Can Beer Lighten Hair? How to Wash Your Hair with Beer
Ever thought about naturally lightening your hair or changing your hair care routine? Now is your chance with the newest beauty product on the market — beer!
By The Beer Community on Sep. 03, 2019
On March 18, 2019, Bella Thorne posted a beauty hack to her instagram page. The video shows Bella pouring beer onto her head with assistance from a friend. The captain reads, “For everyone harassing yes it’s beer. It naturally lightens ur hair and people say it’s good for u”
Bella Thorn isn’t the only celebrity using beer as a beauty product. Back in 2009, Catherine Zeta-Jones said the secret to shiny hair is using beer as a conditioner.
Using Beer as a Hair Care Product:
We’ve always known that there are many other things to do with beer besides drinking it — but is beer actually healthy for your hair? Continue reading to find out.
Is beer healthy for your hair?
It is a popular belief that beer can add both shine and strength to dull, limp hair. Malts and hops in your typical beer are actually loaded with proteins. Surprisingly, these proteins can nourish and strengthen hair by binding dehydrated and damaged hair.
Not only are malt and hops great for your hair but alcohol contains vitamin B and Silica. Vitamin B will actually tighten your hair’s cuticles, which will result in shiny, bouncy, voluminous hair.
Can beer promote hair growth?
Like stated above, beer contains a chemical compound called Silica. Silica is known to add volume to hair, make it thicker and is also commonly taken as a hair and nail supplement as it promotes hair and nail growth. Beers containing high levels of malted barley and hops contain the most Silica.
Does beer lighten your hair?
The same way that lemon juice is used to lighten hair, beer can do the same because of its pH levels. The pH scale runs from 0 to 14, with the range of 0-7 being acidic, and 8-14 being more alkaline. The average beer scores around a 4 on the pH scale, which means the beer is acidic enough to lighten hair the same way lemons (pH of 2) do.
Lightening your hair with beer can work if you have naturally light blonde hair already, but most professional hairstylists don’t recommend this technique for brunettes or darker blondes, as it can result in an orange ‘do.
Can beer cure dandruff?
You might have read somewhere that anyone looking to help their dandruff problem should not drink beer — while others say beer is the key to flake-free hair. One side believes that the yeast in your beer causes an overload of yeast (Malassezia) in your hair follicles and results in dandruff. The other thinks that the vitamins in beer are strong enough to cure dandruff. Unfortunately, there has been no scientific evidence that beer is either good or bad for your flaky scalp, and the best treatment is probably a good shampoo.
Beer Rinse
How to Wash Your Hair with Beer
Washing your hair with beer is easy to do at home. While you’re still in the shower after you’ve shampooed and conditioned your hair, simply pour roughly 1 cup of beer over your hair. Work it in with your fingers, and while you wait for the beer to work its magic, finish off the rest of your shower beer [link]. After a few minutes, rinse thoroughly.
You can use beer as a hair rinse twice a month, or whenever you feel like your mane needs a boost.
Beer Hair Mask Recipe
This mask is great for dry and frizzy hair. It will hydrate the hair while also conditioning it naturally.
Beer Hair Mask Ingredients:
- 1 ripe banana
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 cup beer
Beer Hair Mask Directions:
Combine all ingredients to make a paste. Apply liberally over your entire hair length. Let sit for 30 minutes or longer. Rinse and wash normally.
Now that you’ve added beer into your beauty regimen, check out these other great posts on things to do with beer:
How to Salvage Frozen Beer
Top 5 Bar & Party Tricks
How to Brew Glow in the Dark Beer
You Can Now Sent a Pint of Beer to Your Friends