Topic
Natural remedies for hair growth
No natural remedy has strong evidence for growing hair, and the real value of most oils and plant extracts is cosmetic.
Key takeaways
- No natural remedy has strong or fairly good evidence for growing hair. The best have limited evidence, and each rests on one small trial.
- Rosemary oil has one 2015 trial against 2% minoxidil without a placebo group (rosemary oil).
- Onion juice and garlic gel have small alopecia areata studies only, and they irritate and sensitise skin (onion juice, garlic). Oral amla syrup has one 60-woman trial (amla).
- Peppermint, lavender, black seed, hibiscus, bhringraj, emu oil and aloe have animal or lab data only. Batana oil and rice water have no hair study (batana oil, rice water).
- Castor oil conditions and seals hair, but there is no growth trial and one case report of irreversible matting of the whole scalp (castor oil).
- The real value of oils is cosmetic: less breakage and more shine on dry or coarse hair, which can look like fuller hair.
- Allergy is the main risk, especially with essential oils (rosemary, lavender, peppermint), garlic and onion. Dilute and patch-test; lavender case reports in children are unproven but warrant caution.
The science
Plant extracts show 5-alpha-reductase inhibition, antioxidant or anti-inflammatory activity in the lab, or growth in shaved mice. Mouse skin cycles in sync and differs from human skin, so mouse results such as "peppermint oil beat minoxidil" are weak predictors. Human data are few and mostly low quality.
What the studies show
- In 100 young men, rosemary oil and 2% minoxidil gave similar hair-count rises at 6 months, but with no placebo group the trial cannot show that either worked. Panahi 2015
- Crude onion juice gave regrowth in 73.9% of 23 people with patchy alopecia areata at 4 weeks versus 13% with tap water at 8 weeks, a condition that often regrows on its own. Sharquie 2002
- Garlic gel added to a steroid cream gave a good or moderate response in all garlic-group participants in a 40-person alopecia areata trial. Hajheydari 2007
- Oral amla syrup raised the anagen-to-telogen ratio versus placebo (P=0.002) in 60 women over 12 weeks. Akhbari 2024
- In mice, 3% peppermint oil showed the most prominent growth against 3% minoxidil over 4 weeks. Oh 2014
- One published case describes the whole scalp matting irreversibly after castor oil was applied to long hair. Maduri 2017
- A review described eight boys with prepubertal gynaecomastia and four girls with premature breast development after lavender and/or tea tree oil exposure, with causation unproven. Braunstein 2023
What it means by hair profile
Dry, high-porosity, coily hair benefits most from occlusive oils for moisture retention, which is a cosmetic effect. Oily or flaky scalps may worsen with heavy oils, and fine hair gets weighed down. On sensitive scalps, patch-test everything.
Myths and facts
- Myth: rice water, batana oil or onion juice regrow hair. Fact: there is no or poor-quality human evidence.
- Myth: castor oil grows hair faster. Fact: there is no controlled trial.
- Myth: natural is gentler. Fact: contact allergy is common with botanical oils.
Bottom line
Treat remedies as optional extras. Do not swap them for minoxidil or finasteride in pattern loss, and see a dermatologist for patchy or sudden loss.
Studies 7
Panahi Y, Taghizadeh M, Marzony ET, Sahebkar A. Rosemary oil vs minoxidil 2% for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia: a randomized comparative trial. Skinmed. 2015
Tested: rosemary oil vs 2% minoxidil twice daily, no placebo
Result: No change in hair count at 3 months in either group; both rose at 6 months with no difference between groups; itching was more frequent with minoxidil.
Read the study ↗Sharquie KE, Al-Obaidi HK. Onion juice (Allium cepa L.), a new topical treatment for alopecia areata. J Dermatol. 2002
Tested: crude onion juice twice daily (23 people) vs tap water (15 people)
Result: Regrowth in 73.9% at 4 weeks and 86.9% at 6 weeks with onion juice vs 13% at 8 weeks with tap water.
Read the study ↗Hajheydari Z et al. Combination of topical garlic gel and betamethasone valerate cream in the treatment of localized alopecia areata: a double-blind randomized controlled study. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2007
Tested: garlic gel vs placebo gel, both with betamethasone valerate cream
Result: Good or moderate response in the whole garlic group, significantly better than control (P=0.001); no complications reported.
Read the study ↗Akhbari M et al. The effect of an oral product containing Amla fruit on female androgenetic alopecia: a randomized controlled trial. J Ethnopharmacol. 2024
Tested: 10 mL oral amla syrup three times daily vs placebo
Result: Anagen-to-telogen ratio rose versus placebo (P=0.002); one mild constipation case. 52 completed.
Read the study ↗Maduri VR et al. 'Castor Oil' - the culprit of acute hair felting. Int J Trichology. 2017
Tested: coconut plus castor oil applied after a wash
Result: The whole scalp matted irreversibly and the hair had to be cut off.
Read the study ↗Oh JY et al. Peppermint oil promotes hair growth without toxic signs. Toxicol Res. 2014
Tested: 3% peppermint oil vs saline, jojoba oil and 3% minoxidil
Result: The peppermint group showed the most prominent growth, with higher dermal thickness, follicle number and IGF-1 expression.
Read the study ↗Show 1 more studies
Braunstein EW, Braunstein GD. Prepubertal gynaecomastia and premature thelarche linked to lavender and tea tree oil? touchREVIEWS Endocrinol. 2023
Tested: exposure to lavender and/or tea tree oil
Result: All cases resolved after stopping; the authors stress causation is unproven.
Read the study ↗Related
- Rosemary oilRosemary oil became the internet's "natural minoxidil" from one small 2015 trial that had no placebo group and has never been replicated.
- Onion juiceA 2002 Iraqi study found crude onion juice regrew hair in patchy alopecia areata, but the control was tap water, the groups were small, and it was not shown for pattern hair loss.
- GarlicA 2007 Iranian trial found garlic gel added to a steroid cream improved patchy alopecia areata, but raw garlic is a known skin allergen and nothing supports it for pattern hair loss.
- AmlaAmla fruit has one small positive placebo-controlled trial of an oral syrup in women with pattern hair loss, plus lab and animal data; amla oils and masks are tradition.
- Peppermint oilIn a 2014 mouse study 3% peppermint oil grew more hair than 3% minoxidil, but no human trial of peppermint oil for hair has been found.
- Lavender oilLavender oil thickened skin and increased follicle numbers in mice in 2016; there is no human hair trial, and a debated hormone-disruption concern exists in young children.
- Black seed oilBlack seed oil's hair reputation rests on animal work and a tiny open-label lotion study, with no independent controlled human trial.
- HibiscusHibiscus leaf and flower extracts grew hair in rats and cultured rat follicles, but no human hair trial exists.
- BhringrajBhringraj is the Ayurvedic "king of hair" herb; extracts speed regrowth in rats and mice, but no human hair trial was found.
- Emu oilEmu oil is a rendered bird-fat moisturizer with some mouse anti-inflammatory data, marketed for hair growth without any hair trial behind it.
- Aloe veraAloe gel is a soothing, water-binding scalp and hair conditioner, with no solid human trial showing it grows hair.
- Batana oilBatana oil is a trending Honduran palm-nut oil sold for hair growth, with no peer-reviewed hair study found.
- Rice waterRice water is the starchy water left after soaking or boiling rice, a free and harmless rinse with no clinical hair study behind its growth claims.
- Castor oilCastor oil is a thick sealant that suits dry hair, but no controlled human trial shows it grows hair, and in rare cases it has matted a whole head of hair irreversibly.
- Cosmetic hair growth serumsOver-the-counter serums, shampoos and tonics for thinning hair can be low-risk add-ons, but none has evidence close to minoxidil or finasteride.