Does rosemary oil regrow hair?

We found one randomised trial of rosemary oil on its own for pattern hair loss. In 2015, 100 people used either rosemary oil or 2% minoxidil for six months; hair counts rose in both groups, and the difference between them was not significant. The trial had no placebo group, and it is where the claim that rosemary "works as well as minoxidil" comes from.

What the 2015 trial found

Panahi and colleagues randomly assigned 100 people with androgenetic alopecia to rosemary oil or to 2% minoxidil for six months, and counted hairs on standardised close-up photographs. Neither group had more hair at three months. At six months both had significantly more than at the start, and the two groups did not differ. Scalp itching increased in both groups, more often with minoxidil. The trial was published in Skinmed.

Why "works as well as minoxidil" overstates it

The comparison was with 2% minoxidil rather than the 5% strength, and there was no placebo group, so the trial cannot say how either compares with doing nothing. Finding no significant difference between two groups of 50 does not show that two treatments are equal, and the trial was not designed to show that. A 2025 review that went back to the paper reports average counts rising from about 123 to 130 hairs with rosemary and from about 138 to 141 with minoxidil: small changes in both groups.

The other studies

A 1998 double-blind trial in alopecia areata found improvement in 19 of 43 people who massaged a blend of thyme, rosemary, lavender and cedarwood oils into the scalp, against 6 of 41 using carrier oil alone. Rosemary was one of four oils, so the trial cannot say what it did on its own. Two 2025 trials from India reporting large gains with rosemary products were funded by the company that sells them; one had no control group, and both tested blends with many other ingredients.

What dermatologists recommend

A 2025 Canadian consensus of 11 physicians reviewed 45 treatments for androgenetic alopecia and put rosemary oil among the 17 it does not recommend. Topical and oral minoxidil and finasteride are among the seven it does.

The DHT claim

The idea that rosemary blocks the enzyme that makes DHT comes from a 2013 study in mice and cells, using a rosemary leaf extract rather than the essential oil sold for hair.

Safety

The European Medicines Agency recognises rosemary oil only for minor muscle and joint pain and minor circulation problems in the legs, on the basis of traditional use rather than clinical studies. It advises against use under 18, in pregnancy or while breastfeeding, and lists allergic reactions including contact dermatitis among its side effects.

Sources

Rosemary oil vs minoxidil 2% for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia: a randomized comparative trial · Skinmed, 2015 · PMID 25842469
Randomized trial of aromatherapy. Successful treatment for alopecia areata · Archives of Dermatology, 1998 · PMID 9828867
A Canadian Consensus on Androgenetic Alopecia: Approach and Management · Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery, 2025 · PMID 40986632
Do Non-Prescription Products Help in Managing Androgenic Alopecia? · Skin Appendage Disorders, 2025 · PMID 40475103
Rosmagain™ as a Natural Therapeutic for Hair Regrowth and Scalp Health: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Three-Armed, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial · Cureus, 2025 · PMID 40656290
A Clinical Evaluation of the Safety, Efficacy, and Tolerability of the Soulflower Rosemary Redensyl Hair Growth Serum, Tetragain™, in Healthy Female Subjects for the Treatment of Alopecia: Promoting Hair Growth and Reducing Gray Hair · Cureus, 2025 · PMID 39917132
Promotion of hair growth by Rosmarinus officinalis leaf extract · Phytotherapy Research, 2013 · PMID 22517595
Rosmarini aetheroleum (rosemary oil): herbal medicine summary · European Medicines Agency, 2024

Checked against its sources on 2026-09-30, by us, not by a doctor. A research register, not medical advice: talk to a dermatologist about your own case. See why we're not doctors.