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Rosemary · Salvia rosmarinus
Photo: (c) zebedeugalinha, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · via iNaturalist
Herbs & Plants
Rosemary
Salvia rosmarinus
Rosemary was reclassified in 2017. It is not its own genus any more — botanists moved it into the sages, so the plant on the shelf changed its name without changing at all.
Benefits
Rosemary oil rubbed into the scalp raised hair count, and it did it without the itching that comes with the usual treatment.
What It Is Known For
One small study of twenty-eight people found the lowest dose helped and the highest dose made things worse, which is not a reason to take it.
What was tested was the oil at a measured strength, not a rinse made at home.
It was tested on the scalp, and essential oils are not for swallowing.
Key Active Compounds
The form used on the scalp.
One of the compounds the leaf carries.
How to Take It / Use It
Rub the diluted oil into the scalp once a day. Nothing changed at three months and the count rose by six, so it needs that long.
Cautions
Rosemary essential oil is not for swallowing, and what was tested went on the scalp.
The largest amount tested made people slower rather than sharper, so cooking amounts are the sensible ones.
Medicinal amounts are not advised in pregnancy, though cooking with it is another matter.
Where It Comes From
Salvia rosmarinus grows wild on the dry limestone hills around the Mediterranean, close enough to the sea that its old name meant dew of the sea.
How We Choose It
We check every product so you don't have to. A rosemary only makes our list if:
- Salvia rosmarinus or Rosmarinus officinalis on the label. The plant was renamed in 2017 and both names mean the same thing. Anything else is a different plant.
- Steam-distilled from the leaf, and it says so. Solvent-extracted oil and fragrance oil are cheaper and are not what was tested.
- Amber glass with a dropper, in a small bottle. Air, light and warmth turn an oil weaker and more likely to bring on a rash, so buy a size you will finish.
- One ingredient. Not a blend, and not already diluted in something the label does not name.
- Not rosemary water, a rinse or a hair mist. What was tested was the oil itself at a stated strength, and those are not it.
- Nothing sold for swallowing. Rosemary essential oil goes on the scalp. Any bottle inviting you to drink it is the wrong bottle.
If no product meets these standards, we don't list one. No exceptions for affiliates.
See our picks
Sources2
- Panahi Y, et al. Rosemary oil vs minoxidil 2% for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia: a randomized comparative trial. Skinmed, 2015. Randomized trial
- Pengelly A, et al. Short-term study on the effects of rosemary on cognitive function in an elderly population. Journal of Medicinal Food, 2012. Randomized crossover