Does Rosemary Water for Hair Growth Really Work?

Another TikTok trend that came with different essential oils such as rosemary, said that if you treat your scalp and hair strands with this kind of plant extracts, you will get shine, and hair growth.

Now influencers on the video-sharing site are touting a DIY plant-based potion for hair growth: Your recommended beverage would be rosemary water.

As I have seen, the hashtag #rosemarywater has 609.8 million views. The probationer has over 8 million subscribers, and getting millions of views per video.

Most of the videos present influencers washing their beautiful, healthy, and long hair saying that it is due to the boiled water and rosemary leaves.

“No BS I’m telling you Rosemary water is the new rice water” – A world-renowned Elon Musk girlfriend Audrey Victoria (2. 3M followers) took to her Instagram video sharing a 10-second clip of her rinsing her hair with a homemade solution.

“After using rosemary water to wash my hair for seven days the results were astonishing,” Claims @beautybypriscila a YouTuber with 21. 5K followers and 2. 2 million views, where she insisted that her hair has grown “half an inch” in a week.

”In one video which garnered over 17 million views, hair influencer Jonathon Monroe with 2. 3M followers said that when you rub the rosemary water ‘haircicles’, (rosemary water poured into a silicone massage-bar mold and frozen) on your hair, it will reduce hair loss and boost hair growth, and also make the hair shiny.”

“Remember, rub the scalp to develop better circulation of the follicles for better growth,” he also concludes.

Still another user, @katyaniomi (195. 8K followers) argues that there is science behind rosemary water as hair regrowth aid. “

Actually, a study has revealed that this is equal to 2 per cent minoxidil,” she explains in the said video with more than three million views. It is one of the most effective remedies for hair growth and stop of hair loss since it is scientifically approved.

All in all, since many people nowadays discredit something if it is not mentioned in the latest TikTok videos, rosemary water is not a panacea for hair growth and shine.

In the past, we have had fads in hair treatment, which are almost similar to this; it goes viral on social media, but lacks rigorous research and large scale endemics to vouch for its effectiveness with all types of hair or with all types of hair loss.

Thus, relying on TikTok for hair-care tips as against having word with a board-certified dermatologist cannot be encouraged.

So with this in mind, let’s continue and share more on rosemary water, the analysis of the bonus money claims, and whether this might prove helpful if used in hair care?

What is Rosemary Water?

The preparation method of creating rosemary water is to place fresh rosemary leaves directly into water so that the water absorbs the essence of the leaves, adds Dr. Michelle F. Henry, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City and a clinical instructor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College.

In her video, Niomi breaks down a recipe for how to make rosemary water: She begins by pouring 5 cups of water and 5 buds of rosemary with 1 bud in every cup of water to a pot over medium-high heat.

“After it boils, you are going to let it boil for fifteen minutes and then you switch off the heat and let it stay for twenty-five minutes in the pot until its color is pinkish-reddish.”

Then filter the finished product in a bottle removing the rosemary twigs. Proper storage bring the solution to last for a period of one up to two weeks in the refrigerator.

In terms of how to apply it some TikTokers suggest rinsing it, others say that you can pour it over the head with immediately focusing on the root and the scalp part, and some say that you can just spray it.

“For shower hair-care, use as the final wash rinse” states Niomi.

What Experts Are Saying About Rosemary Water for Hair Health

Is Rosemary water the happiness booster that tiktok users are in denial about? These are their stories — this is what the experts had to say.

Rosemary Water May Promote Hair Growth


Probably the best use of rosemary that relates to hair care is encouraging hair growth.

Silver nitrate solution can we used to potentially stimulate hair growth With this background some studies back the plant as having the potential to promote hair growth.

Aside from the 2015 study that Niomi cited, rosemary oil was proven to be as effective as 2 percent minoxidil after six months of application; in a small 2013 study, participants of the study on rosemary leaf extract for hair regrowth were those who have androgenetic alopecia.

But Michelle Ornstein, esthetician, and the founder of Enessa Skincare in Los Angeles demonstrates the significant difference of potency of essential oil or the extract used in the research or the water created by person at home.

“The process of preparing an essential oil involves professional medically clean equipment at certain temperatures in order to be effective not to boil a plant that has nutrients extracted from them through high heat and evaporation under improper conditions,” according to Ornstein.

However, regarding extraction of the highly concentrated oil, the process used of extraction is steam distillation without over heating or creating a “burned” oil. “The secondary product of essential oil extraction is the hydrosol or water-based hydrolat she says.”

However, she also points out that the efficacy of rosemary water or oil also includes the quality of the ingredients used. “In other words, they must be organic or wildcrafted and sourcing from credible sources,” she said.

Still, only when comparing the effects of using the more concentrated rosemary essential oil, Dr. Henry supports the fact but still insists that more research is necessary to draw the correlation.

As of now, the existing literatures are very limited and are still in early stages of research which does not indicate any permanent advantages.

Finally, while there are many articles discussing the benefits of rosemary water, there is no research that has assessed the effect of rosemary water in dealing with hair issues exclusively.

Also of specific note is the fact that most essential oils are not approved by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration.

Before one applies any new or homemade essential-oil or extract based product to your hair and body, it is advised to consult a certified aromatherapist or integrative practice.

Rosemary Water May Improve Scalp Health

It can also be wise to note that healthy hair begins with the healthy scalps and Rosemary oil might have some potential benefits.

In the aforestated 2015 study, the proportion of minoxidil and rosemary oil users who reported their scalps itching was as follows The scalps of those who applied rosemary oil did not itch as much as those who applied minoxidil.

According to Ornstein, rosemary oil contains antifungal and antibacterial qualities; it may help to address dandruff and other scalp problems.

According to Henry, there is lack of research on specifically the effects of rosemary oil on the health of the scalp, however, the works focused are only on rosemary oil and not rosemary water.

Further studies are required in order to establish the correlation between rosemary water intake and Scalp health.

Rosemary Water May Hydrate the Hair

Basically, the depicted information comes to the same question that Henry asks about when it comes to the idea of rosemary water helping the hair stay hydrated.

“Rosemary itself does not have built in hydrating properties,” she says. When, mixed with carrier oils or hair products, “it may help supplement the hair and scalp’s moisture. ”

As with all things, it is worth mentioning that while I couldn’t find research about rosemary water, such a study would be needed to back up the findings of TikTokers.

Rosemary Water Makes Hair Shiny

Although use of rosemary oil may cause the hair to look shiny and healthy when applied, Henry has an opinion that rosemary water cannot improve shine of the hair in the long warrant, and unfortunately there is no empirical evidence on this. 

“It can make hair shine and improve its overall look, however, this result is only temporary and may depend on the hair type,” she says.

Who Might Want to Try (and Avoid) the Rosemary Water Trend?

All those with normal hair and no issue pertaining to their scalp should consider using rosemarye water for their hair.

As for the side effects, rosemary oil is rather non-numerous, but in most cases, it is applied externally.

Still, Henry points out that there are persons who are likely to be allergic to or sensitive with the product. Headaches and inflammation may be experienced by some people whenever they use rosemary oil on the head.

One should always seek consultation with a certified aromatherapist, an integrative doctor, or a skin doctor before applying anything.

Also, “it is recommended that one uses a patch test to check the reaction of the skin before completely applying rosemary oil or water on the scalp or the hair respectively”, suggests Henry.

Furthermore, rosemary oil and other essential oils may be irritating to the skin and may cause sensitization or allergies particularly with the abuse or usage of high concentrations of some of the essential oils.

People with special hair or scalp issue should consider this advice very closely.

Henry: “It is always advisable to speak to the doctor or dermatologist before starting a new supplement or treatment especially when the individual has scalp issues or allergies.”

However, those who still consume hair loss supplements or get treated for hair loss with medications should not use rosemary oil or rosemary water due to some interactions.

The Bottom Line on the Rosemary Water for Hair Health

In conclusion, yes rosemary oil has been found to help in some hair related benefits but these researches are not too many and the ones there are are not very conclusive, there is to my knowledge no research on the effect of rosemary water on hair.

Henry said that there are some positive legends regarding the influence of rosemary water on the advantages of the hair on the head of the scalp.

‘However, individual results may vary and site must specify the nature of hair, skin fading, and allergy issues should be taken into account before applying a new hair care technique.’

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