Rosemary Oil for Hair Growth: Benefits, How to Use It & More

Like many essential oils, rosemary oil is said to have a wide range of uses and benefits. One of those alleged benefits is hair regrowth. But what does the research say about using rosemary oil for hair growth? And does it really work?

On online forums and TikTok, there are plenty of people who swear by using rosemary oil for hair loss.

But this evidence is anecdotal.

So take these claims with a grain of salt — it’s hard to measure hair growth outside of a clinical setting, and there are many factors that can increase or decrease hair loss.

Rosemary oil isn’t an FDA-approved hair loss treatment, but a small amount of scientific research suggests that it may offer benefits for people who  want to stimulate hair growth.

As far as natural remedies for hair loss go, topical rosemary oil might be worth a try. Still, there are many hair loss treatments that have more scientific backing — like minoxidil and finasteride, two FDA-approved medications.

Below, we’ve dug into the research behind rosemary oil as a treatment for hair loss, the benefits it may bring, and some alternative ways to promote healthy hair growth.

Derived from the Rosmarinus officinalis plant, rosemary oil is a popular essential oil marketed to treat everything from hair loss to acne, stretch marks, wrinkles, and more. While there’s some evidence that rosemary oil may help to treat hair loss, the evidence isn’t very comprehensive — or instructive.

For some context, hair loss can happen for a variety of reasons, including nutritional deficiencies, diseases, scalp infections, and as a side effect of certain medications.

However, most hair loss in men is caused by male pattern hair loss, also known as androgenic alopecia or androgenetic alopecia. This happens when a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) damages your hair follicles.

All treatments for male pattern baldness, whether they’re FDA-approved medications or natural hair treatments, work by either targeting DHT to prevent hair loss or by encouraging growth of your existing hair follicles.

A 2015 study looked at the effects of rosemary oil on men with male pattern hair loss. After three months, there was no notable change — but after six months, they experienced a significant increase in hair count.

Then, a study from 2022 involved applying rosemary oil gel daily for six weeks. It found that the gel improved hair count after 6 weeks of use. Unfortunately, this study was conducted on rats, not humans.

Many of the positive effects of rosemary oil are attributed to carnosic acid, a compound found in rosemary oil that has antioxidant properties. It’s thought that carsonic acid promotes hair regrowth by stimulating blood flow in the scalp, but this hasn’t been studied in great detail.

The TL;DR: There’s not much research on rosemary oil’s ability to boost hair growth, but the work that has been done is fairly positive.

So, it might not be a proven hair loss treatment, but can rosemary oil do anything for your hair?

Beyond the fact that it smells refreshing, rosemary oil has antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. This is why it’s often a go-to natural remedy for skin issues.

You could try using it to:

• Address dandruff (seborrheic dermatitis)

• Soothe a dry, itchy scalp

• Treat bacterial scalp infections

• Aid in a scalp massage

• Promote overall hair and scalp health

But before you use rosemary oil, read our guide on best practices below to reduce your chances of experiencing side effects like skin irritation.

Big caveat: There is no scientific consensus on how to use rosemary oil for hair. We say this because, at the end of the day, you’ll need to use your own common sense when using rosemary oil for hair growth.

If you’d like to add rosemary oil into your hair care routine, there are several ways you can go about doing so.

This isn’t medical advice, but to get the most out of rosemary products, try:

• Buying rosemary oil shampoo or conditioner. One of the easiest ways to get rosemary into your routine is to buy products with it already on the ingredient list. You can buy rosemary oil shampoo, conditioner, and other hair care products from most drugstores and online retailers.

• Mixing rosemary into your shampoo or conditioner. If you want to DIY your own formula, it’s fine to add a few drops of rosemary oil to your shampoo or other hair care products if you like your current brand.

• Applying it directly to your scalp. Mix a few drops of rosemary oil with a hair-friendly carrier oil and massage it into your scalp. Good carrier oils include coconut oil, argan oil, or jojoba oil, which is incidentally great for dry hair.

We just want to emphasize the importance of using a carrier oil to dilute rosemary oil. Essential oils are extremely concentrated, and when you use it on its own, there’s a risk that it’ll irritate your scalp.

As with all new hair or skin care products, it’s a good idea to do a quick patch test before slathering rosemary oil on your scalp. Apply it to a quarter-sized spot on your skin for a few days and monitor it for the signs of skin irritation and allergic reactions.

Although rosemary oil isn’t proven to prevent hair loss, other treatments are — and they’ve got a lot more research backing them up.

Since hair loss is a time-sensitive issue, it’s best not to waste your time with ineffective products. Instead, go straight to the science-backed, dermatologist-approved hair loss treatment options.

If you’re beginning to lose your hair and want to do something about it, you may want to consider using one of the treatments listed below:

• Minoxidil. Minoxidil (also known as Rogaine) is a popular medication for hair loss that comes in both topical and oral forms. Topical minoxidil is an over-the-counter, FDA-approved hair loss treatment. It works by improving blood flow to your scalp. We offer both minoxidil foam and minoxidil solution.

• Finasteride. Finasteride is an oral and topical medication for hair loss that blocks DHT from damaging your hair follicles. We offer finasteride online following a consultation with a healthcare provider who will determine if a prescription is appropriate.

• A combo of finasteride and minoxidil. Research shows that finasteride and minoxidil work effectively together. You can purchase a topical finasteride and minoxidil spray if you’d like to hit your hair loss with a combo punch.

• Hair growth supplements. Since nutrient deficiencies can take their toll on your scalp, a balanced diet is a great way to support your hair growth. And if it’s hard to get in all the vitamins you need, hair supplements like biotin gummies are worth a try.

• Hair care products. If you’re concerned about male pattern hair loss, try hair growth shampoos and conditioners. We stock a thickening shampoo with saw palmetto as well as a volumizing shampoo and conditioner.

• Other natural oils. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to rosemary oil but you’d like to try a natural oil for hair loss, you could try peppermint oil, pumpkin seed oil, or castor oil.

FYI: there is currently no research on the safety of using rosemary hair oil at the same time as other hair loss treatments. If you’re using minoxidil or finasteride, talk to a healthcare professional before using rosemary oil to make sure you’re not putting yourself at risk.

There are too many hair loss treatments to count on the market these days, but the list gets much narrower when we limit it to things that are well-researched. Sadly, rosemary oil is not part of that list.

So when you’re trying to keep hair loss at bay, here’s the takeaway:

• There’s very little research on rosemary oil for hair growth. Some studies are promising, but there’s not much out there.

• But if you want to use rosemary oil for hair loss, try using a shampoo or scalp treatment that includes rosemary oil. You can also mix it with a carrier oil and massage it into your scalp.

• Other (science-based) options exist! Finasteride and minoxidil can help reduce hair loss and promote healthy hair growth. These FDA-approved treatments have plenty of research to back them up.

Have more questions about thinning hair and how to get healthier hair? We can help. Our science-backed hair growth tips and our guide to male pattern baldness are a great place to start.

Finally, if you’re ready to do something about hair loss, we can put you in touch with a  healthcare provider through our online platform. They can help you figure out the cause of your hair loss and explore your treatment options.