Why Champagne in Your Hair Might Be a Good Thing

After a birthday weekend in Las Vegas, Rachel Katzman ended up with champagne-soaked hair. Instead of sulking about it like most of us, she looked on the bright side and noticed her hair was much softer than before. She decided to bottle her discovery and create Cuvée Beauty, a hair-care line that blends champagne extracts with plant proteins for healthier hair.

Before we get too excited and douse ourselves with the closest bottle of Veuve Clicquot, we already know that alcohol in our hair can be beneficial. We’ve told you that malt and hops, two of the major components of beer, can make your hair look shiny. But are the results the same for champagne?

Turns out, champagne in your hair sounds fancy, albeit slightly annoying, but it’s not necessarily doing anything for your hair, says cosmetic chemist Ni'Kita Wilson. In the case of Cuvée's products, “they’re making an extract from the champagne grape. They’re pulling [out] the polyphenols and antioxidants, which protect hair from UV-damage. But any repair that’s being done is by the proteins in the formula.”

---

More on alcohol-related stories:

1. Here's What Happens to Your Skin When You Drink
2. The "Drybar Bill" Could Change Your Salon Drinking Experience
3. The Perfect Drink Order for 5 Common Social Situations

---

The good news is if you recently dyed your hair and are constantly in the sun, the antioxidants can protect your color and prevent future damage. And, according to cosmetic chemist Ginger King, the shampoo contains gentle surfactants and the conditioner has dicetyldimonium chloride, which has great detangling properties.

So what does all this mean? Will the champagne extracts in Cuvée Beauty repair, say, split ends? Nope, says King, the only solution is to cut them off. But, the polyphenols and antioxidants will protect against harsh sun rays that breakdown proteins and damage hair. And, if you’re into yeasty-floral smelling hair, go for it. I tried the conditioner on my very curly hair (which did a decent job loosening my tight curls) and the smell lingered for hours, and not in an unpleasant way.

When the clock strikes midnight this New Year’s Eve, I’m sure I’ll have a glass of champagne in my hand (Veuve Clicquot Rosé to be exact), but I’ll think again about pouring it over my hair. Unless of course, I’m in Las Vegas where whatever happens, stays there.

Here's how to get party hair: