It was a cold Wednesday morning and I was headed out for a beer. I mean, it’s always 5 p.m. somewhere, right? OK, so while I’m not opposed to swapping the occasional morning brew for a brewskie while on vacay (no judgement, folks), this is not actually a story about getting my buzz on. This is about beauty—specifically, getting beautified thanks to a beer-infused spa treatment.

With the holiday season upon us, the Fairmont Royal York’s Kalani Spa is currently hosting a slightly different way to glow up. In partnership with Muskoka Brewery, this “treat-yo-self” locale is offering a body wrap and mini facial using scrubs and masks containing the booze brand’s RaspBeery Coco Lait beer (available until Dec. 15).

Getting covered in beer may sound like a rough Friday night to some, but it is actually a well-established spa treatment in places like the Czech Republic. Beer spas in Prague, and now, increasingly in the U.S. and Canada, offer patrons the chance to not only sip their fave brews, but also bathe in them. Some studies indicate that putting beer on your bod instead of in it can have some benefits, like minimizing signs of aging, dry skin and even eczema. “Beer has B vitamins, saccharides, yeast and hops which could in theory dissolve dead skin cells and increase luminosity,” Lana King, a Ohio-based nurse practitioner who specializes in dermatology, told Yahoo! News.

Beer skin benefits: someone mixes together a body mask and muskoka beer at the Kalani spa in Toronto, what is shown is a bowl containing the two ingredients and in the background is the beer, chocolate and raspberries

(Photo: Muskoka Brewery)

So there I was. In a robe that was far too big for my pint-sized body, ready to sample this new trend. The very kind aesthetician guided me to the room where a massage table was ready and the lights were lowered to a comfortable dim. In a soft spa voice, she instructed me to disrobe and get comfortable on the heated massage table. Once I was snuggled under the sheet, the aesthetician proceeded to mix up a cocktail, combining the spa’s coco and vanilla brightening mask with Muskoka Brewery’s RaspBeery Coco Lait, straight from the can. To my surprise, the mixture smelled nothing like beer but instead like sweet vanilla. After using exfoliating gloves to prep my legs, arms, stomach and back, the aesthetician applied the mixture to my bod and then skillfully wrapped me up like a Christmas-scented burrito.

While I marinated, the aesthetician applied the same mixture—which contains vanilla, pomegranate and liquorice extracts in addition to the beer—to my super relaxed face. Let’s be real, I took a quick cat nap. After 30 minutes, the aesthetician unswaddled me as skillfully as she had wrapped me up. I got wiped down with hot towels and just like that, I was a new woman.

A cat wrapped up in towels and wearing cucumbers over its eyes like it's at the spa

(Credit: Giphy)

The aesthetician told me that I would notice the biggest difference the next day—and sweet bubbly she was right. My skin felt soft, hydrated and dare I say, it even had a slight glow. And that’s saying a lot for someone whose winter look is dry, cracked and ashy all over. While I defs won’t be pouring my own pints into my beauty regime anytime soon, after this experience, I may be slightly less annoyed the next time I spill beer on myself. Just slightly, though.

Beer skin benefits: Helen Mirren holds a beer and says cheers in this gif

(Credit: GIPHY)

Related:

You Can Now Try a Booze-Infused Spa Treatment in Canada
‘Beer For Her’ Is the Sexist Bevy Literally No One Asked For
Women Drinking Whiskey: How They’re Breaking Into The Boy’s Club

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