If you’ve recently found yourself in the depths of ‘HairTok’, you may be familiar with the current rosemary trends. From growth hacks to styling tips, there are a million different rules circulating on the internet to achieve the ‘perfect’ routine. The truth? Everyone’s hair is different. Don’t allow social media to fool you into thinking there’s a perfect hair color, length, texture, or anything. Your hair is yours: do what you want with it! Let’s now chronicle my journey with this trending hair technique, keeping in mind that this is absolutely not a one-size-fits-all.
As someone with naturally fine and curly hair, I’ve tested dozens of these so-called ‘hair hacks’ throughout the years. As my curly-headed friends will know, curl shrinkage is what makes our hair look shorter, so we have to grow our hair longer to reach the same length as our friends with straight hair. Five years ago, I was stuck in a perpetual loop of straightening my hair every day, which (as you might guess) has sent me on a chase to revive my curl health.
A few months ago, a scroll through hairtok introduced me to the Rosemary Technique. Intrigued, I set out to Tesco that afternoon to put it to the test.
What’s the hype with rosemary?
Rosemary has been reported to improve scalp circulation, aid with dandruff and scalp itching, strengthen roots, and boost hair growth. Rosemary oil is a popular hair hack. Dr. Khetarpal at the Cleveland Clinic links its success to antioxidants, anti-inflammatory effects, and antimicrobial properties. According to the National Library of Medicine, hair grows because new cells are constantly forming in the hair bulb, located in the second layer of skin (the dermis). These cells harden and stick together, pushing the hair out of the skin. Rosemary, which contains carnosic acid, supports scalp circulation, delivering essential oxygen and nutrients to hair follicles and ultimately promoting hair growth. This information has led to a plethora of rosemary uses, from oil to DIY rosemary water to rosemary shampoo.
What experts say
Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine suggest that this trend works. They created a cream containing carnosic acid (found in rosemary) and tested it on mice, finding that the cream helped regenerate structures such as hair follicles, oil glands, and cartilage. “Rosemary stood out for potency and safety,” said Rapp Reyes, a co-leader of the experiment.
On the contrary, physicians from Leonard Hair Transplant Associates say it’s just a myth. They acknowledge that rosemary can have some overall benefits for hair health, and that the antioxidants found in its natural makeup can help protect hair from damage caused by external stressors. However, it is more of a “supportive ingredient” rather than a direct solution. They suggest other scientifically tested hair regrowth techniques: Rogaine, Propecia, or platelet-rich plasma combined with ACell.
These contradictory statements feel misleading; in alignment, I think it can be agreed that rosemary has some advantages, but that they cannot be attributed to definite hair growth for everyone.
My Results and Advice
After nearly eight weeks of washing my hair daily with rosemary-infused shampoo and conditioner, the only notable difference is a subtle shift in texture, not in growth. My hair feels softer, but it is not clear that this is solely due to the rosemary.
Overall experience: 3/10. My hair hasn’t grown or drastically improved in health as the influencers on hairtok promise. My (unprofessional) take on applying rosemary to your hair is that perhaps it is just another deceitful trend, painted as a magic trick to make your hair grow like wildfire when in reality, it does much less. However, this may just be how my hair type reacts to it; if you’re intrigued, I still encourage you to try it out, it might work for you!
My advice: be careful with how much faith you put into TikTok trends… they can be misleading, follow what’s best for you. They may work, they may not; and either way is fine. The Rosemary Technique did not work very well for me, but I did learn more about what does and doesn’t work for my hair. The hair journey still continues, one day at a time.
What’s next on your hair journey?