For me, nothing good ever comes from drinking vodka, unless you like a violent, promiscuous ball of unpredictable fire coming at you. But what about the benefits of vodka for skin? Even though my emotional allergy to vodka has prevented me from guzzling up Bloody Marys and cosmopolitans for most of my adult life, my relationship with vodka was mended for good when I started using vodka for its natural healing properties.
In Russian folklore, vodka is used to treat headaches, colds, and hangovers. To be honest, I didn't even need to know that before I first got drenched in vodka. It happened when a piece of glass cleverly lodged itself so deep into my leg, so all I wanted was to stop the bleeding and disinfect the area as soon as humanly possible. Fortunately, I work at a bar where vodka is plentiful! After pouring my worst enemy directly in my gash, I felt pretty confident that vodka and I were back on good terms for good. What ELSE could this booze do for me? Well, it turns out vodka has been great at stabilizing the oil over-production that my face experiences, even though drinking it makes me act like an unsupervised,16-year-old that escaped to Spring Break for the first time.
According to sources at ABCNews, vodka is an antiseptic, which means it can remove dirt and oil while refreshing the skin. When used with other natural ingredients, vodka can help keep acne away from your face and frizz away from your hair. Usually distilled from fermented potatoes or grain, vodka is highly acidic which isn't always a bad thing for your hair. According to sources at the Black Hair Report, most hair products and shampoos are alkalizing on the pH scale because the majority of hair types out there don't need an acidic environment to survive. Those of us with Afro-textured hair need the acidity even more because the sebum our body produces gets trapped in the tight curls.
Vodka is clear and odorless, so it pretty much mixes well with everything in your natural skin routine. Since vodka has natural astringent properties, you'll want to avoid using it in conjunction with other ingredients that can dry out your face. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that if you are using witch hazel as an astringent, you don't need to add vodka, but if you are using an antiseptic like tea tree oil, then watch your vodka usage to avoid excessive dryness. Check out these recipes below — and feel free to make yourself a vodka cocktail first.
1. Vodka Mouthwash
If you're into drinking vodka, you've likely noticed it can freshen up your breath. I like to add cloves to vodka and a pinch of rosemary essential oil when I want to freshen up between brushings. If you have an allergy to vodka, you definitely want to skip this natural remedy for bad breath, since there's no way you won't swallow a least a little.
2. Vodka Tea Ice Cubes For Inflammation
Confession: I have been spending an alarming amount of time making fancy ice cubes lately. Using an ice cube on a pimple has brought down inflammation of pimples for me, so it only makes sense for me to include some yummy ingredients in there to up the benefits. Just place two tea bags (preferably green or rose hip) in a pint of vodka and let steep for about 10 minutes. Discard the tea bags and fill up an ice cube tray with your new vodka tea. Once your cubes are frozen, apply directly on your pimple.
3. Vodka Toning Mist
Vodka is a great toner on its own, since it by tightens pores and saggy skin. Add filtered water, lavender essential oil, and vodka in a small, tinted spray bottle and spritz your toner on before you moisturize. Again, try to avoid combining this with other drying treatments!
Image: Christian Senger , Mikael Vejdemo Johansson ,Vvillamon/Flickr; Giphy; Kristin Collins Jackson
