How to use Rosemary oil to Prevent Hair Loss and Improve Hair Growth.

5 minutes read.  

Overview

Applying rosemary oil may help support hair growth and prevent hair loss. But applying too much can cause side effects.

Rosemary is much more than an aromatic herb that tastes great on potatoes and roasted lamb. Rosemary oil is actually one of the most powerful herbs and essential oils on the planet!

The oil’s health uses range from antioxidant benefits and anti-inflammation to memory enhancement and incredible free radical-fighting power.

Some research was even pointing toward rosemary’s ability to have amazing anti-cancer effects on several different types of cancer!

This article shows you simple tips to follow to maximize the benefits of rosemary essential oil to prevent hair loss and improve hair growth including risks and other health benefits.

Feel free to skip ahead.

In this article:

What’s Rosemary?

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a small evergreen plant that belongs to the mint family, which also includes the herbs lavender, basil, myrtle, and sage.

Its leaves are commonly used fresh or dried to flavor various dishes. It is a culinary and healing herb.

What are Rosemary Essential Oils?

Rosemary essential oil is the oil extracted from the leaves and flowering tops of the rosemary plant. With a woody, evergreen-like scent, rosemary oil is typically described as invigorating and purifying.

Much like oregano, peppermint, and cinnamon, rosemary is frequently found in essential oil form. Essential oils are highly concentrated and distilled extracts of volatile plant compounds. These are used for cooking, cleaning, beauty, health, and other purposes.

Most of the rosemary’s beneficial health effects have been attributed to the high antioxidant activity of its main chemical constituents, including carnosol, carnosic acid, ursolic acid, rosmarinic acid, and caffeic acid.

In terms of history, rosemary is considered sacred by ancient Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and Hebrews, rosemary has a lengthy history of use for centuries.

It was said to be used as a wedding love charm when it was worn by brides and grooms in the middle ages. Around the world in places like Australia and Europe, rosemary is also viewed as a sign of honor and remembrance when used at funerals.

Top 5 Rosemary Oil Benefits

What are the health benefits of rosemary oil?

Research has uncovered that rosemary essential oil is highly effective when it comes to many major yet common health concerns facing us today.

Here are just some of the top ways that you may find rosemary essential oil to be helpful:

1. Discourages Hair Loss and Boosts Growth

2. May Improve Memory

3. Liver Boosting

4. Helps Lower Cortisol

5. Cancer-Fighting Properties

1. Discourages Hair Loss and Boosts Growth

Androgenetic alopecia, more commonly known as male pattern baldness or female pattern baldness, is a common form of hair loss that is believed to be related to a person’s genetics and sex hormones.

A byproduct of testosterone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is known to attack hair follicles, leading to permanent hair loss, which is a problem for both sexes — especially for men who produce more testosterone than women.

A randomized comparative trial published in 2015 looked at the effectiveness of rosemary oil on hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia (AGA) compared to a common conventional form of treatment (minoxidil 2%).

For six months, 50 subjects with AGA used rosemary oil while another 50 used minoxidil.

After three months, neither group saw any improvement, but after six months, both groups saw equally significant increases in hair count.

The natural rosemary oil performed as a hair loss remedy as well as the conventional form of treatment and also caused less scalp itching compared to the minoxidil as a side effect.

Two separate clinical reviews (one from 2010 and one from 2011) also acknowledge rosemary’s hair growth potential. The former cites a study with successful hair regrowth in people with alopecia who used essential oils. One of these essential oils was rosemary.

In the latter review, rosemary essential oil was described as a hair loss restorative. This was due to its circulation-improving effects.

Animal research also demonstrates rosemary’s ability to inhibit DHT in subjects with hair regrowth disrupted by testosterone treatment.

2. May Improve Memory

There’s a meaningful quote in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” that points toward one of this herb’s most impressive benefits: “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance. Pray you, love, remember.”

Worn by Greek scholars to enhance their memory when taking exams, the mental strengthening ability of rosemary has been known for thousands of years.

The International Journal of Neuroscience published a study highlighting this phenomenon in 2017.

Upon evaluating how the cognitive performance of 144 participants was affected by lavender oil and rosemary oil aromatherapy, University of Northumbria, Newcastle researchers discovered that:

  • “Rosemary produced a significant enhancement of performance for overall quality of memory and secondary memory factors.”
  • Probably due to its significant calming effect, “lavender produced a significant decrement in performance of working memory, and impaired reaction times for both memory and attention-based tasks.”
  • Rosemary helped people become more alert.
  • Lavender and rosemary helped produced a feeling of “contentment” in the volunteers.

Studies had also noted that rosemary essential oil may help treat and prevent Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

The effects of aromatherapy were tested on 28 elderly people with dementia (17 of whom had Alzheimer’s).

After inhaling the vapor of rosemary oil and lemon oil in the morning, and lavender and orange oils in the evening, various functional assessments were conducted, and all patients displayed significant improvement in personal orientation in relation to cognitive function with no unwanted side effects.

Overall, the researchers concluded that “aromatherapy may have aromatherapy may have some potential for improving cognitive function, especially in AD patients.”

3. Liver Boosting

Traditionally used for its ability to help with gastrointestinal complaints, rosemary is also a fantastic liver cleanser and booster. It’s an herb known for its choleretic and hepatoprotective effects.

In case you’re not impressed, let me define these two qualities.

First, being described as “choleretic” means that rosemary is a substance that increases the amount of bile secreted by the liver. Hepatoprotective means the ability of something to prevent damage to the liver.

Animal research reveals that rosemary and olive leaf extracts provide liver-protective benefits to animal subjects with chemically induced liver cirrhosis.

Specifically, the rosemary extract was able to inhibit the unwanted functional and tissue changes to the liver that result from cirrhosis.

4. Helps Lower Cortisol

A study was conducted out of the Meikai University School of Dentistry in Japan that evaluated how five minutes of lavender and rosemary aromatherapy affected the salivary cortisol levels (the “stress” hormone) of 22 healthy volunteers.

Upon observing that both essential oils enhance free radical-scavenging activity, researchers also discovered that both greatly reduced cortisol levels, which protects the body from chronic disease due to oxidative stress

5. Cancer-Fighting Properties

In addition to being a rich antioxidant, rosemary is also known for its anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties.

One of rosemary’s main active components is carnosol. According to an article published in the journal Cancer Letters, “Carnosol has been evaluated for anti-cancer properties in prostate, breast, skin, leukemia, and colon cancer with promising results.”

 In addition, carnosol appears to have “selective toxicity towards cancer cells versus non-tumorigenic cells and is well.

An article published in the journal Nutrients in 2016 notes that rosemary extract has been shown to exhibit anti-cancer properties in vitro for the following cancers:

  • Colon cancer
  • Pancreatic cancer
  • Breast cancer
  • Prostate cancer
  • Ovarian cancer
  • Cervical cancer
  • Bladder cancer
  • Liver cancer
  • Lung cancer

Related: How to Relieve Cancer Pain Naturally

Other Uses of rosemary oils

Boost Prostate Health: Mix 2 drops of rosemary oil with 1/2 teaspoon of carrier oil, and rub beneath testicles.

Reduce Pain: Mix 2 drops of rosemary oil, 2 drops of peppermint oil, and 1 teaspoon of coconut oil, and rub on sore muscles and painful joints to increase circulation and decrease inflammation.

Improve Gallbladder Function: Mix 3 drops of rosemary oil with 1/4 teaspoon of coconut oil, and rub over the gallbladder area twice daily.

Help Neuropathy and Neuralgia: Take 2 drops of rosemary oil, 2 drops of helichrysum oil, 2 drops of cypress oil, and 1/2 teaspoon of carrier oil, and rub on the area of neuropathy.

Can rosemary oil treat hair loss?

The idea that rosemary oil encourages hair growth may come from rosemary’s basic health benefits. The plant in essential oil form is said to:

  • have anti-inflammatory properties
  • promote nerve growth
  • improve circulation

Like peppermint essential oil (also used to promote hair growth), rosemary essential oil strengthens circulation. As a result, it could prevent hair follicles from being starved of blood supply, dying off, and leading to hair loss.

Beyond stimulating hair growth, rosemary essential oil is used to prevent premature graying and dandruff. It may also help with a dry or itchy scalp.

How to use Rosemary oil for hair loss and growth

How to use Rosemary oil to Prevent Hair Loss and Improve Hair Growth.

Here are a few ways to try using rosemary essential oil as a hair restorative and thickener.

Try any of these treatments one to two times per week to start out. Use them more often when desired or you’ve become comfortable using them.

Bear in mind that rosemary oils are normally found in essential oil therefore original essential oils may provide you with rosemary oil if you couldn’t get pure rosemary oils.

Tips

1. Massage it directly into your scalp

After mixing about 5 drops of rosemary essential oil with a teaspoon of carrier oil (like jojoba oil or coconut oil), massage evenly into your scalp after a bath or shower.

Rinsing out the oil afterward is optional, though if you do rinse, let the oil sit on your scalp for at least 5 to 10 minutes beforehand.

2. Mix it into your shampoo

This can also apply to conditioners, lotions, or creams. Play it safe and don’t add too much. Keep to about five drops per ounce of product.

Afterward, use the product as usual. You can also add 2 to 3 drops directly to any hair product when you apply a dollop of it on your palm before use.

3. Add it to your own homemade shampoo

There are many recipes online for a shampoo base. You can also add essential oils for your preferred health and beauty benefits. These may incorporate a mixture of baking soda, coconut oil, essential oil, and possibly other oils. Try this one at Tiny Apothecary.

Risk and side effects

  • Avoid getting essential oil in your eyes. If contact occurs, quickly rinse your eyes with cold water.
  • Likewise, be careful not to apply too much to your scalp. Rosemary essential oil has been known to irritate the skin.

It may cause discomfort, but no health dangers. To avoid skin irritation, dilute the oil with a carrier oil or other product before applying it.

  • Keep essential oils out of the reach of children and pets. Rosemary essential oil should not be used topically or diffused around children under the age of six.
  • Taking rosemary essential oil internally may interact with anticoagulant (blood-thinning) drugs, ACE, diuretics, and lithium.
  • Not enough is known about the safety of using rosemary essential oils while pregnant or breastfeeding.

Talk to your doctor before using rosemary essential oil, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or if you have a medical

Where can you buy rosemary oils?

You can buy rosemary oil in drug stores, cosmetic shops, or online stores.

Conclusion

Rosemary has been used by many to promote hair growth successfully. Using rosemary essential oil could very well do the same for you.

Science and personal experience together both strongly suggest that essential oil does protect against hair loss, particularly that related to male or female pattern baldness. It may even be effective for alopecia.

Rosemary essential oil is a simple remedy that you can use at home, and it may even be competitive with commercial products. What’s more, it’s quite safe when used correctly and yields very few side effects.

I hope you get the value worth your time. I appreciate the time you spend with me. Leave a comment below if you find this article helpful and feel free to drop your question if any, or other tips you have about rosemary oil. Cheers!

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER

The content provided in Living Good Blog is for informational and educational purposes only. It’s not intended to provide medical advice or take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal doctor. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Living Good Blog takes no responsibility for possible health consequences of any person(s) reading or following the information in this educational content. Viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medication, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement, or lifestyle program.

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