, I learned that all this beer-talk was not merely the whisperings of the rumour mill.

Beer’s Boozey Blessings

So, these are two things in beer that you might have heard of: malt and hops. These two ingredients contain proteins are actually super strengthening to hair cuticles, which is the outermost layer to the hair shaft. When the cuticle is damaged, the outside of your hair will look frizzy and rough. Beer’s proteins can actually work to counteract all the other styling treatments we inflict upon our lovely locks (e.g. blow-drying, straightening, curling, dyeing). Once the outer layer of your hair is repaired, the smoother surface will be better at reflecting light, A.K.A. shinier tresses for you. Who knew brew could add bling to your bob?

If it’s volume that you’re looking for, it’s better to use beer as a leave-in conditioner. For this, it’s probably best to transfer the beer plus a couple drops of any oil (argan oil, avocado oil, olive oil) into a spray bottle. This spray on treatment would be used after a thorough cleansing. The boost in volume lasts only as long as the beer remains bound to your hair. That’s right, come your next shower, you can kiss that extra bounce in your hair goodbye. What remains should be shinier, healthier, clarified hair. So, no complaints really.

My Experiment

Despite my wariness of smelling like the rag used to clean the bar floor after a Saturday night, I knew I had to try out this brew bath on my own hair. I chose to use an organic beer, because it doesn’t contain any icky additives or chemicals. I prepped by pouring the beer out into a bowl the night before I planned to do the rinse. This decarbonates the beer and leaves it at a room temperature. The reason for decarbonation is that carbon dioxide plus water often equals water with a higher mineral content. This so-called “hard” water can make your hair look damaged and tangled. And room temperature because, well, brrrr.

The next morning I added two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to my flattened beer. The vinegar counteracts the house party perfume and doubles as a smoothing agent. You can also dose your mixture with a couple drops of the nourishing oil of your choice (e.g. jojoba oil, almond oil, coconut oil), which will ward off the drying effects the alcohol potentially has. If you’re looking to ensure a inoffensive scent for your hairdo, you can add essential oils (e.g. ylang ylang, lavender or rosemary) which promise a more pleasant aroma.

I got in the shower and shampooed and conditioned as per usual. Once my hair felt clean, I lifted up the bowl of beer mixture to pour over my head for the final rinse. WOW, was that shockingly cold. Apparently, room temperature in a Berlin March still equals freezing. I let the beer sit on my hair for a few minutes before rinsing it out. I was told that the trick is to wash it out, but not all the way out—so that’s what I did. I wrapped my hair in a towel, brushed it out, and then left it to air dry.

After Thoughts

Once my hair was completely dry, the first thing that I noticed was that my standardly wavey locks looked much straighter than normal. My hair felt very soft, de-frizzed and so stick straight that I could have fooled anyone I’d had it done professionally. The scent of beer definitely lingered in the vicinity of my head—I noticed I kept sniffing around, trying to spot the broken beer bottle. All in all, I would try this again, but definitely not too regularly (it’s only advised as a 2-3 time a month treatment). And probably only if I didn’t have anywhere to go afterwards, although a beer-drenched smell could definitely suit some party settings. With some unforeseen perks, this beer rinse delivered as promised. I dare you guys to try it. Leave a comment letting me know if you’ve tried this before or how it goes trying it for the first time.