When considering hair growth and regrowth treatments, natural remedies like essential oils may prove helpful.
Hair is more than just a protective covering for our noggin. For most people, it means much more. It’s often the first thing people notice about us. It is part of our identity, our expression and creativity. It is part of our vanity and youthfulness. And, for some, it’s a statement.
Hair care products continue to rise in popularity and in dollars every year as we search for that perfect panacea for flowing tresses.
There are many factors that can contribute to hair loss…
…and it can be difficult to determine the “root” cause. If your father (or mother) experienced balding, and either of their parents did, it may be that an exposed cranium may be in your future. Of course, other factors, such as health, medications, diet, environment, stress, pulling your hair tightly back constantly and hormones can play a big part as well. Some of these things are certainly good to rule out by a doctor first before you invest in endless products.
Do essential oils or carrier oils offer any help for hair regrowth?
They very well could. On Robert Tisserand’s website, Tisserandinstitute.org, it mentions a study performed in 2015 using 100 participants. Half of the participants used Rosemary essential oil, and half used the drug Minodoxil. After six months of use, these participants were seen by dermatologists. The interesting findings: The Rosemary group had less hair loss, more hair growth, and the added bonus of fewer side effects. [1]
Besides Rosemary, there are other essential oils that might also be beneficial. Sandalwood and Cedarwood are nourishing oils, which can also be stimulating to one’s scalp. Lavender oil is also nourishing, and can be found in many hair products, body products, etc., because of its beneficial properties. Geranium is known to promote natural healing and is strengthening. Clary Sage is good because this oil calms and reduces swelling, and can help regulate oil production.
Of course, what you put the essential oils in before applying to your head is also important.
The simplest way would be to add a couple drops of essential oils to a dollop of shampoo and mix well. It is important to select a quality shampoo without harmful chemicals. Substances like sulfates, which are surfactants and responsible for the rich lather, can be counterproductive to your quest for healthy, strong hair.
Besides adding essential oils to your shampoo, you could create a conditioning oil treatment to apply weekly, leave on for 1-2 hours, and then wash out. This could be done with essential oils such as Geranium, Frankincense Carteri, Tea Tree, or Helichrysum in a carrier oil or carrier oil blend at a 1-2% dilution. Massaging your head while applying can also offer the scalp additional stimulation. Some good carrier oil choices for hair oil treatments include Argan, Jojoba, Evening Primrose, Hemp, Avocado and Black Jamaican Castor oil. Any of the essential oils mentioned above would be good in a blend of 2-3 of these carrier oils.
Also, don’t forget about hydrosols. They also offer support to hair health. Suzanne Catty in “Hydrosols, the Next Aromatherapy,” recommends diluting your shampoo 50/50 with a hydrosol such as Rosemary or Rose. Catty says that it will give shine, feed the condition of the scalp and hair follicles, and will still give you the cleaning power that you need, as most shampoos are more potent than they need to be. [2]
Or, you could dilute the conditioner rather than the shampoo. Another option would be to use the hydrosol as a leave-in treatment after shampooing and before styling. Some customers have shared their experience of Rose Hydrosol helping as a de-tangler.
I also tried an oil conditioning treatment of:
- 2 drops of Frankincense Carteri Essential Oil
- 2 drops of Geranium Essential Oil
- 1 tsp of Argan Carrier Oil
- 1 tsp of Evening Primrose Carrier Oil
Add all these products to your cart
Mix these ingredients together and apply to hair, roots to tips. Leave on for at least 1 hour.
I applied this oil treatment on my hair and scalp, so it was well-saturated but not dripping. I really only used it a few times. What I noticed most of all, with both treatments, was that my hair became shinier.
Like most issues, it really is about what your body needs, and finding something that will personally work for you. It may be a journey and may take a bit of experimenting.
It’s been a relatively short time since I began implementing these products in my hair care, but my hair does seem healthier and shinier. I will continue to experiment with these products and try to implement other healthier lifestyle changes as well.
What has worked for you, to help your hair grow faster and stronger? Let us know in the comments below!
Resources:
[1] Tisserand, Robert. http://tisserandinstitute.org/learn-more/rosemary-essential-oil-hair-growth-promotion/
[2] Catty, Suzanne, 2001. Hydrosols: The Next Aromatherapy. Healing Arts Press.
I noticed it’s been awhile since comment was added, I was curious if anyone had found a good recipe mix of oils with carrier that worked great to stop thinning hair & support regrowth. I’m 45 and started noticing I’m losing more hair the longer I grow my hair, it’s now down to my waist and have very thick hair I’m sure all that weight is stressful for my scalp. I’ve been under extreme amount of stress over the past 8 months as well (breast cancer again) I know stress is horrible for your body but it seems I’m in constant state of panic which I’m sure isn’t helping my recent hair loss.
We are sorry to hear this Jenn! You would not want to use any essential oils during a cancer treatment. Please email [email protected] to learn more about this and to help you when you are all done with treatments. Thank you!
Been some time since the last comment, but I made my own hair oil/mask using 8 drops each carrot seed oil, rosemary oil, lavender, peppermint, bergamot mint oil, frankincense, sandalwood, and ylang ylang oil diluted with about 1.5 oz. of castor oil, jojoba oil and grapeseed oil. My hair has never felt so soft after using it as a pre wash conditioning treatment and as a hair oil applied on the very ends of my hair. may need to dilute more or use significantly, but so far I’ve had little to no issues with skin irritation and it smells great.
I am using Rosemary, Lavender, Cedarwood, Thyme, with grapeseed, and Jojoba oil. I have been using it now for a few month and the hair thinning has slowed down and started to grow back. I got this from an organic herb store here in KC and its great. My scalp loves it. I will use it for as long as I can.
Hi, Thank you for sharing this article. I thought about using a natural essential oil because it seems to be safer for daily use. I mean it can be used without any worry of overdosage. Anyway, thank you for the reminder. I’m using lavender oil for some other health benefits, but I never tried it for my hair, this is a new discovery for me, I found a list of essential oils for hair care, other readers might be interested in this https://juvetress.com/essential-oils-for-hair/
Hi, could you add a couple of drops of essential oil into hydrosols to use as a leave in treatment spray?
No, you can’t add essential oils to a hydrosol as it will not emulsify the oils. Also, because hydrosols are water-based, you’d need a preservative in addition to an emulsifier.
Thanks for all the information
Great tips!
very helpful content, Thank you. keep going
very informative article. exactly essential oils lay an important role in hair growth and preventing hair loss. they contain essential elements that boost the hair growth.
Thank you for this article. I have all my life had hair that would only grow a few inches past my shoulders and no further. I cannot wait to try some of these ideas!
Really needed this information about ways to treat hair loss. Thanks for always being one step ahead and fulfilling our needs for info.
I cannot wait to try this. I want my hair to grow long and strong again.
I’m happy to read that rosemary is beneficial for hair because I already bought some. Thanks for the information!
I’m trying rosemary and cypress, at first I tried only cypress with jojoba and looks like my thing spots got thicker. Has been only 3 weeks now that I’m massaging them every night. I’ll keep posting if I see a difference later. Definitely I’m loving cypress for blood circulation is great, just try it on bruises, it works.
Thank you for this article. Looking forward to trying it.
This is a very well written article.
I was trying a recipe for “falling hair” which has Rosemary, Lavender, Clary Sage, and Frankincense in it. It was working for awhile, but does not seem to be as effective anymore. I just ordered Cedarwood and hope that will help the combination out a bit.
Excited to use these tips to make a beard balm – just bought rosemary and cedarwood today!
I would avoid Rosemary on beards and body hair to want to support. It has been researched as a way to decrease DHT production. DHT supports facial and body hair growth, but can contribute to head hair loss.
Does this mean not to use rosemary eo for hair growth on the head? Sorry, I’m confused. 🙂 Thank you.
I believe Meghan was referring specifically to using Rosemary on men’s facial hair. And Rosemary is one of the best oils you can use to help encourage hair growth!
Which cedarwood oil works best for hair growth. There are many variations, which one works best
We recommend Cedarwood Atlas for thinning hair.
Hi everyone, I have to tell all of you on thyroid meds (with hashimoto) the medicine can actually cause your hair & eyelashes & eyebrows to thin & fall out. I know, I was on the meds & even tried the armor thyroid med (natural pig). I could not take loosing patches of hair, it thinned, I lost eyelashes, half of my browser & I was very distraught. Of course the doctors don’t really care about that, but I did & started more foods like cashews,walnuts,carrots,mushrooms,beets,avacados,avocado oil,olive oil,tuna,farmers bread etc. In 3 most my thyroid was fine, problem is it always fluctuates, so it could be good for two months then get terrible for the next three months. I do use essential oils in my shampoos & conditioners & make my own essential oil mix with carrier oils. I have had good luck growing my eyelashes back, eyebrows a little harder but on their way, my hair is not like straw anymore.i have to learn to be more diligent about it. And also remember to spray your scalp & hair with sunscreen,, very important. I got coppertone 15, non greasy light formular. spray. And baobab oil is terrific for making hair soft & making it act like hair instead of a frizzed, uncontrolled mess. A little on palms, rub together & pat hair wet or dry. Hang your head down when massaging your scalp with essential oils, hanging it down helps to bring good blood flow. We’ll I hope all of this helps you in some way, don’t give up. Cheryl
What recipe do you use and how do you apply? Thanks
Please share what you have used. My thyroid medicine caused the same thing. Still trying to get my hair to grow back out.
Out of all the essential oils available only rosemary oil worked wonders for my thinning hairs on my scalp along with massage. I also applied a mild shampoo few hours after applying the oil.
Awesome ideas! Just have to order hydrosol next on my list!
Great ideas! Can’t wait to try some of them!
How do you use it? Do you use coconut oil with it?
I am loving the hair mask oil treatment for my hair! I use Rosemary, Cedarwood Texas, Tea Tree and Lavender.
We’ve been trying to having healthy baby and one of our trying is stop taking hair tablets for my husband. He is keen to having healthy baby but sad to see all of his hairs falling everyday.
I’m going to try this for him and hopefully he will be happy soon 🙂
I’ve used Rosemary before, sadly without success, but I’d never thought of Hydrosols. The recipe above has Helichrysum in it and I have that in a hydrosol, Ill have to try it.
This is very helpful, thank you!
I have thinning hair due to autoimmune diseases. It’s been frustrating and a bit discouraging to say the least. To know there is a healthy option to help is beyond exciting. And, to know it’s my oils?! Happy dance! Happy dance!
Hi – I am losing hair and eyebrows at an astonishing rate due to Hashimoto’s. Have you had success with EOs to regrow hair?
I used Rosemary, Cedarwood, Basil and Lavender EO in Coconut Oil or Grapeseed Oil as hair oil. Worked quite well. But I’ve just ordered Coffee EO. Hope that will work even better!
Hair loss can be a very stressful situation. However, it does occur when we ignore our overall health, scalp health and hair health. I absolutely agree that essential oils have proven to be very effective in arresting hair fall and decline in hair quality. It is important to choose the right essential oils though, as you have pointed out. Some help to stimulate growth by improving blood circulation to the scalp, while others aid in maintaining hair health. Coconut, jojoba, sesame and olive oils are among the most beneficial for hair. These essential oils should be mixed with carrier oils for best results.
Thank you for this information, Angelina; hopefully we have customers who will benefit from it 🙂
I’ve had great luck with using oils, especially with massages, to improve spots of my scalp that were thinning.
Would you mind sharing your recipe and what you did? I am, ahem, balding and losing eyebrows due to Hashimoto’s (hypothyroid). I’m on medication for hypothyroidism, but can’t get my hair to grow back.
Due to thinningon top b/c of thyroid issues
– how do I contact you ?
Good morning Lynn! You can email us at [email protected]
I used olive oil, lavender, sage, rosemary and tee tree oil on my head after loosing my hair from chemo and it really seems to make your hair come in faster but I can’t remember the recipe , would you know what it might be…
Sheila, I am not aware of a recipe with all of those oils from our site. However, since there is Sage in that mix, it would need to be a less than .4% dilution for the blend.
I’m not sure if my comment went through so I’m trying again…sorry if it doubles! I have been using Rosemary in my shampoo for a few weeks now, how long before I should see any results? I also have a thyroid issue and my hair is thinning…
Please contact us directly via email ([email protected]) so we can better assist you. 🙂
How long before you should see any results using Rosemary in my shampoo?
Please contact us directly via email ([email protected]) so we can better assist you. 🙂
I have been adding Rosemary to my shampoo for a couple weeks now. My question is, how long before you should be able to see any results? My thinning hair is due to thyroid issue..
Please contact us directly via email ([email protected]) so we can better assist you. 🙂
Can coconut oil or almost oil be used on the scalp as well?
Absolutely. Some have had a drying effect with the coconut oil, so be careful with that one.
I lost a lot of hair right on the top of my head because of an infection of some sort (I don’t remember what the dermatologist called it). Now it will not grow hair because the area is scarred. The best I can hope for is to increase the hair around the area and comb over it. I have been using rosemary, diluted to 2% about an hour before I shampoo my hair. It seems to be helping. I am happy to see this post. I will have other things to try now. I used to have enough hair to amply supply 10 women, and now I am facing this! It is strange.
I am so excited to try this! Dealing with huge hair loss right now due to thyroid issues!
We hope this information helps you out, Jill!
Hi, any tips for hair loss due to chemotherapy?
For questions relating to chemotherapy, it’s best to email us directly at [email protected] for assistance. 🙂
Can you replace the Frankincense Carteri with Frankincense Serrata in this blend?
Hello! I’m breastfeeding but would like a safe essential oil to add to the castor oil treatment I’m using two times a week. I know rosemary and peppermint are not nursing safe. What are my best options? Cedarwood? Lavender? Thanks!
Cedarwood and Lavender would be great options Bethney! As a breastfeeding mama myself I have had a lot of success with a blend of Sandalwood and Clary Sage as well. I hope this helps!
I was just coming here from SEOR to ask this, so thank you! In case you see this, which sandalwood do you use?
Ashlee, either Sandalwood would work great, but if you really, really have to choose just one, I recommend Indian Sandalwood. It has a higher percentage of the constituent Santalol, which is one of the main constituents that gives Sandalwood so many of its amazing benefits 🙂
Thank you for this great article! I tried castor oil in my hair the other night and loved the results, after just one overnight use. (My husband was wondering why I was wearing a shower cap in the morning- a never-before thing!) How much Rosemary EO would you add to 2 oz of oil for this treatment?
Tina, we’re so happy to hear that you have found castor oil to be helpful! I would suggest adding Rosemary essential oil at a 1-2% dilution which would be 9-18 drops per ounce of castor oil. Be sure to check back in and let us know how it’s going!
Thanks for sharing the dilution rate. Was at a dilemma how many drops I should use for 2oz.
How do you get rid of the oil after the treatment? Regular shampoo does not seem to do good enough job.
You may have to shampoo and rinse twice to remove the oil…
I’ve found that putting a little conditioner on my hair before getting it wet helps a lot to get the oil out. I gently massage a little conditioner in, rinse that, then shampoo.
Any tips on Alopecia?
Peppermint oil has proven to be effective in hair loss. I make my own hair loss oil treatment using Peppermint, Rosemary & Cedarwood essential oils. I use Jojoba oil as my carrier. I’ve been doing this for over six months & I believe it has slowed down women pattern baldness(receding temples).
Thank you for your imput and own experience! Be sure to be cautious with Peppermint as it can be a skin irritant. Use only low dilutions in hair products 🙂