We all like to hoist a cold one every now and then, but it’s probably safe to say that most men aren’t concerned about their skin when they quaff their favorite brew and kill off a few brain cells in the process — which is too bad, because it turns out men’s skin can actually benefit from beer. Not any of the organs under the skin — especially the liver — and not from drinking it, either. But it turns out the ingredients in beer can actually provide skincare benefits that are well worth examining.
Brewing up an effective skincare approach
The company that harnesses the ingredients in beer to make those skincare products is Oakwell Cosmetics, and it has created a line of beer-infused grooming products that use hops and barley extracts to hydrate, strengthen, and soothe skin and hair.
Its latest product offering is hops-infused toner mist. It’s specially designed to soothe post-shave irritation while hydrating skin that has been taken it on the chin, both literally and figuratively, due to harsh winter weather and conditions. In addition to hops, it features cucumber and aloe, both of which are familiar ingredients in many high-end skincare formulas.
The Oakwell grooming products as a whole rely on the power of hops and barley extracts to provide the skin benefits of hydration, so let’s take a closer look into the chemistry of how that works.
The power of hops and barley
Many beer drinkers don’t realize it, but hops and barley have been staples in herbal medicine for centuries. Hops are rich in antioxidants, which should sound familiar to those men who keep up with the key ingredients in the skincare products they use as part of their routines.
Barley, meanwhile, is big on vitamins B2 and B3, which support hydration in a variety of anti-aging formulas. Barley also supports healthy skin, hair, and nails, and it has amino acids that can moisturize and strengthen, so it, too, is a powerhouse ingredient.
To support its claims that these ingredients can match or exceed the performance of more commonly known botanical extracts, Oakwell uses an in-house herbalist to verify both the formulation and the infusion process to maximize the potential of these natural properties.
The Oakwell product line and spa experience
Many skincare companies have unique backstories that are well worth exploring, but few can match the unusual path that led to Oakwell Cosmetics. The company’s products grew out of its successful beer spa, which offers beer, wine, and cider served up in a sauna/spa setting.
The beverages can be sipped or downed in a zero-gravity chair, and its men’s skincare and hair products can also be sampled. The intent is to deliver a luxury experience for customers near Oakwell’s Denver location, and the company is about to add a second spa as well.
Beverages aside, the beer-infused products include a body wash, beer soap that includes a lemongrass lager offering, and even beer bath salts. The haircare products include hops-infused hair and beer oil, beer conditioner, and there’s even a beer hair mask.
As for the toner mist, you can find it on the Oakwell Cosmetics website, where you can also take a gander at the other men’s grooming skincare and haircare products, too.
