What are essential oils?

Essential oils have been used for cosmetic purposes for thousands of years and are extracted from a wide range of plants, seeds, leaves, and other natural sources. Studies over the years have shown that certain essential oils, combined in a ‘carrier oil’ (due to their high concentration and potency to avoid harm must be combined with a carrier oil like jojoba, grapeseed, or coconut oil) and messaged into the scalp, can stimulate hair follicles and scalp to contribute to hair regrowth and may even slow hair loss. They can be used alone or with the HairMax laser devices to help boost overall results in treating pattern hair loss.

 Rosemary

There’s increasing scientific evidence that rosemary oil can help boost hair growth. Rich in antioxidants, rosemary could help prevent hair loss or even contribute to faster hair growth. Along with being a powerful stimulant to increase blood circulation to the hair follicles, this oil can help fight your dry and flaky scalp due to the antibacterial and antifungal properties.

 White Thyme

You’re probably used to using thyme for flavoring while cooking, but this oil has many medicinal and aromatic uses. Thyme oil has been said to help promote new hair development and growth by improving blood circulation in the scalp. It also may help make your hair healthier and shinier, which is definitely a bonus!

Lavender

You are probably familiar with seeing this essential oil in many of your hair care products already for the fragrance. Lavender oil has strong antiseptic and stimulant properties that can help improve blood circulation on the scalp and free your hair follicles from the germs that clog them, in turn potentially reducing the amount of hair fall.

Cedarwood

More and more natural beauty products are starting to use cedarwood for these soothing effects on hair and skin. Cedarwood has toning, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory qualities, while also having rich levels of vitamins A, B, C, E and F. According to WebMD, this essential oil can protect strands against heat from styling and also may stimulate the scalp thus promote hair growth.

Frankincense

Known as an astringent and disinfectant, frankincense has been used for centuries to treat wounds, stop bleeding and heal scars. It also has been said to have amazing anti-aging properties to help with sun spots, wrinkles and fine lines. If that isn’t enough to get you running to the store immediately, this essential oil can be used to to potentially treat hair loss by strengthening hair follicles, balancing hormones, increasing blood circulation and cleansing the scalp!

Where can I get these oils?

Essential oils are sold in health food stores and some grocery stores, such as Whole Foods, Mother’s Market, etc. as well as a range of online retailers.

How do I use essential oils exactly?

Now that we have a general overview of the benefits of different essential oils, let’s get into how to use them!

After researching various studies and articles on essential oils specific for hair growth, I picked the 5 reoccurring oils above. These oils have been suggested in a variety of combinations.  According to a study in ArchDerm, it’s a mix of thyme, rosemary, lavender, and cedarwood oils that are recommended to be mixed together in a ‘carrier oil’ and messaged into the scalp. The University of Maryland suggests adding 3 to 6 drops of the same combination of essential oils to 1 tablespoon of jojoba or grapeseed oil and massaged into the scalp daily.

A study in Scotland tested a blend of cedarwood (2 drops), lavender (3 drops), rosemary (3 drops), and thyme (2 drops) in a carrier oil mixture of jojoba oil (1/2 teaspoon) and grapeseed oil (4 teaspoons) and to message into the scalp for 2 minutes every evening. They even had participants wrap a warm towel around their head to enhance absorption. Another remedy suggests using 4 drops of each, rosemary, thyme, lavender, cedarwood and frankincense, in 1 ounce of coconut oil to be messaged into scalp before bed daily. There are many recipes for essential oil hair growth out there and is very interesting research if you’re interested. If you find any combinations that work for you, share them in the comments below!

As always, If pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult a healthcare practitioner prior to use. Remember, alopecia can be an indication of an underlying medical condition, and you are therefore advised to contact your licensed medical practitioner should you have any medical condition or queries.