I'm not saying you can drink your way to looking like Kim Soo-Hyun and Jeon Ji-Hyun, but the Koreans do love their tipple ... © TPGVIP
As the resident alchie of the office, this boozy beauty hack ranks as the best one yet: Steeping split ends with a shot of soju will give you super-shiny hair.
We’ll get to the whys and wherefores in a bit, but first a wee caveat. This is the very definition of a “quick high”; save it for Very Important Occasions only, or you’ll end up with a frizzier fringe than before.
Now, we’ve probably all heard of someone who swears by bathing their hair in beer. As it turns out, this moonshine myth isn’t “100 proof” fiction – the trick is to select the right sort of alcohol to hose your head with.
Heed this clever counsel that doubles up as drinking advice: Liquor before beer; you’re in the clear. Always choose clear spirits distilled from rice, potatoes and such, like vodka or the potent Korean potion known as soju.
Here’s why colourless liquors lend superior shine to your locks. The ethanol in vodka and soju is extraordinarily effective at stripping grease from your hair, notes Gene Ho, managing director of CADO Asia Pacific, a Singapore-based beauty research laboratory. Besides, ethanol has long been known for its so-called hygroscopic properties: Science-speak for the way it sucks in moisture molecules from the air.
By closing off your hair cuticles, each strand becomes smoother, allowing more light to bounce off your mane. This hygroscopic tightening effect is precisely why facial astringents and aerosol hair sprays contain so much alcohol … although there is, as always, a catch.
Moderation is of the essence. Coat your coif with alcohol too often and you’ll suffer from a rebound effect – call it a hangover, if you will. Its sebum-stripping ability has the downside of causing dehydration over time, which is why I recommend rinsing your hair out with alcohol only as an ad-hoc measure just before a special event, when you really need to, well, shine.
First, step into the shower and wet with water, then take a generous thimbleful of your chosen tipple to your tresses. Massage in for a few seconds and rinse off with cold water for extra cuticle-sealing shine. Blow-dry using the cool setting, style accordingly and you’re good to go.
Remember, avail yourself of the hard stuff only when you Absolut-ly must. A party where you know you’ll bump into your ex? Oscars red carpet? Dinner with the Queen? By all means, bag the Belvedere and grab the Grey Goose. But revert to more conventional shine-boosting treatments the morning after.
In the “spirit” of the soju we’ve been taking about, try augmenting your occasional alcohol treatments with the four-step hair-care regimen by Daeng Gi Meo Ri, the new K-Beauty brand in town. Its Clinic Plus products are packed with patented extracts: Seven Korean ginseng species and an exotic botanical blend of Siberian chrysanthemum and spider lily promise to pamper and protect against a whole suite of concerns, like hair loss, dandruff and oily scalp.
So here’s what I propose. Hew to an alcohol-free hair routine on most days, but prior to a big night out, marinate your mane in soju or vodka; better yet, pair with a DIY beer mask for a head to shoulders beautifying boost. See? Perfectly justifiable reasons to raid your home bar. I’ll drink to that!
Daeng Gi Meo Ri Clinic Plus 4-piece set, $298 per kit, consists of Clinic Plus Revitalizing Scalp Care Shampoo (300ml), Clinic Plus Revitalizing Scalp Care Nutrition Cream (150ml), Clinic Plus Revitalizing Scalp Care Microneedle Massage Roller and Clinic Plus Revitalizing Scalp Tonic (100ml), and is available at selected Watsons stores. For more information, visit www.primegrp.asia and follow Daeng Gi Meo Ri Singapore on Facebook.