Rosemary Hair Oil
This rosemary infused hair oil is a lovely preparation using fresh rosemary from my garden. It’s the perfect balance of richness and moisture without weighing the hair down, as well as providing nourishing ingredients to support your hair. Using a bit on your ends daily, or to define and soothe fly away curls it is perfect! It can also be used as an overnight mask on the scalp if preferred.
I’ve always loved using rosemary in my hair for years and loved the idea of making a nourishing oil. Rosemary, a known antioxidant, is known to be a possible benefit in promoting hair growth by increasing blood flow to the hair follicles by microcapillary perfusion. This can be of benefit to those suffering hair loss issues such as alopecia and male pattern baldness and showed to just as effective as the pharmaceutical minoxidil used for this purpose. Its stimulation of the hair bulbs when applied to the scalp can also help reduce itchiness possibly due to its antimicrobial action.
I used golden avocado as my primary oil as it is lighter than other oils, but still provides some moisturization. The addition of self- stable jojoba as my secondary oil (technically wax) was added as it has a similar composition to the oil produced by our sebaceous glands and is therefore nourishing to dry scalp, helps to reduce split ends and soothe hair.
I used vitamin E for its antioxidant properties, blood circulating and nourishing properties which helps to repair damaged hair shafts and promote hair growth. The addition of vitamin E also contributes as a preservative due to its antioxidant properties.
Finally, the addition of the rosemary essential oil provides some added benefits of rosemary to soothe the scalp, and the grapefruit essential oil was added for some fragrance as well as to provide anti-fungal properties for the preservation of the overall product.
Ingredients:
- 150 ml Avocado Oil
- 10 ml Jojoba Oil
- 35 g Fresh Rosemary
- 5 ml Vitamin E Oil
- Essential Oils of Grapefruit and Rosemary- 5 drops each
Directions:
I harvested the rosemary in the evening and then brought it in to dry for 3 days to reduce some of the moisture content. I then weighed it and cut it into smaller pieces so it would infuse more evenly.
In a small pot I added a bit of water and turned the heat onto low. I then mixed the avocado oil and rosemary in the larger bowl and placed it over the double boiler with a lid, so the volatile (essential) oils from the rosemary don’t release out.
After 3 hours I took the bowl off the double boiler and let the rosemary cool in the oil.
The mixture was strained through a fine mesh cloth and then poured into the main bottle. Since the rosemary absorbed a bit of the oil the end result ended up being about half the original amount of oil. I then added the vitamin E oil, jojoba oil and essential oils to the mix. Gave it a shake and then sealed and labeled it.
The oil ended up infusing beautifully and turned from a golden colour to a lovely green from the rosemary!
Overall, my main goal when formulating the hair oil was to craft a product that would nourish the hair and prevent breakage and frizz, while supporting the scalp in reducing dandruff and promoting hair growth. The smell of the rosemary is also so beautiful and refreshing when using right out of the shower.
References
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(2012). Promotion of Hair Growth by Rosmarinus officinalis Leaf Extract. Phytotherapy
Research, 212-217.
Panahi, Y., Taghizadeh, M., Marzony, E. T., & Sahebkar, A. (15-21). Rosemary oil vs minoxidil 2%
for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia: a randomized comparative trial. Skinmed,
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Powar, P. (2018, June 2). BEAUTY BENEFITS OF VITAMIN E: RESCUE FOR HAIR DAMAGE.
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Sandha , G. K., & Swami, V. K. (2009). JOJOBA OIL AS AN ORGANIC, SHELF STABLE STANDARD
OIL-PHASE BASE FOR COSMETIC INDUSTRY. Rasayan, 300-306.
Viuda-Martos, M., Ruiz-Navajas, Y., Fernández-López, J., & Pér, J. (2008). Antifungal activity of
lemon (Citrus lemon L.), mandarin (Citrus reticulata L.), grapefruit (Citrus paradisi L.) and
orange (Citrus sinensis L.) essential oils. Elsevier, 1130-1138