As a woman of a certain age, hair thinning is starting to be an issue. And yes it may be normal, but there are essential oils for hair loss and alopecia, as well as oils that help hair and hair growth. And as an aromatherapist who trained with Gabriel Mojay in 2003, essential oils are one of my beloved methods to help things along naturally. So read along and let me know it it helps you too.
My most favourite oil for hair regrowth is rosemary. The scent is uplifting as well, and it rebalances the five elements. It’s a clean and yummy green scent reminiscent of Sunday dinners. And also helps with memory.
I often use ylang ylang on my scalp as a natural perfume, but turns out it’s powerful for hair growth too.
Best essential oils for hair growth
Studies have been done on essential oils and other oils you can consider for hair loss and regrowth are cedar, mint, lemon, thyme and peppermint. These are strong scented and of course need to be blended/diluted before use. (If you’re unsure of ratios of essential oils, read this article that has recipes) If you’re looking to block DHT, there’s an essential oil for you too!
Essential oils for hair loss
Here are the most effective essential oils to help reverse hair loss – you don’t need to buy them all. Pick one or two that appeal to you and vary them every 6 months. You can also pick 3 or 4 and make your own blend with jojoba oil:
- Rosemary oil (Rosmarinus Officinalis) reduces dihydrotestosterone (which causes hair thinning)
- Ylang Ylang oil (Cananga Odorata) used by the Victorians to balance sebum production, reduce balding and thinning, eps when stressed.
- Atlas Cedarwood oil (Cedrus Atlantica) balances sebum levels so reduces itchiness and dryness, so that hair grows thicker and stronger.
- Lemon oil (Citrus Limonum) antibacterial and oxidant effect, reduces hair fall and unclogs follicles preventing dandruff
- Thyme oil (Thymus Vulgaris) acts as an anti-inflammatory to reduce hair loss and increase hair growth
- Peppermint oil (Mentha Piperita) – contains stimulating menthol that increases blood circulation and number and depth of hair follicles
- Bay leaf or Bay Laurel relieves pain and dandruff and helps prevent hair loss.
- Clary sage- balances hormonal levels to help reverse hair loss, strengthens follicles so hair grows thicker and faster.
- Chamomile – anti inflammatory so calms the scalp while the terpenes, flavonoids and sesquiterpenes strengthen hair follicles
- Juniper berry fights dandruff, dryness and hair thinning
- Lavender improves blood circulation so speeds up hair growth, also helps you sleep which is when your body nourishes and repair cells.
- Lemongrass extends the hair’s life cycle, anti bacterial and anti fungal, strengthens hair follicles and supplies iron.
- Spikenard – used since Biblical times for healthy shiny hair, it improves hair growth and most importantly, slows down the dreaded greying
You can find most of these oils at your local natural whole foods store or through your aromatherapist. NB: Make sure the oils are not out of date!
How to reverse hair thinning after menopause
These are natural and effective things you can start doing today: applying hair growth oils to your scalp, start massaging your scalp in the shower, and adding essential oils to your shampoo and conditioner. Once lockdown is over, book a luxurious Indian Head Massage treatment, it relaxes and destresses at the same time as improving scalp health. You can blend your essential oils into either Argan or Marula
Read this article on menopause and hair care for additional lifestyle, nutrition and other practical tips. (I’m not going to re-type all the tips into this article!)
And listen to this interview with Hollywood Makeup Artist Nikol Elaine who has excellent tips for thinning hair!
Products that stimulate hair growth
By the way, when you’re shopping for hair care products, look out for these other ingredients that have an affinity to a health scalp and hair growth: caffeine, Yerba Santa, CBD oil, Vitamin E, vitamin D, niacinamide. Caffeine -helps prevent follicles from shrinking by reducing activity of 5-alpha-reductase. Yerba Santa polyphenols energizes hair roots in a similar way to caffeine and also protect the follicles from oxidative damage which increases both hair growth and hair density. Vitamin D increases our immunity – who would think that it improves hair quality?
Remember hair grows slowly, about 5-6 mm a month, so use your hair regrowth products regularly. Like skin, your hair is a reliable barometer as to the state of your health and wellbeing so if you would like to know what I personally use for hair regrowth, then drop me an email.
For crystal-infused skincare see my new serums!
Another way to learn more about aromatherapy essential oils is through my newsletter – I often share tips on what to use, when and how. Tick the subscription box at checkout.
For crystal-infused skincare see my new serums!
And yes, I use aromatherapy essential oils in my products.
