There are plenty of rinses known to help achieve healthier and stronger hair, but when you’ve got fragile curls like mine you would probably try just about anything to get your mane in the best shape possible. When I found out about a rinse that involved pouring beer into my hair, I was a bit grossed out. However, the benefits of a beer rinse for naturally curly hair made a lot of sense so I decided to give it a shot.
What’s in it?
Key ingredients to your typical beer are yeast, barley, water, and hops. There are essential oils in hops that are rich in antioxidants which can fortify and strengthen the hair.
Beer also contains B-vitamins and proteins which are great for conditioning. Maltose and sucrose sugars in beer help to swell and tighten the cuticle which add body as well as shine. I got satisfying results after trying this rinse! Surprisingly, my hair was softer, shinier and felt fuller to the touch even before it dried. Body is usually difficult to achieve with finer hair so this was impressive. The beer rinse is also said to improve elasticity and helps to revitalize the curl after heat damage so if this is an area that you are looking to fix, try the beer rinse!
What you’ll need
All you need is one bottle of lukewarm, flat, non-alcoholic beer. It helps if you leave the beer uncovered overnight. Depending on the length and thickness of your hair, you might need two bottles.
Directions
1. I began by co-washing my hair in the sink rather than in the shower. (I wasn’t too excited at the thought of beer running down my back”>.
2. After co-washing, I poured the beer all over my hair, coating every strand from the root to the ends.
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3. Once I poured all of the beer into my hair, I let it sit for about 3 to 5 minutes and rinsed it out with warm water before rinsing again with cooler water to help get rid of the smell.
4. I tried really hard to make sure my hair wouldn’t smell like a pub when I finished so I added a bit of conditioner after the beer rinse. Believe it or not, this step is actually optional and many people go without the conditioner! I’m not quite sold on that yet since this extra step helps to eliminate the scent of the beer I used.
I finally rinsed the conditioner out with cold water to lock in the moisture and scrunched my hair with an old t-shirt to safely dry my curls. At this point, you can style your hair like normal. I only added a small amount of leave in-conditioner because I wanted to be able to tell if there was any change in texture or body and I definitely noticed a difference.
I will absolutely try this rinse again soon and maybe next time I will be brave enough to go sans condish!
Cheers!
Have you ever used beer in your hair? What did it do for your hair?
We’re deep into the cooler months and, for naturals, that means just one thing: Silk press season. Like clockwork, social media is a buzz with viral videos toting tips, tricks, and hair flips, among other enticing smoothed styles. Whether it’s a sleek middle part style or bouncy waves, there’s no denying the main character energy ignited with each look.
I can attest firsthand to the freeing feeling that soaping away buildup to emerge with a sleek look brings. My curls are tight and plentiful, but you’d never know as I always wear my hair straight. I’ve gotten my silk press routine down to a T and often opt for a siny bone-straight look. But come wash day, it’s my curls, kinks, and coils that make me smile the most. My silk presses aren’t just a process to straighten my hair. Instead, it’s a reminder of how appreciative I am for my crown full of curls.
Like most Black girls, I grew up wearing ponytails and twists weighted down with bobos and barrets. I have countless memories of sitting between my mom’s knees as she raked through my curls and saturated them with globs of Luster’s Pink Moisturizer, never forgetting to tell me how fast my hair “drinks this stuff up.” At that age, straight hairstyles were reserved for special occasions, like church or school picture day, and were done with a hot comb and thick layers of grease. But as I got older my desire for longer-lasting straight styles increased and I begged her relentlessly for a relaxer.
The answer was always the same flat no so my hair was kept in braids and twists. Her decision to keep my hair natural stemmed from two main issues. First, there were the dangers of perming virgin hair and how doing so too early in the growth process can alter the texture and growth rate drastically. Second, was the financial obligation bi-weekly relaxers came with. But in my senior year of high school, she finally gave in and during my college years, I was devoted to relaxers. It was a weird victory— sure my hair was pin-straight but I couldn’t help but notice it never looked as good nor full as my natural hair roller wraps. I knew I didn’t love the look the perms delivered but I continued to use them for management’s sake. Relaxers meant I could easily style my hair and most importantly, that I didn’t have to worry about it frizzing up.
However, a turning point came when I moved to New York. I didn’t always have the money to get my hair done and had to quickly learn how to do it on my own. This resulted in the ultimate happy accident. I began growing out the years of permed hair. The process was trying, but through it, I gained so much more than a healthy head of hair. I began experimenting with ingredients to help my hair retain moisture and learning different techniques to straighten it. As the months went by, I watched the ragged permed hair slowly grow out, leaving behind loose curls. I’ll admit those first few years were a struggle, seeing just how much my curl pattern had changed. But it also helped me remember what my hair could be. In the years that followed, I learned how to wash, condition, treat, and nourish my hair— and in turn, watched my curls transform from loose and stringy into tight ringletts and coils.
This tale isn’t a new one and has remained a double-edged sword within the natural hair community. Many Black women have experienced vitality after ditching their relaxers but have also felt the sting of natural hairstyling— be it lengthy wash days or product formula inconsistencies. After some time, the fantasy of the big chop and twist-out faze that caused the natural haircare industry boom began to wear off, and women slowly began going back to relaxers. The decision typically led to a familiar crossroads, having to choose between what made sense for your hair and what “looked good.”
Going natural isn’t for everyone, and, at the time, I didn’t think it was for me, either. Despite perming my hair late into my teenage years, straightening my hair was the only style I knew how to do. Before my first relaxer, I’d spent years using electric hot combs, curling irons, and heavy products like curl wax and hair polisher to tame my curls. The result lasted no more than two days and turned my hair into a greasy mess—meaning I’d have to wash and redo my hair sooner rather than later. It ultimately led to heat damage and manipulating my curls.
But getting a perm for the first or 70th time didn’t give me the results I longed for either. After leaving the salon, my hair looked incredibly thin due to how straight it was. I’ve always had very thick hair, so seeing it look flat was disheartening. Even when I settled on curls or a roller set, they never provided the voluminous look I preferred. My new growth was always nice and thick and when I started growing out my perm, I noticed it stayed that way. The fullness I tried so desperately to hide as a child was back and I wasn’t about to make the same mistake.
Over the years, I’ve honed my skills and can easily transform my hair from springy coils to smooth, shiny strands— so much so that most people, including stylists, believe my hair is relaxed. My process involves a lot of conditioning products, clarifying ingredients, and heat protectants. Each layer ensures my curls are deeply moisturized and heavily protected before I begin heat styling. Through it all, I’ve learned to embrace my texture and to lean into the frizzy days. Don’t get me wrong, I love it when my silk press is on point, but I’ve learned to love the days it fades just the same. Seeing my curls revert is the epitome of bliss.
