If you spend any time on skincare or haircare TikTok, I’m sure you’ve scrolled past at least a few videos recently of people swearing that rosemary oil helped them grow Rapunzel-like strands. Many are calling out the Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil ($11) specifically, but to be honest, this isn’t the first time that particular product has gone viral. Black women on TikTok were first to rave about this wonder oil for textured hair, calling it a star product for stimulating growth. There’s been some controversy surrounding the recent resurgence in its popularity for this reason and has even opened a debate on whether or not white women should be using products designed specifically for Black and Brown folks. It’s quite the hot topic and my curiosity about the oil itself got the best of me.
Being the beauty sleuth that I am, I decided to look more into rosemary oil and if it really and truly sparks crazy hair growth. I approach any trending item or practice with a healthy dose of skepticism, but after speaking to several experts, I think it’s safe to say that there’s merit to this one.
I incorporated rosemary oil into my haircare routine for a few weeks to see if it would encourage fast growth. If you’ve been thinking of trying it yourself, read on for what the experts had to say about it, plus my own experience with using it.
Not every trend on TikTok is expert-approved, but I can say that using rosemary oil to promote hair growth and strength actually is. I tapped two celebrity stylists to weigh in. Glenn Ellis loves this organic oil for a few reasons, but summed up the main ones for us. “I do think that rosemary oil is effective in helping hair growth,” he says. “It also has a lot of other benefits such as adding moisture back into the hair! If you are looking for fuller hair this is a great natural way to achieve it. Rosemary oil also helps with cell turnover rate, which is what happens during hair growth and it improves blood circulation which is pertinent to hair growth.”
Celebrity stylist Jennifer Korab also thinks it could be effective in treating hair loss, but results will vary depending on the cause of it. “It takes about three to six months to see the benefits, and has to be mixed with a carrier oil,” she says. “Rosemary oil can really increase blood flow to the hair follicles, which increases oxygen and nutrients to promote hair growth. It also contains carnosic acid, which is an active healing ingredient within the plant.” Armed with this knowledge, I decided to give a TikTok-favorite formula go. Read on for my experience with it.
I already had the Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil handy for this little experiment. For starters, I love that this oil is designed for those with coarse, curly, textured hair types—that describes my own hair in a nutshell. Although it recently saw a surge in popularity again thanks to TikTok, this oil has actually been around for a minute. I used it in the past from time to time to help combat breakage while on birth control, but never really committed to using it regularly. This time around, I decided to use this every day for a couple weeks to see if I’d notice any difference in hair growth.
Overall, I did notice a bit of growth, but it honestly wasn’t enough to be substantial or dramatic—that’s why I didn’t include any photos here. My hair is also extremely curly so growth can be hard to see unless I straighten it. What I did really like about the oil though is how soft it made my hair feel after using it. It also tamed flyaways pretty nicely and I felt a little more confident wearing my natural curls out to run errands. It can also act as a split ends treatment according to the brand, so I have been experimenting with it in that way as well. On that front, I definitely noticed improvement. Although I only used this for a few weeks before sitting down to write this, I think with continued use, the results would absolutely be there.
I mostly decided to use this regularly after my curiosity got the better of me, I don’t necessarily have the desire to grow my hair super long, but I will continue to use it three to four times a week in the coming months. My hair did also feel stronger and I noticed less hair in the brush since I added this to my routine. Basically, if you’re looking to grow your hair out, I definitely think it’s worth trying. Results will vary per person, but I think if you have the patience and use it consistently, you’ll definitely notice that it helps increase your hair growth rate over time.
This invigorating root enhancer is a spray-on tonic that contains an oil-soluble BHA (salicylic acid) to thoroughly cleanse clogged scalp pores. It also contains a seven-vitamin complex along with other superfoods to keep roots healthy and help maintain hair volume.
Kiehl’s offers this lightweight (yet nourishing) scalp treatment that’s infused with avocado and rosemary oil to greatly improve hydration and strength levels.
I’ve been using Camille Rose’s Deep Conditioning Mask ($21) for years now, but I’m excited to try this newer offering from the brand infused with rosemary oil. It adds strength to the hair and only takes about five extra minutes to use.
ScalpFix by Carter + Jane is meant to be a dry shampoo alternative so it’s great if you’ve been looking for one. Packed with ingredients like rosemary flower water, peppermint, witch hazel, and Japanese peppermint essential oil, ScalpFix gently cleanses the scalp and refreshes hair without drying it out.
Hask has several products with rosemary that are pretty good, but if you’d like to incorporate the ingredient more regularly, try the brand’s Invigorating Shampoo. In addition to rosemary, it contains tea tree oil to help unblock clogged hair follicles and nourish the roots.
Ceremonia’s lush scalp and hair oil can be used as a pre-shampoo treatment to help combat flaking, dryness, and thinning. Passion fruit oil delivers antioxidants to the hair while other ingredients like castor oil and rosemary leaf extract promote strength.
Weleda offerings never disappoint and this Rosemary Conditioning Hair Oil from the brand is no exception. Some Amazon reviewers report that it boosted shine and hydration dramatically so it’s definitely worth a try.
Infused with a powerful blend of amino acids, peptides, and rosemary leaf extract, this lightweight serum from Divi helps detoxify follicle buildup and supports natural hair growth.
No need to change your whole haircare routine in order to incorporate rosemary. This strengthening mask on Amazon is only $10 and is infused with both rosemary and biotin to help encourage healthy growth.
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