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Hey guys, today we are going to tell you something that will blow your mind. Rosemary oil can help with beard growth.
Yes, we know, we always say that beard oils don’t help with beard growth, and while this is true, there are some exceptions to the rule. There are certain oils that can help you grow a beard quicker, and rosemary oil is one of them.
Rosemary oil is one of those rare oils with amazing properties that can help your beard grow faster and thicker. This is because, according to studies, it stimulates the hair follicles and strengthens the roots.
The key ingredient in rosemary oil is rosmarinic acid, which helps fight bacteria, making it a perfect addition to your daily routine for a healthy beard.
But before we go into more detail about the benefits of rosemary oil, let’s talk about what rosemary oil is.
What is Rosemary oil?
Rosemary oil is an essential oil derived from the rosemary plant’s leaves and is mainly used for medical purposes. It has a long history of medicinal usage, and it’s known for its calming properties and enhanced cognitive performance.
Rosemary (Salvia Rosmarinus) is a herb that belongs to the mint family of Lamiaceae that grows in many regions all over the world, but mainly in the Mediterranean countries.
It has been used since prehistoric times by the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. Different cultures have different beliefs about this herb, but if we look at it from the modern point of view, rosemary is mostly used for culinary purposes and for its health benefits.
Its main ingredients are α -Pinene, 1,8-Cineol, Camphor, Limonene, Camphene, and Linalool.
The extraction process is pretty simple. The leaves are getting dried and then distilled with the “steam process.” During the steam process, steam is passed through the herb, which results in essential oil (steam’s temperature should not be either too hot or too cold at about 35C). When distillation is finished, the essential oil gets separated from water and other components of the herb.
Rosemary oil has many medicinal properties that include treating respiratory disorders, treating pain in muscles and joints, enhancing blood circulation, preventing degenerative disorders of the nervous system, antioxidant properties, and of course, stimulating beard growth.
But what can Rosemary oil do for beards?
Benefits of Rosemary oil for beards
Apart from stimulating beard growth (which we are going to talk about in more detail in the next section), this essential oil also has other benefits for your facial hair:
Anti-inflammatory properties
α -Pinene, one of the main ingredients in rosemary oil, can reduce the inflammation of the skin underneath your beard and mucous membranes.
This is one of the properties that makes rosemary oil great for treating dry skin and dermatitis.
Antioxidant activity
Camphene, which makes up about 4 -7% of rosemary oil, is rich in antioxidants that can help fight free radicals.
This is another reason why this essential oil is great for stimulating beard growth. Free radicals can block hair follicles, resulting in slower hair growth.
Antibacterial and antiseptic properties
1,8-Cineol, α -Pinene, and Camphene- some of rosemary oil’s main ingredients- have antibacterial and antiseptic properties making it a great oil for preventing and treating skin infections.
Skin infections can result in slower beard growth, so if you have a problem with skin infections, rosemary oil can help you get rid of them and stimulate beard growth.
Fights beardruff
With all these anti-microbial and antiseptic properties, rosemary essential oil will help you fight the symptoms of beard dandruff.
Rosemary oil for beard growth
Now comes the part you have been waiting for, and it is time to talk about the main reason you are here: Rosemary oil and facial hair growth.
So, your first question is probably, are there any studies to prove rosemary oil can stimulate facial hair growth?
And the answer to that question is yes!
There is this 2015 study where rosemary oil was tested along with minoxidil for the treatment of androgenic alopecia.
The patients that participated in this study were split into two groups; half were treated with 2% minoxidil, and the other half was treated with rosemary oil (both groups were treated for 6 months).
After the first three months, there was not a big difference in the hair count of the patients of either group. But after 6 months, the number of hairs in both groups increased significantly. Also, the rosemary oil group had lower scalp itching rates than the minoxidil group patients. These results show that rosemary oil is effective because it stimulates hair growth without causing some common side effects of minoxidil.
Rosemary oil prevents a testosterone byproduct from attacking your hair follicles and causing hair loss; this is how it promotes beard growth.
Another study showed that rosemary oil could increase blood circulation.
As we have said many times, increased blood flow can help stimulate hair growth.
This happens because increased blood flow brings more nutrients and oxygen to the hair strands, which are two elements that help hair follicles grow faster.
Rosemary oil can also reduce stress. There have been a couple of studies with young adults sniffing rosemary oil. The studies showed that their stress levels were significantly lower after sniffing rosemary oil.
Stress levels have a huge impact on our health, especially when it comes to testosterone.
High-stress levels cause a huge decrease in testosterone, and this is something that can have a big impact on your beard growth.
If you are stressed out, then the last thing you want is to lose the progress you have already made with your beard, right? Rosemary oil can help reduce stress levels (you will be sniffing it all day when it sits on your beard), so it will have an indirect benefit when it comes to helping your beard.
* You should take these studies with a grain of salt because a few studies do not prove a lot, but they are still worth mentioning.
Ok, rosemary oil must be awesome for my beard but are there any side effects?
Like all essential oils, rosemary oil has some side effects, and this is what we will discuss now.
Rosemary Oil for beard Side Effects
The first side effect we want to mention is that rosemary oil can cause irritation to some people. Rosemary oil is a very strong essential oil that can cause irritation and even allergic reactions.
So you should always mix it with a carrier oil, like coconut or jojoba oil. You should also test it on a small skin area for allergies before you apply it to the whole beard.
Another side effect is it can cause stomach issues.
Rosemary oil is relatively safe in small quantities (the rosemary you put on food contains a small amount of rosemary oil). But in higher quantities, it can cause stomach issues.
One of the most common side effects is vomiting, but there have also been cases of allergy and breathing difficulties when ingesting rosemary oil.
How to use rosemary oil on your facial hair
Like all other essential oils, the only way to use rosemary oil on your beard is to mix it with carrier oils like sweet almond oil or argan oil and then gently massage it to your beard.
The best results can be achieved when you mix one-third of the rosemary oil with 2/3 of carrier oil.
Here is a simple DIY beard oil recipe:
Meditteranean Growth Beard Mix
- 50ml of Olive oil
- 50ml of Avocado oil
- 30 ml of Rosemary oil
All you have to do is mix all the oils together and then use them on your beard.
Conclusion
With all of these benefits to using rosemary oil for your beard, it’s time to give it a try. We know what you’re thinking—you don’t want another product in your bathroom cabinet that looks like an ancient remedy from Granny Smith! But this one is different, and we have a feeling that now you know more about its many uses and benefits, you will be hooked on the new “it-boy cure-all.” So get over there and hit those comments with your thoughts, and let us know if you also think that rosemary oil is the new go-to for your beard.
Russell is the founder of themensattitude.com. He is a barber a beard enthusiast and he is obsessed with trying men’s lifestyle products and blog about them. If you have any questions you can hit him up via the contact page.
