They don’t call beer ‘suds’ for nothing: when it comes to beauty, beer is almost as good as soap! That’s right; rinse your hair in beer for clarity, make a face mask of beer for hydration. What’s up with the new boozy beauty?

Because beer is rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and amino acids, its bounty is only beginning to be explored by high-end health spas, product manufacturers, and do-it-yourself beauties everywhere. Even celebrities like ethereal beauty Catherine Zeta-Jones are boozing it up—Zeta-Jones has famously revealed that she washes her hair in a down-to-earth mixture of beer and honey.

Is That Beer in Your Hair?

Why would a starlet with access to any product she wants turn to an at-home remedy? Beer has as many coveted ingredients as many products on the market: B vitamins, protein, maltose, and sucrose are special ingredients that hops, malt, and fermentation just happen to introduce to beer. Beer clarifies, adds volume, makes hair shiny, and promotes hair growth. Beer is best left to hair that’s not colored—it can make color-treated hair feel dry. Beer is great on ethnic hair.

• B vitamins and protein repair damaged hair, promote growth, and boost overall body and shine
• Maltose and sucrose sugars enhance shine
• Corn, rice, and wheat protein add volume, making hair seem thicker both by swelling the hair shaft and depositing proteins on the outer shaft.

Beauty Benefits of Beer on Skin

The beer hair rinse isn't so far-fetched, as it's been huge with teen beauties for ages—a friend of mine even admitted her parents thought she had a drinking problem because they’d find beer bottles in the bathroom. But a beer facial may seem like a stretch.

In ancient Egypt, which is widely recognized as the birthplace of beer, women used beer to freshen the skin and reduce the risk of skin conditions. Nowadays scientific studies have actually confirmed that brewer’s yeast—an essential part of beer—can help improve symptoms of acne by slowing down sebum production and killing off the bacteria that triggers acne.

• Brewer’s yeast combats acne and helps maintain a balanced pH level in the skin
• Panthothenic acid and B vitamins make skin feel smooth, supple, and moisturized
• Hops slow the aging process by affecting the production of neopterin and tryptophan, telltale signs of inflammation

Beer-Infused Beauty Products

We’ll give you some DIY recipes below, but if you’re in the market for beer-infused products, check out our top picks:

• Brewery Benefit: Dogfish Head Brewery’s Solid Shampoo Bar smells intriguingly of beer and rosemary, but is clutch for packing—no spills.
• Supremely Stout: LUSH Cynthia Stout is one of the company’s hottest sellers, combining an organic Irish stout, lemon juice, and brewer’s yeast for a shine-inducing shampoo.
• Luxe Lambic: Sacred Showers soaps are made with microbrews boiled to eliminate the alcohol before being shaped into soap for buzz-free brewed beauty.

Five Do-It-Yourself Beer Beauty Recipes

Beer ‘n Bubbles
Simply add your favorite brew to your bath, using as much or as little as you can spare. You’ll be engulfed in your favorite smelling ale while softening your skin during your soak.

Strawberry Scrub
Mash 2-3 strawberries with a few drops of beer until it makes a paste. Rub the paste on your face and let sit for 20-25 minutes. Rinse off. This is not only moisturizing but helps eliminate pesky blackheads and whiteheads.

Beer Shampoo
Combine equal parts of your favorite beer and your favorite shampoo, use like normal. It’ll make your normal shampoo more clarifying, volumizing, and shine-inducing.

Beer Rinse
Combine 1 ounce of water, 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, 1 ounce of beer, and 5 drops of your favorite essential oil (for smell). Rub the solution throughout hair. Rinse. This can remove stubborn buildup and enhance shine.

Beer Conditioner
Warm a cup of beer, then combine it with 1 teaspoon of jojoba oil. Leave on hair for at least 15 minutes before rinsing out. Look forward to improved shine and volume.

Check out EndlessBeauty.com's Beauty Vision video of our tester giving the beer facial a real-life tryout--on her boyfriend! Click here for the hilarious footage.

Lyssa Myska Allen is editorial director at EndlessBeauty.com.