TikTok is awash with hacks that promise to deliver princess-like hair with minimum effort.
Although some trends fade as quickly as they blow up, rosemary oil’s reputation for stimulating hair growth when massaged in regularly – and the amount of influencers who now swear by it – is growing by the minute.
With 12.3 million views for ‘rosemary hair oil’ on TikTok, and a 395% increase in Google searches over the past 12 months, the wonder ingredient’s reported credentials for delivering longer, stronger and thicker locks is now becoming a hair care staple.
Although the trend initially blew up because content creators were raving about indie brand Mielle’s cult product Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil, interest in the ingredient continued to soar.
Last year, influencer mentions about ‘rosemary oil’ soared 96%, found marketing platform Traackr, while engagement increased 62% and video views 104% respectively.
Rosemary is a medicinal plant that has traditionally been used in beauty to treat a myriad of skin issues, including irritation.
However, its anti-inflammatory properties also make it ideal for general hair health and scalp healing.
The science speaks to this too: a study by SkinMed, for example, compared rosemary oil’s hair care benefits to minoxidil, a popular hair regrowth treatment.
People with DHT-related hair loss who were treated with rosemary oil had more hair growth after six months than the minoxidil group.
Many brands have now dropped rosemary-infused hair products to meet consumer demand.