Beer Shampoo: All Froth?

The television commercials, with their ingenious concepts and wacky executions can almost instantly deify a product in a person’s mind. Sometimes people are so influenced by advertisements that they’ve already purchased a product in their minds, before actually buying it. So taking cue from instances like these, a shampoo maker has come up with a rather daft advertisement that features a man with long and glossy locks, urging you (males) to buy a bottle of beer shampoo with the help of all his props, side-kicks and uncanny shenanigans. Unsurprisingly, the advertisement was received well by the viewers not for its so called resourceful hair product, but for its amusing script and zany presentation. However, the advertisement did manage to pique people’s interests about the possible implications of using a shampoo made out of beer, which is also the reason why you may be reading this piece.

Is it beer shampoo, or a shampoo containing beer?

The writer of this article would like to believe that most of you already know the answer to this question, but for those naïve and gullible souls who’re looking for one, the answer forms the latter part of the question. Generally, products like these are regular shampoos that contain a hint of beer in them. From a manufacturing standpoint, it wouldn’t be feasible or cost effective for these shampoo makers to constitute large quantities of beer in their products. And as the beer-mongers would tell you, why waste a shampoo made out of beer on hair?

So is a shampoo containing beer beneficial?

Strictly speaking, a beer shampoo is just like any regular shampoo, which means that the benefits you derive from using it would be akin to the benefits provided by the shampoo that you’re using currently. Why the fuss then, you may ask? The answer is attractive marketing, packaging, and innovative promotional and advertising techniques. A product of this kind may or may not provide added benefits to its users, but the maker certainly cannot rely solely on this proposition to sell the product. This is the reason why makers have to depend upon some clever gimmick that can help their products gain considerable traction in the market. Like in the case of beer shampoo, beer is the USP (universal selling point) of the product. What also apparently worked in beer shampoo’s favor is the love that people have for beer. Clearly, the shampoo is a play on a man’s beer affinity, but no one seems to be complaining.

Beer as conditioner

According to hair experts, having beer in your shampoo may or may not make your hair glossy or shiny, but having beer as your hair conditioner definitely will. A prominent cosmetic dermatologist has asserted: “Since it (beer) has silica, minerals, amino acids and vitamin B, it can be used as a conditioner, as all these ingredients help in forming the basic hair structure”. Evidently, beer can act as a good conditioner for your hair.

To condition your hair with beer, apply it on your hair shaft for about five minutes after you’ve washed your hair with shampoo. An important thing to note during this process is that the beer being used must be flat beer. If this is not possible, boil the beer for a few minutes and apply it after it’s cooled off for quite a while. Rinse the beer off with cold and plain water, after you’re done conditioning your hair. You can also use a shampoo to rinse off the beer, in order to avoid your hair smelling of alcohol.

Hair mask

Another added advantage of using beer on your hair is that it can prove to be a very good hair mask when used in tandem with other hair-friendly ingredients. One of the best hair masks you can concoct using beer is by pairing it with egg yolk. To use this hair mask, first mix the combination thoroughly such that there’s no individual trace of any of the two ingredients. Apply the mixture evenly on your hair and roots, and cover it with a shower cap for about 15 minutes. Wash your hair with a shampoo later on to experience your hair look glossy.