How to Get Gorgeous Hair on an Actual Beer Budget

Before you hop into a hot shower, why not grab a cold one? Whether you’ve been the victim of an accidental spill in an overcrowded bar, or a willing participant in a lively beer shower at a summer concert, your hair may have had contact with beer at some point. Usually, this is something you’d prefer to resolve with shampoo for fear of creating a sticky disaster, but a recent trend in the beauty world encourages people to dump a brewski over their head, giving a whole new meaning to the concept of a shower beer. What would drive people to pour a perfectly good beer down the drain? It’s all in the name of beautiful hair.

What’s the Buzz About Beer Rinses?

Why is a beer rinse supposed to be good for your hair? Well, it might not be a modern beauty invention (considering beer is thought to be nearly 5,000 years old) but the key ingredients used in the brewing process lend themselves surprisingly well to creating soft, healthy hair. Hops and malt contain Vitamin B and protein that nourish strands and coat the cuticle, resulting in added volume, while sucrose and maltose tighten the cuticles for major shine. Beer has also been rumored to stimulate hair growth, but the jury is still out on that.

How Beer Rinses Work

Soaking your hair in beer sounds more like an eccentric bathing ritual than a hair treatment, but the process of a beer rinse is simple and straightforward.

Step 1: Prepare

There are differing schools of thought when it comes to how to prepare the beer for application, but one thing is for sure, you should avoid using a can directly from the fridge—brrr! Because the alcohol in beer can be drying, heating it up first serves to reduce the alcohol content and lessen the negative effects. You can boil the beer, just be sure to let it cool before you take it in the bath. Alternatively, let the beer go flat by leaving it sitting out for 45 minutes prior to use.

Step 2: Bottoms Up

After shampooing, pour the lukewarm beer over your head and work it through. Allow it to saturate for a few minutes, and then rinse using cold water for added shine.

Step 3: Last Call

If you’re worried about showing up to work smelling like a frat party, use a solution that’s one part beer, one part water and two parts apple cider vinegar—modern beauty staple—to cut any potentially unpleasant odors. For those who prefer to err on the side of caution, apply a fragrant conditioner after rinsing thoroughly. Overall, the benefit of luscious locks definitely outweighs the cost of having one less beer in the fridge, so give it a try and let that beer go to your head in the best way possible!