How To Use Essential Oils For Hair Growth — For Men and Women

If you're looking for a natural hair loss remedy, you may want to try essential oils for hair growth. How essential oils stimulate hair growth is usually attributed to improving blood circulation to the scalp and hair follicles.

Four of the best essential oils for hair regrowth include cedarwood, lavender, thyme, and rosemary. To make a scalp massage oil, add 3 or 4 drops of each essential oil to one tablespoon of carrier oil. Massage a few drops of the blend gently into your scalp once or twice a day.

Jojoba oil is a highly recommended carrier oil because it's a traditional herbal remedy for thinning hair, although you can use other carrier oils. Some studies also suggest that aloe vera may promote hair growth.

With any essential oil hair loss treatment, allow four to eight weeks to see noticeable results.

Caution: If you apply hair-loss medications (such as Minoxidal) to your scalp, using essential oils on your scalp may cause adverse drug interactions.

Blends of Essential Oils for Hair Growth

Essential oils for hair loss suggested by The Complete Aromatherapy and Essential Oils Handbook for Everyday Wellness are West Indian bay (Pimenta racemosa), clary sage, lavender, rosemary, sage, thyme, and ylang ylang.

Hair Growth Oil Blends

Massage a few drops of the following blend into your scalp each night:

• 25 drops rosemary essential oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup aloe vera gel
• 1 500-unit capsule vitamin E oil (puncture capsule and squeeze out oi;)

Source: Essential Oils & Aromatherapy for Dummies

Here's another essential oils hair growth recipe:

• 50 drop of suggested oils
• 1/2 cup aloe vera gel
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon jojoba oil

Blend ingredients in a container and label. Use nightly. Shake well and massage a little into scalp for 10 minutes.

Source: Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art

Scalp Restorative Shampoo

• 2 drops rosemary essential oil
• 2 drops clary sage essential oil
• 3 drops cypress essential oil
• 3 drops sandalwood essential oil
• 1 cup natural, unscented shampoo

Stir essential oils into shampoo. Use as you would any shampoo.
Source: Essential Oils For Healing

Scalp Conditioner For Hair Growth

• 30 drops rosemary essential oil
• 15 drops basil essential oil
• 15 drops lemon essential oil
• 10 drops geranium essential oil
• 5 drops clove essential oil
• 1/2 cup jojoba oil
  

Combine all ingredients in a glass or PET plastic bottle. Store in a cool, dark place. To use:

1. Shake well. Massage 1 to 2 teaspoons into scalp.
2. Wrap hair with plastic.
3. Wrap with very warm, damp towel. Replace towel after it cools. Leave on for at least 30 to 45 minutes.
   

Source: Essential Oils Every Day: Rituals and Remedies for Healing, Happiness, and Beauty

Reversing Women's Hair Loss

After I noticed an increasing amount of hair in the drain after washing my hair, I  successfully used the following blend of essential oils for hair growth to decrease the amount of hair falling out:

• 2 tablespoons jojoba oil
• 1 tablespoon evening primrose oil
• 1 tablespoon rosehip seed oil
• 24 drops lavender essential oil
• 24 drops rosemary essential oil
• 24 drops carrot seed essential oil
• 12 drops clary sage essential oil
  

Blend the oils in a dark bottle.

Before washing your hair, massage about a teaspoon of the blend into your scalp. Ideally, let set 20 minutes, but I didn't always wait that long. I started seeing a difference after about six weeks.

Hair Growth and Repair Conditioner

• 3/4 cup distilled water
• 3 tablespoons raw organic apple cider vinegar (such as Braggs)
• 6 drops rosemary essential oil
• 5 drops geranium essential oil
• 3 drops lavender essential oil
• 3 drops peppermint essential oil
• 3 drops tea tree essential oil

Add all ingredients to an eight-ounce glass spray bottle. Shake gently before using. Spray onto roots and work into hair.

Source: The Essential Oil Hormone Solution

Hair Loss Prevention

To help prevent hair loss, blend the following ingredients in a pump bottle:

• 4 teaspoons castor oil
• 4 teaspoons camelina vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons apricot kernel oil
• 20 drops atlas cedarwood essential oil
• 10 drops West Indian bay (Pimental racemosa) essential oil

Shake well. Store in refrigerator, and shake before each use.

To use: Once a week, massage a little of the mixture into your hair. Let sit for a few minutes, and then wash hair as usual.

Source: The Essential Guide to Natural Skin Care

Scalp Reconditioning Program

First, make a stock blend by adding the following essential oils to a 5-ml dropper bottle:

• 30 drops vetiver
• 30 drops ylang ylang
• 15 drops geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)
• 15 drops rose geranium (Pelargonium roseum)
• 5 drops rosemary
• 5 drops carrot seed

Shake to blend and let sit for 24 hours before using.

To use this blend: Add 1 to 2 drops to 1 teaspoon carrier oil. Massage the oil onto your scalp and hair. Leave on for 1 hour and then shampoo.

Do this scalp massage daily for 10 to 14 days. Take a 1 week break, and then do the daily application for another 10 to 14 days.

Source: The Essential Oils Complete Reference Guide

Alopecia Areata

The most common type of hair loss is androgenetic alopecia, called male pattern baldness in men and female diffuse hair loss in women.

In contrast, alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease—the immune system mistakenly attacks the hair follicles and causes hair to fall out in small, round patches. The study Randomized Trial of Aromatherapy: Successful Treatment for Alopecia Areata looked at thyme, lavender, rosemary, and atlas cedarwood essential oils for hair growth to reverse the hair loss caused by this condition. The study concluded that aromatherapy is a safe and effective treatment.

Here's a hair growth essential oil recipe adapted from Healing With Aromatherapy using those oils:

• 3 drops rosemary
• 3 drops lavender
• 2 drops thyme
• 2 drops cedarwood
• 1 teaspoon jojoba and/or grapeseed oil

Make this blend every day and massage it into your scalp for at least two minutes, and then wrap a warm towel around your head for 15 to 20 minutes. Allow at least two to three months to see results.

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Photo Credit: Roger Mommaerts/Flickr/CC