Rosemary Oil for Postpartum Hair Loss: Should You Try Nature's Rogaine?

June 23, 2022 Jamie Ahler

I love the smell of rosemary.

My son gave me a plant for mother's day and excitedly told me we would be growing our own herbs.

Inside the orange pot with painted hearts, drawn on the exterior by my 6 year old at school (thank you teachers) was fragrant rosemary.

rosemary plant

I've experienced rosemary oil before, at a salon I went to they would rub it on my palms in a practice of aromatherapy. Stemming from a believe that it calms the nervous system.

My aunt who is somewhat of a self-described naturopath, believes rosemary can subdue pain like a painkiller would.

But in the last year, I've come across testimonials from beauty guru's touting the benefits rosemary has for hair: prevents breakage, stimulates new growth, and improves scalp circulation.. just to name a few!

Rosemary Oil Benefits:

Rosemary leaves have been used to garnish dishes and add flavor for decades, but rosemary is also considered a medicinal plant that can be used to treat ailments, hair loss, and skin irritations.

When going through postpartum hair loss I was far too chicken to purchase Rogaine; which a few of my friends suggested.

The disclaimer on the box alone was discouraging (must keep up use permanently or shedding would occur again), oh and then there was the dread shed everyone talked about: Literally a period of intense shedding over several weeks affecting a majority of customers; before Rogaine would start working in the sense that you'd see new growth.

No.. Rogaine wasn't gonna happen for me.

But... when I read about rosemary being nature's rogaine, I was intrigued.

There was a study comparing Rogaine (well to be accurate, it was comparing minoxidil the key ingredient) with rosemary; and the results (spoiler alert) were pretty impressive favoring rosemary: because the participants had the same results!

Both groups experienced the same amount of growth, and those using rosemary instead of minoxidil, didn't experience itchy scalp like the other group did.

Rosemary for Postpartum Hair Loss:

Ok, here's where it gets good. Rosemary has some incredible benefits for those going through postpartum hair loss. In fact it addresses many of the symptoms moms are going through.

Promotes Hair Growth

If you dig into the study mentioned above, rosemary oil proved its ability to grow hair.

Patients that were previously experiencing hair loss, mentioned they felt they had more hair and saw new growth after using. We ❤️ a hair promoting oil from nature.

Strengthens Hair

We covered that rosemary promotes growth, but it also has a keen ability to keep the nerves healthy.

Rosemary plants contain carnosic acid, which have been known to have a healing effect in cases of nerve damage.

Because of this, rosemary provides the scalp with nourishment it needs for health & healthy hair growth.

It is so important to have a healthy scalp when looking to improve the overall condition and health of your strands.

Soothes Scalp

Rosemary oil contains great anti-inflammatory properties.

Interestingly enough it has even out performed placebos for pain management.

If you've made it through postpartum hair loss without feeling like your scalp was being pulled (imagine having a super tight high ponytail in for a few hours), then consider yourself lucky.

For the rest of us, a little rosemary oil rubbed with a carrier oil delicately on the scalp just might do the trick!

Minimizes & Prevents Hair Loss

Ok, so the benefit of preventing hair loss was by far the most interesting to me.

Come to find out, rosemary oil's ability to minimize and prevent loss comes from its prevention of hair breakage, and the way it improves the condition and environment of the scalp.

Weak hair is prone to break and show damage. This can happen from things well beyond hormones, such as inflammation, eczema, stress, psoriasis... then of course you factor in genetic conditions, age, and even illness.

Rosemary oil is not an oil you would think of when moisturizing the hair follicles, instead it really does its most important work with the scalp, creating a healthy environment and stimulating new hair follicles.

The new follicles are born out of an ideal space and tend to be stronger and healthier strands, less prone to breaking.

To strengthen existing strands proper nutrition from the inside is especially important and the support of a hair vitamin is often recommended, and for exterior moisture a hair masque or deep conditioning treatment.

5. Diminishes Dandruff

If postpartum dandruff is a problem you are in luck because rosemary oil is an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal.

If either of these symptoms was stifling your hairs growth you may notice pretty immediate improvement on top of less flakes.

HOW TO USE ROSEMARY OIL FOR POSTPARTUM HAIR LOSS

So, by now the benefits should really have you going, and you are ready to give it a try! What could it hurt, right?

When deciding to try rosemary its important to ensure you will be consistent with use. For best results it's recommended to be used daily or nightly for 6 months.

Luckily it can be added simply to shampoos or products you already use daily.

Here's how to do it:

Option 1: Create your own treatment oil

Mix rosemary oil with a carrier oil of your choice (coconut, jojoba, castor oil, etc : suggested mix: 5 drops of rosemary oil with 1 teaspoon of the carrier oil of your choice.

Then apply the mixture to your scalp (using a dropper is always helpful) with a gentle massage into your scalp.

The mixture should be left at minimum for 4-6 hours so many choose to do this nightly and rinse in the am.

rosemary oil for postpartum hair loss

Option 2: Mix with your existing shampoo

By adding a few drops to your shampoo you reap some of the benefits, especially if used daily.

This form is not as potent as the treatment oil but can still be beneficial for those on a tighter timeline.

Option 3: Look for existing Haircare products containing rosemary:

If mixing your own concoction just isn't for you, well... you are in luck. There are enough ready made rosemary infused haircare products to satisfy your needs and allow you to reap the benefits.

I typed in rosemary hair oil into my amazon search and plenty came up, already mixed with castor oil and ready for application.

Scrolling down I even found a rosemary infused hair mask, and a rosemary root enhancer; promising to relieve itchy and dry flaky scalp along with rosemary tea offering some similar benefits.

As someone who obsessively takes care of their hair I've always believed what I put into my body was key.

I religiously take my baby blues hair vitamins with biotin and collagen to keep my hair healthy from the inside, but I love the idea of soothing my scalp and strengthening my hair from the outside too; and rosemary kinda seems like a no brainer.