(...Or at least you may be developing a drinking problem.)

For obvious reasons, we keep an eye out for articles relating to beer and shampoo, and there's a recurring theme we keep seeing in them. This is perfectly demonstrated by a recent article at The Thrillist featuring a half-nekkid geek: People who otherwise seem quite sane deciding that "beer shampoo" means "pour a bottle of brew over your head."

Even worse, in this particular case, the author decided to take the "no poo" route and experiment randomly with a different beer each day, pretty much guaranteeing that he'd have hair that was dazed, confused, and generally quite shocked.

It's not just The Thrillist either. Looking around the web, one can easily find other articles making the same mistake.

It seems like there are some misconceptions out there relating to beer and its use as a hair care product. And since we here at Duffy's Brew are quite proud to make one of the best beer-based shampoos in the world, it's high time we cleared a couple of them up!

1 - Beer is not a cleaning agent by itself.

Beer, by itself, will never ever get your hair clean. It's full of stuff that's good for your hair, including natural proteins and antimicrobial elements that fight dandruff, but it still can't provide the basic function that shampoos and other soaps do: Grabbing hold of dirt and oils in the hair, and making them go down the drain.

In fact, since the proteins in beer will tend to bind to your hair, using beer exclusively can actually trap oils and grime in your hair! That's why it needs to be paired with a shampoo or other cleaning agent.

2 - Not all beers are created equal.

One of the funniest things about that Thrillist article is that the author believes he got the best results from Coors Light of all things, and it was oh-so not coincidentally the first beer he tried as well. Basically, he picked the weakest, least-effective beer possible, but used it while his hair was still clean from previous washings.

He might as well have just rinsed his hair with water.

The aspects of beer which make it good for hair are elements like the yeast and the hops,so if you're going to try a 'homebrew' approach, at least use a nice thick stout or other dark beer.

And If Want To Try This At Home...

Obviously, we think it's far easier to just get a great vegan beer shampoo & conditioner combo that also happens to have plenty of all-natural healthy additives. But if you're looking for a more DIY approach, here are a few strategies:

• The Basic Approach: Shampoo FIRST, make sure the shampoo is washed out completely, then pour the beer onto your hair and let it soak in for a few minutes before rinsing.
• Leave-In Conditioner: Take a mixture of about 50/50 beer to water, and add a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Put this in a spray bottle, then spritz after regular washing.
• Homebrew Shampoo: Boil some beer in a saucepan until it's reduced by one-half to one-quarter, then mix it 1:4 with a good quality shampoo. (ie, not some terrible chemical-laden store brand crap.)

So if you're hot and sweaty after a long day of chasing Pokemon (it's okay, just admit it) resist the urge to do the showerbeer thing and pour some over your head while you're at it. Beer needs real shampoo to truly work its magic.

Or just try a bottle of Duffy's Brew. You'll be glad you did!