You may know rosemary as a seasoning for savoury dishes and cocktails, but did you know the oil that’s extracted from this plant reaps plenty of beauty benefits? With anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-fungal and pain-reducing properties, it’s no wonder rosemary oil is a hero in the skin and haircare world. From promoting hair growth to reducing under eye bags, preventing hair loss, and more, check out the beauty benefits of rosemary oil and start incorporating it into your daily regime.
What Is Rosemary Oil?
Rosemary oil is extracted from the rosemary plant, which is part of the mint family. This family also includes lavender, basil, myrtle and sage. Yes- it’s the same rosemary you use to cook and season your cocktails with! It has an ever-green, invigorating scent and is often used in skincare and haircare as it has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.
8 Beauty Benefits of Rosemary Oil
Rosemary Oil and Your Skin
1. Reduces Under Eye Bags
Rosemary oil enhances circulation and helps eliminate fluid retention, which reduces puffiness under the eyes. Due to its ability to increase blood flow, it minimizes dark under eye circles so you look less swollen and more refreshed!
2. Helps Balance Skin
Rosemary oil helps control sebum production in the skin. It’s an astringent that balances and tones the skin, making it ideal for oily skin types.
3. Prevents Wrinkles
The antioxidants in rosemary oil may prevent wrinkles by stopping free radicals from breaking down the skin’s elasticity. As skin loses elasticity, it sags and wrinkles, so elasticity is key to plump, healthy-looking skin.
4. Protects the Skin
Due to rosemary’s high antioxidant content, it helps protect the skin against free radical damage and promotes healthy skin.
Rosemary Oil and Your Hair
1. Helps with Hair Growth
Rosemary contains carnosic acid, which is known to heal nerve damage, tissue damage, and improve cellular turnover. This means it encourages nerve growth and improves blood circulation. Without proper blood supply, the follicles don’t get the nutrients they need to grow the hair, so blood circulation is key to hair growth.
2. Reduces Scalp Irritation
Rosemary oil is known for its anti-inflammatory properties, making it ideal for an itchy scalp. It reduces scalp irritation and soothes distressed scalps so you can go about your day itch-free.
3. Prevents Dandruff
On top of improving blood circulation to the scalp, rosemary oil eliminates bacteria that clogs hair follicles. This helps reduce dandruff on the scalp, clearing your hair of flakes and oiliness.
4. Can Limit Hair Loss
Rosemary oil strengthens and promotes circulation for hair follicles that have low blood supply and could die off. It improves blood circulation on the scalp and encourages cellular turnover, which can improve hair growth and prevent hair loss. It also has anti-inflammatory properties that can help prevent inflammation-based hair loss conditions, like certain types of alopecia.
How to Use Rosemary Oil
Rosemary Oil and Your Skin
1. Mix it With a Carrier Oil
Since rosemary oil is super potent, it has to be mixed with a carrier oil. Dilute four to five drops of rosemary oil with one teaspoon of a carrier oil and apply it to your skin. If you have dry skin, use a carrier oil like argan or avocado oil, for oily or combination skin, use hemp or grass seed oil, and for normal skin, use pomegranate or jojoba oil.
2. Mix It Into Your Moisturizer
You can also mix a few drops of rosemary oil into your favourite daily moisturizer. This is a good way to dilute it while still reaping the skincare benefits!
3. Use Rosemary Oil Skincare
There are skincare products that already have rosemary oil as an ingredient, so if you’re worried about trying to mix it in yourself, this is the way to go. The Good Oil Face Oil is super hydrating, making it a great option for dry skin. And the Yon-Ka Phyto-Contour Under Eye Cream helps minimize wrinkles and puffiness for bright, awake eyes.
Rosemary Oil and Your Hair
1. For Dandruff
If you want to eliminate itchiness due to dandruff, mix rosemary oil with a carrier oil like coconut or jojoba oil three to four times a week. Massage it directly into your scalp, leave it on for 20 minutes, then shampoo it out, making sure to wash it fully out of your hair and scalp.
2. For Very Fine Hair/Oily Scalp
Use rosemary oil once a week as a scalp treatment. Wash it out immediately to avoid any greasiness.
3. Mix It Into Shampoo or Conditioner
Another option is to add rosemary oil to your shampoo or conditioner to reap the benefits while you wash your hair. Make sure to thoroughly rinse your hair at the end to make sure you get all the oil out.
4. Use Rosemary Oil Hair Products
Like skincare, you can also buy haircare products that are infused with rosemary oil already. This is a smart idea for those with sensitive skin, as DIY-ing rosemary oil for your hair can be tricky. If you use too much, it can irritate your scalp, so try a product that’s already formulated with rosemary oil, like the Mielle Rosemary Mint Strengthening Shampoo or the Camille Rose 5-Minute Hair Mask.
Important Considerations
Overexposure of rosemary oil can be irritating to the skin, so make sure to use it sparingly. The physical weight of the oil can also interfere with your hairstyle, so keep that in mind. If you have thin or fine hair, or a sparse density of hair, it can make your hair look greasy or weighed down. Try using it as a pre-shampoo treatment before using a clarifying shampoo on your hair.
When it comes to your skin, steer clear of rosemary oil if you have acne. While rosemary leaf extract offers antioxidant and calming effects for acne, the oil contains high concentrations of fragrance that can cause significant irritation to the skin. If you have sensitive, acne-prone skin, it’s an ingredient to look out for.
If you’ve been interested in incorporating rosemary oil into your beauty routine, try out these ideas for your hair and skin!
This post contains affiliate links.
Did you enjoy this post on the beauty benefits of rosemary oil? We’d love it if you shared it on Pinterest!
