One thing that changes with aging that is unrelated to beauty benefits is parental visits. In my early twenties, I would wake up startled 40 minutes before their arrival, leaving little time to make myself and my apartment appropriate for parental viewing. Never one to want to introduce my parents to my love life, I would literally shove my boyfriend out the front door, sometimes with cab fare to ease his annoyance. Then, my roommate and I would spend the next thirty minutes in a hurried frenzy removing all signs of binge drinking, and drugs. Any evidence of at-home tattoo parties would be stashed until their departure. The main thing I never wanted to be was a cause for concern for my parents, being the more, well, experimental daughter, I definitely caused some major mischief in my early twenties.
As I rounded 30, I began to ditch the left-over college habits while I was unemployed in my twenties, I found myself preparing for these parental visits with less panic. House-cleaning and grocery shopping for their arrival was prevalent, although I still found myself hiding needles and ink or trying to stash a boyfriend in my closet, I had a lot less to hide.
On their last visit, my mother and I casually chatted in my room (a location previously off-limits to her) and she marveled at the amount of alcohol in my closet. I silently cursed myself; my parents would rather see a joint by my bed than think of me chugging wine in my bedroom all alone on a Saturday night. Then, I quickly recovered and started spewing off all the healthy benefits for my hair and skin that the half-drank bottle of whiskey and unopened bottle of wine were giving me. My mom nodded politely and changed the subject, not believing the nonsense I was rambling on about at rapid speed.
As it would turn out, excess consumption of alcohol has some really scary effects on our bods. However, the other side of the story is that alcohol applied topically on our hair and skin can have some amaze affects for our beauty routine. Keep drinking in moderation and save the excess for your next DIY face mask or hair rinse.
Beer
Beer has been rudely called a myth for hair health mainly because of the lack of scientific data used to support the claim that it can add shine, keep hair moisturized, and free from dandruff. However, that brew happens to contain some nutrients, like potassium and magnesium, that have serious health benefits your locks can soak up. Catherine Zeta-Jones, known for her long shiny tresses, has stood by the claim that beer does wonders for beautiful long hair.
To use beer as a hair rinse, use a belgium beer and add some chamomile to it after you condition your hair. The chamomile has great cleansing properties and can also act as a hair lightener; most importantly, the chamomile will help mask any boozy smell that you aren't trying to have while you get behind the wheel.
Wine
A glass of wine a day, keeps the doctor away — I mean the shrink and the cardiologist. Wine has been said to have some killer benefits for your heart and increase blood circulation. Interestingly, wine has been used in skincare regimens for centuries in other countries. You can spend up to 100 dollars on a pricey face mask using red wine or you can make your own with that bottle you are desperately trying not to finish off. Wine has natural anti-inflammatory properties and anti-oxidants which makes it great to treat pre-mature aging and acne. You'll be protected from free radicals and reap the benefits of the natural alpha hydroxy acids that are found in many OTC skin care products.
My fave way to use wine for skincare is to take 2 tablespoons of red wine, a teaspoon of grape seed oil, freshly muddled blueberries (about 10 blueberries should be more than enough), and add brown sugar. I mix all my ingredients together in a small bowl and then apply as a face mask for about 10 minutes before rinsing off. Be sure to add enough sugar to get the right exfoliating texture for your skin.
Whiskey
Whiskey is one of the most versatile boozes out there. It's also my favorite. In fact, if you are a whiskey drinker you know there are some nights where you just can't get enough. That's why my bottle of whiskey lives in my closet, protected from the masses of my house that will gobble it up in a drunk conversation about corporal punishment one evening. Not only does this booze dress up my fave cocktails, but whiskey is a great toner that I am loving this summer. Whiskey contains folic acid and naturally antiseptic properties that are amazing at removing excess oil. It keeps my acne-prone skin clear and even.
Right now, I'm loving whiskey (Bulleit, please) all over a fresh, clean face. I add a few drops of lemon, a personal favorite astringent and skin brightener, and let it settle in before applying my moisturizer.
Remember, if you have a reaction to any type of alcohol, do a test strip on the inside of your arm to ward off any negative skin reactions.
Images: Casey, Mark Turner, Corie Howell, Stop Alcoholic Deaths, Inc., Lilian Anna Riashi, Sebastian Surendar/Flickr
