Skip to main content

Hair Growth, The Rosemary Oil Myth

Can Rosemary Oil Really Make Your Hair Grow? Here's the Deal.


Just as I was about to give up on my hopes of having longer, thicker, fuller hair, I heard some pretty convincing testimonials about a little something called rosemary oil. Rumor has it this essential oil (aka rosemary oil leaf extract, or rosmarinus officinalis leaf oil, if you're looking at an ingredient label) can supposedly prevent hair loss, reduce breakage and split ends, and improve hair growth.

Before I got my hopes up (and before I spent money on something that would end up in the pile of ineffective hair supplements under my bathroom sink), I turned to the experts to find out what's for real and what's fiction. Here, Yoram Harth, MD, board-certified dermatologist and founder of the newly launched MDhair, and Gretchen Friese, BosleyMD certified trichologist, share the science behind using rosemary oil for hair growth and what to know before giving it a try yourself.

Is rosemary oil good for hair growth?

Rosemary (yep, as in the herb on your cooked potatoes or the sprig in your fancy cocktail) is part of a family of aromatic herbs that also includes basil, lavender, and sage. According to Friese, the best quality oil is obtained from the flowering tops of the plant, and the ingredient is not only known for its fragrant aroma and uses in the kitchen but also for its stimulating, soothing, and pain-relieving properties.

To get a little technical, Dr. Harth explains that the main ingredients of rosemary oil are α-Pinene, 1,8-cineole, camphor, carnosic acid, and borneol. “These natural compounds were shown to have anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antibacterial, antioxidant, and analgesic—pain-reducing—properties,” Dr. Harth says.

Thanks to all of its properties, rosemary oil has been used for centuries to stimulate blood circulation in the scalp, prevent hair loss, slow down graying hair, and help with dry scalp and dandruff, according to Dr. Harth.

Harth. As if that list of benefits wasn't impressive enough, Dr. Harth adds that applying rosemary oil on hair strands could even reduce hair breakage and split ends. And guess what? It's got the evidence to back it up.

Dr. Harth highlights one study on mice where rosemary leaf extract was effective in DHT-related hair loss. Both Friese and Dr. Harth point to another study that compared the effects of rosemary oil extract and minoxidil (you know, like Rogaine) on people with genetic androgen-related hair loss and found similar efficacy. “That study also found the rosemary oil was more effective than minoxidil in reducing scalp irritation and itching,” Dr. Harth notes.

Can you use rosemary oil for hair loss?

Friese points out that rosemary oil isn't only potentially beneficial for hair growth, but it looks promising for hair loss, too. “Rosemary oil has been compared to minoxidil for its ability to improve circulation on the scalp and even encourage cellular turnover, which can both improve hair growth and help prevent hair loss,” Friese says. And thanks to its also anti-inflammatory properties, Friese adds that it could potentially help prevent many forms of alopecia and other hair-loss conditions as well.

How do I use rosemary oil for hair growth?

Depending on your preference, there are a couple of ways to use rosemary oil for hair regrowth—one involves diluting the pure essential oil yourself and the other involves applying a product that already contains rosemary oil. Because a DIY can be tricky (Dr. Harth warns against using too much, which could cause irritation, or getting any drips of the essential oil in your eye) it's probably the best idea and the easiest to use a product that's already formulated with rosemary oil and follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Can I apply rosemary oil directly to hair?

Because essential oils in the pure form are so concentrated, they can easily irritate your skin and are notorious for doing so. 

That's why if you choose to go the DIY route, both Dr. Harth and Friese recommend you dilute the rosemary oil first in a carrier oil, such as grapeseed oil or coconut oil, or in another product, like shampoo, instead of applying it directly to your hair or scalp.

According to Dr. Harth, the optimal dilution ratio is 15 drops of rosemary oil for every 6 teaspoons of your carrier oil (olive oil, argan oil, and jojoba oil make great options, too). Once combined, massage it into your scalp and leave it for 10 minutes before washing it out. If you choose to mix it into your shampoo, Dr. Harth suggests adding two to three drops of the rosemary oil to an almond size amount of your cleanser and massaging it into your scalp for at least 3 minutes before rinsing.

Is it safe to use rosemary oil on hair every day?

If you're using rosemary oil diluted in a carrier oil, Dr. Harth recommends doing so a few times a week. Friese says you can apply the mixture up to twice a day, but you'll want to make sure to wash your hair frequently to ensure that the oils don’t clog your follicles.

A product that contains rosemary oil leaf extract, like a scalp treatment serum, can be used daily or as recommended by the manufacturer, and Dr. Harth even suggests leaving it on the scalp overnight for optimal results.

Is it safe to use rosemary oil on hair every day?

If you're using rosemary oil diluted in a carrier oil, Dr. Harth recommends doing so a few times a week. Friese says you can apply the mixture up to twice a day, but you'll want to make sure to wash your hair frequently to ensure that the oils don’t clog your follicles.

A product that contains rosemary oil leaf extract, like a scalp treatment serum, can be used daily or as recommended by the manufacturer, and Dr. Harth even suggests leaving it on the scalp overnight for optimal results.

Credit: Brooke Shunatona, Yahoo! Image Credit: Exporters India


Comments

Post a Comment

Type your comments here

Popular posts from this blog

Philip Shaibu Pleads For Forgiveness - Forgive, Says The Deputy Governor of Edo State, To His Governor

Thursday in Benin City, Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu appealed to Governor Obaseki to forgive and forget their differences.        Governor Godwin Obaseki and His Deputy Philip Shaibu  An embattled  Shaibu, begged his principal, Governor Godwin Obakeki, for forgiveness over their political differences. While addressing journalists he said: "I use this medium to appeal to Mr Governor, if there is anything that I don’t know that I have done, please forgive me so that we can develop our state together,” he said. "We have just one year to go. We have been the envy of the entire country. So Mr Governor, if there is anything you feel that I have done, please I am sorry. I need us to work together to finish well and strong.” On whether he had resumed at his new office, the Deputy Governor replied; “We have resumed but there is still a lot of work to be done there. “There is no problem about it. The governor has asked us to go there. Like I have alway...

In The Spotlight-N250m donation: Davido releases list of 292 beneficiaries

The list of 292 orphanages that benefited from his donation of N250 million, has been released by Nigerian singer, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido.  Davido had sent out a video message to his friends and colleagues in the entertainment industry to send money to him as part of his birthday celebration in November 2021. After the shout out to his friends, the DMW label boss was able to amass over N100 million, in a few hours. This amount later grew to N200million in a few days. Davido then added a personal donation of N50 million to make it N250 million. Davido declared that he was giving the money to charity. He said that he would set up a committee to ensure the disbursement of the money to orphanages across the country. Guess what, Davido has now revealed that the money had been disbursed to 292 homes selected from all the states of the federation. This information was contained in a statement signed by the multi-award winning singer on Tuesday. The statement reads, “As p...

The United Kingdom Bans People From Using A Student Visa As A Backdoor Route To Work In The UK And More....

The United Kingdom has slammed restrictions on student visa routes in a bid to cut net migration, a statement announced.                        Image Credit: The Guardian UK The United Kingdom is setting restrictions to curb net migration. The policy restricts foreign students from bringing family members on all but postgraduate research routes. In a statement on Tuesday, the Home Office said the development was necessary to stop people from using the student visa as a backdoor route to work in the UK. "Last year almost half a million student visas were issued while the number of dependants of overseas students has increased by 750% since 2019, to 136,000 people,” the Home Office said. "The new reforms will come into effect for students starting in January next year. The government will however work with the higher education sector to explore alternative options to ensure the brightest and best students can continue to bring de...