Do Hangover Beauty Products Actually Work?
PHOTO BY ANNA SUDIT.
Alcohol has been a part of my life since college, when I paid my way through school slinging brews and shots of Jameson to bros watching football. It’s no secret that I love a glass of wine, especially after a long workday. On Fridays and Saturdays, I grab a few vodka-sodas with my friends, and dating in New York City means getting to know one another over a couple of martinis. So, yeah, I drink.
But as I’ve gotten older, my mornings-after have not gotten any prettier. Today, they tend to be defined by blotchy skin and bleary eyes, instead of the “lets-take-a-sunrise-yoga-class” attitude of yesteryear. Lately, I’ve become curious about products formulated to relieve the visible symptoms of a hangover — you know, the sallow, splotchy, dehydrated faces that greet us in the harsh, fluorescent light of a new day. Whether they’re masks or creams, these jars and bottles claim to cure our hangovers by brightening and calming our skin. But do they actually work?
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I decided to embark on a mini booze cruise to test the limits of these potentially magical products. A note of clarification: While these lotions and masks may help you look less like you spent the night out until 5 a.m. becoming the bartender’s BFF and sending regrettable text messages, they don’t actually claim to cure the actual hangover. The headache, upset stomach, dehydration, and general lack of focus? For that there’s pizza, orange Gatorade, and Shonda Rhimes. And for your face? Ahead, find out whether these five morning-after beauty fixes live up to their claims — or whether they should be left sitting on the bar.
The Booze: Four glasses of wine
The Cure: Belif First Aid Anti-Hangover Soothing Mask
Last Sunday, my parents hosted my cousin’s engagement party. When my family gets together, the vino flows. When I got back to my apartment, I remembered that I had Belif’s Anti-Hangover Soothing Mask chilling in my fridge. (Pro tip!) It has chamomile, which is supposed to soothe your skin like no other.
Even though it’s called a mask, this is more of a night cream, and since I put it in the fridge, the gel was already nice and cool. After I did my nighttime skin routine, I smoothed this stuff on and my skin instantly felt like it had taken a big drink of cold water. I tucked myself in to binge-watch Real Housewives of New York and waited until morning to see how my face would fare.
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Fortunately, I didn’t wake up with a headache. And my skin? Like I hadn’t had a drink in a week. It was calm and intensely hydrated — so much so that I needed less facial oil than I typically do. If it hadn’t been for my Snap Story, I wouldn’t have known I’d been to a party the night before. This will probably be my go-to night cream all winter. Who doesn’t need some extra hydration?
Belif First Aid Anti-Hangover Soothing Mask, $34, available at Sephora.
The Booze: Two extra-dry martinis with olives
The Cure: Daily Wonders What Happened Last Night? Revitalizing Mask
I was having a first date at a rooftop bar in Midtown. Since the wines-by-the-glass were ridiculously expensive, I ordered a martini and he grabbed a beer. After tasting mine, though, he wanted a martini, too, so we ordered a second round. Delicious, but refuses-to-plan-ahead-Maria forgot to eat dinner — and half-a-dozen olives do not a meal make.
The next morning, I woke up feeling like I’d been hit by a train, so I applied my What Happened Last Night? mask and left in on while I packed my lunch and straightened up my apartment. I was surprised how thin this sheet mask was. Plus, it was slightly stretchy and really hugged the contours of my face, something that thicker face masks I’ve tried have had trouble doing.
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When I peeled it off after 20 minutes, I was floored by how radiant my face was. My skin felt dewy, refreshed, and there wasn’t a lick of redness to be seen. I rubbed the leftover serum into my face, slapped on some facial oil, did my makeup, and ran out the door to breakfast. I’d call this mask a keeper.
Leaders Daily Wonders What Happened Last Night? Revitalizing Mask, $4, available at Ulta.
The Booze: Three glasses of wine and a rum-spiked hot chocolate
The Cure: Ren Flash Rinse 1-Minute Facial
Friends hosted a rooftop dinner party to watch the recent super moon eclipse, but the clouds had different plan for us and blanketed the sky. To combat disappointment, we took up drinking, instead! Note: Have you ever had rum-spiked hot chocolate? It’s really good!
The next morning, I woke up looking a little green in the face. I didn’t have a ton of time, so the words 1-Minute Facial were super appealing. According to the label, this mask is formulated with vitamin C to quickly transform your skin from sunken to smoothed. Unfortunately, it has a pretty funky aroma, thanks to the very same vitamin C. As soon as I put it on, my stomach churned.
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Once I rinsed off the mask, my face looked like I’d just spent the day at a spa. The skin appeared firmer and smoother, with a slight glow. I was floored: In just 60 seconds, my hangover face was erased. This product isn’t technically marketed as a post-boozing cure, but it definitely worked like one. Just heed my advice and don’t use it if you’re feeling queasy. Upchuck ain’t cute, y'all.
Ren Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial, $48, available at Sephora.
The Booze: One scotch on the rocks…and a ton of salt
The Cure: Rodial Super Acids X-Treme Hangover Mask
I had no plans and it was a chilly weekday night, so I decided to stay in and make some marinara sauce. Encouraged by the cooler temps, I poured myself a scotch and started cooking. Unfortunately I way over-salted my sauce, but I ate it anyway, over some spiralized zucchini. I should have had a tall glass of water, too.
The next morning, I woke insanely dehydrated, in the midst of what I like to call a “salt hangover.” That was me — bloated and guilty. To fight back, I tried Rodial’s Super Acids X-Treme Hangover Mask.
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It worked like a charm. My skin was instantly brighter and felt like I’d just had a facial. The mask cleanses and exfoliates with the help of fruit acids. Even though I still had a headache, my face looked like I’d been surviving on green juices for the past week. One caveat, though. This is a clay mask, so it’s messier than the other guys on this list. Do this treatment before you get dressed to avoid spills.
Rodial Super Acids X-Treme Hangover Mask, $56, available at Nordstrom.
The Booze: A couple of vodkas, a margarita, and a shot of whiskey. Ouch.
The Cure: Skyn Iceland’s Skin Hangover Kit
My friend and I were getting together to catch up before I left for vacation, so she suggested we pop by a happy hour that one of her clients was hosting, then find a quiet bar. Sometime during the night, I forgot that I’m no longer in college: whiskey followed tequila followed vodka. When I got home, I fell into bed, cursing myself. I already felt like crap and knew the morning was going to be worse.
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But the hangover gods were merciful. My head felt fine. My face, however, was another story. I looked like I’d been scraped off the grill of a truck. So I pulled out the big guns — Skyn Iceland’s Skin Hangover Kit. This mini-pack contains travel-sized portions of the brand’s eye gels, eye pen, cooling daily lotion, and face mist.
I popped the gels on my eyes for 10 minutes, then went over them with the eye pen. Together, they took the puffiness away. Next, I rubbed on the cooling lotion, which actually felt chilly and nicely soothed my red face. To finish, I gave myself a healthy mist. While I didn’t look completely transformed, my skin was glowy and felt hydrated. Plus, the whole routine took no more than 12 minutes. I will 100% be packing these products in my carry-on for my next long-haul flight. I don’t, however, plan to never mix alcohol again. Probably.
Skyn Iceland Skin Hangover Kit, $25, available at skyn ICELAND.
By Maria Del Russo
