OnTap Magazine

BEER, BEER BEAUTIFUL There’s a tired joke that beauty is in the eye of the beer holder, but Wendy Jasson da Costa believes it might actually be in the beer bottle... FEATURE S ince the beginning of time people have used all sorts of natural ingredients to heal and pamper their bodies. And what could be more natural than the good stu that goes into beer? In recent years the beer industry has caught on and brands like Carlsberg have even started their own grooming ranges. e four base ingredients in beer – barley, hops, yeast and water – contain compounds which possess, amongst others, anti‐bacterial, anti‐in ammatory, anti‐oxidative, anti‐osteoporotic and anti‐carcinogenic e ects. According to some medical journals, hop, barley and yeast extracts could potentially be used in dermatology treatments for eczema, dermatitis, pigment disorders, skin infections and even as antiaging remedies . For beer devotees, putting the glorious liquid anywhere other than in your mouth might seem sacrilegious. But just imagine soaking in a bath of foam 42 | Spring 2018 | ontapmag.co.za