Looking to use rosemary oil for hair loss? Let’s talk about it. Firstly, you might smell a bit like a roast dinner. (It’s a nice, pleasant, and pure thing for a Sunday afternoon, but there’s probably a reason why Byredo hasn’t released a ‘Poulet Rôti’ candle yet, too.) Secondly, your hair will—purportedly—grow back longer and more luscious than ever before. It sounds a bit like a miracle, but that’s what thousands of bald guys on the internet are hoping for.
On many TikTok and Instagram accounts that are occupying our feeds, talking heads have long been singing the praises of rosemary oil. It’s some sort of new hair drug, they shout, wide-eyed, and infinitely happy at the #ad check clearing in their bank account. Last month, their hair was coming out by the fistful. Now: thick, silky, strong! Wow!
But what’s the deal? Male pattern baldness has affected guys for centuries, and there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all cure, so the fact that so many social media influencers are saying so many nice things about rosemary oil all of a sudden seems kinda…weird. So, naturally, we’re going to get to the bottom of it and find out if all the hype is worth it, or if it’s all just a bit of hokum.
In This Guide
What Is Rosemary Oil?
Rosemary oil is an oil that’s derived from the rosemary shrub. It’s extracted from the leaves and its flowers using a process known as steam distillation. For thousands and thousands of years, this plant has been used in natural herbal remedies across Mediterranean countries like France, Morocco, and Tunisia. But because there’s so much demand for it these days, it’s now being grown in the UK as well.
Can Rosemary Oil Help With Hair Loss?
According to a 2022 study, researchers found that rosemary oil was apparently as effective at encouraging hair regrowth as some over-the-counter treatments. Other studies, including this one that was published by the São Paulo State University, found that rosemary oil has the natural ability to kill some fungi and bacteria. So if you’re losing hair because of an infection or an unhealthy scalp, there may actually be some benefits.
“Rosemary oil can absolutely help,” says Taylor Rose, a trichologist (a.k.a. hair and scalp specialist) and founder of The Healthy Hur. “It’s especially effective when used to treat reactional hair loss.” Rose has a TikTok account dedicated to teaching others how to grow their hair back thicker and fuller using nothing but natural remedies. In a video that she posted last year, she revealed how she managed to help her thinning hairline grow back in just three months, thanks to a rosemary and mint spray that she made at home.
“Rosemary oil as a potential topical treatment for hair loss has been mentioned in clinical studies for a number of years now, so this isn’t particularly novel,” says Zoë Passam, a consultant trichologist at Philip Kingsley. However, she isn’t fully convinced. “As a trichologist, my main concern would be that people may follow these trends when they would be better served by finding out the reason for their hair loss. Some types of hair loss are progressive, so seeking appropriate advice early is likely to lead to better outcomes.”
How Do You Use Rosemary Oil for Hair Growth?
“Sure, rosemary has been used to soothe sensitive scalps,” says Tiffany Hall, a trichologist who runs two clinics supporting those who are experiencing hair loss. “And while there is some research out there that has seen some good results when it comes to regrowth, the science isn’t fully there yet, and many other factors could have contributed to it.”
If you want to give rosemary oil a go and see if it works for you, there are a couple of ways that you can use it. Firstly, you can massage it directly into your scalp. This is probably the best way, because you’re applying it straight to where it’s needed the most. Mix about five drops of rosemary oil with a teaspoon of carrier oil (which is like coconut oil or jojoba oil), and gently massage it into your lid after a bath or shower. Rinsing it out afterwards is entirely up to you, but if you don’t, you should be careful of your clothes and sheets. If you do decide to rinse it out, let the oil sit for at least 10 minutes before doing so.