My dad is really particular about his bar–we must have all possible brands on our bar shelf and anything that has served its purpose needs to be tossed. However, that doesn't stand true for any expired or leftover beer we may have lying at home. The reason? He suggests using it to rinse hair because it makes hair feel softer and look shinier. While I always found it funny, it's not an uncommon practice. Beer is commonly used to rinse hair, often on the pretext that it works as a natural conditioner for hair. And if you don't believe it yet, do a quick search on the internet about beer shampoos and you'll come across multiple brands that claim to pack the 'goodness' of beer in a shampoo. For example, Park Avenue's Beer Shampoo that actually comes in a beer-like bottle. But does it have real benefits?

So, why beer? According to Dr Madhuri Agarwal, Celebrity Dermatologist and Founder, Yavana Aesthetic Clinic, beer contains ingredients like hops and malt which can temporarily coat the hair shaft and add some shine or volume. "However, there's no scientific data to support any visible and lasting benefits. Its effect is usually superficial and short-lived," she says. A little content of antioxidants, when added to the mix, becomes a great recipe for dull, lifeless hair.

Like Dr Agarwal explained, those ingredients might look good on paper, they don’t exactly transform into haircare superheroes once you pour them over your head. Most of what beer does for your hair is surface-level. So, the hair might feel a bit fuller or shinier after a rinse, but the effect is short-lived. 

The Real Deal

Let's talk about the elephant in the room–alcohol in haircare products or ethanol, specifically in beer–can be drying for hair and can strip it off its natural oils if used too often. "Alcohol in beer is in higher concentration which can dry out the hair causing irritation and brittleness," explains Dr Agarwal. But it's different when it comes to haircare products with beer in it. While the direct use of beer can do more harm than good, shampoos with beer also contain hydrolysed proteins and other conditioning agents which do the job and not just the beer. Therefore, products with fatty alcohol like cetyl, stearyl etc can help with smoothening and moisturising the hair but not ethanol. In simple terms, using haircare products with beer with other ingredients might work as any other product but using beer directly to rinse is not a good idea in the long run.

So… Should You Try It?

Honestly, if you’re curious, there’s no harm in trying it once. Just don’t expect life-changing results. It might give your hair a quick boost in volume or shine, but it won’t fix dryness, split ends, or hair loss, rather might aggravate the issue. If you’re serious about hair health, you’re better off using products that are actually designed for the job. "I usually recommend clinically proven ingredients such as ceramides, hydrolyzed keratin, and panthenol. They are known to make the hair stronger, and give moisture to hair shaft," explains Dr Agarwal.