Rosemary is a herb that most people associate with cooking, but it also offers a number of benefits for hair and skin.
In recent years, experts have found that rosemary oil may prevent hair loss. Some point to thousands of years of Mediterranean cultures’ use of rosemary in hair rinses to promote hair growth as evidence.
Can rosemary reduce hair loss?
The idea that rosemary oil promotes hair growth comes from its benefits. The aromatic herb has a number of uses, including the ability to:
- have anti-inflammatory properties
- promote nerve growth
- improve circulation
Rosemary essential oil gives you a fuller, bushier head of hair—and it could prevent your hair from prematurely turning gray. It also strengthens circulation. As a result, it could prevent hair follicles from being starved of blood supply, dying off, and leading to hair loss. It may also help with dry, itchy scalp.
Do studies support the claims?
Studies do show, however, that the herb can slow down some of the most common forms of hair loss.
Both men and women produce testosterone, but men typically produce more testosterone than women, so hair loss in men can occur more often, at an earlier age, and more extensively.
A 2013 study found that mice with testosterone-induced hair loss grow new fur when drenched in the stuff. (The result is not conclusive, but the researchers think it works upstream by preventing DHT from binding to hormone-receptors that enable it to attack the follicles.)
More revealing recent studies show that rosemary directly helps protect against hair loss. One 2015 trialTrusted Source pitted the essential oil against minoxidil, commercially known as Rogaine. Both were used on human subjects with androgenetic alopecia (male or female pattern baldness).
The results showed that rosemary oil was just as effective at fighting hair loss as minoxidil. During the process, it helped with the itchy-scalp side effect to a greater degree than minoxidil did.
Two independent meta-analyses support rosemary's hair growth potential. The first, from 2010, and the other from 2011. cites a study which found that people with alopecia experienced hair regrowth after using essential oils, including rosemary oil.
What should I know before using rosemary oil?
Rosemary has been used by many to promote hair growth successfully. Using rosemary essential oil could very well do the same for you.
Only apply essential oils to areas of your body that are not close to your eyes, so that you don't get the oils in them. If you do get essential oils in your eyes, rinse them out immediately with cold water.
Likewise, be careful not to overdo it. Rosemary essential oil is known to be irritating to the skin — it can cause discomfort, but no health dangers. To avoid skin irritation, dilute the oil with a carrier oil or other product before applying it.
Science and personal experience together both suggest that the essential oil is quite effective against hair loss, particularly male or female pattern baldness. It may even be effective for alopecia.
Rosemary is a remedy you can use at home, and it may even be competitive if incorporated with commercial products like shampoo, conditioner, spray etc. What’s more, it’s quite safe when used correctly and yields very few side effects.
Credible Sources:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319444
https://www.healthline.com/health/rosemary-oil-for-hair
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-154/rosemary