From The Straits Times    |

Image: Showbit

Newsflash: Ale alleviates acne. Who knew?

Teetotaling skeptics, there’s actually a substantial body of research on the beautifying benefits of beer. For starters, the brewer’s yeast in your liquid gold has been shown to stall sebum production and pummel acne-aggravating bacteria into submission.

Indeed, the yeast in beer is crammed with skin-friendly stuff like pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin b12 and riboflavin, so much so that German-based cosmeceutical company Dayenne has begun building entire skincare ranges around the new hero ingredient.

Being an ahem, beauty brainiac and unapologetic alcohol appreciator, we knew we had to test this out for ourselves. The following is our carefully fine-tuned recipe for a spot-clearing DIY beer mask:

STEP 1. Start by filling a clean container with a generous tablespoon or two of unflavoured plain yoghurt, into which you fold a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil.

STEP 2. Next, introduce a teaspoon of skin-brightening lemon extract; substitute with a pinch of freshly grated citrus zest if you’re feeling fancy.

STEP 3. Splash in a good glug-full of your go-to beer, then use a spoon to jumble everything up in the bowl. At this point, the mixture should be resembling pale coconut kaya in colour and consistency.

 

 

STEP 4. Crack open an egg, separate the white from the yolk (save the latter for future gastronomic use) and plop the white into your bowl. We want the white for its albumen, which is a bodybuilding powerhouse of pore-tightening proteins.

STEP 5. Whisk this mixture on the lowest speed possible for about half a minute until frothy. Resist the urge to chug down the concoction like eggnog!

STEP 6. Use clean fingers to smear the mask onto your freshly cleansed face, kick up your kitten heels for five minutes (more than enough time to polish off the remaining beer!) and splash off with warm water.

Obligatory caveat: If you have sensitive skin, save yourself the heartache of a potential case of “Asian flush” (oh, we’re having so much fun with these spirited puns!) by testing the mask out on the nook of your elbow. If nothing happens, proceed without inhibition.

Voila, the perfect pimple-reducing “nightcap” in six easy steps. Rinse and repeat if you’re intent on completing your “12-step programme”!

Want more? Get your daily dose of beauty at www.herworldplus.com/beauty

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