I Did the Research: Do Hair Oils Really Help Growth?

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Hair oiling has been absolutely everywhere for years now, and with so much content and varied opinions, I’ve found myself getting a bit lost knowing what to trust.

With so many oils promising to encourage growth, reduce breakage and transform your hair, it’s hard to know whether they actually work or it’s just another trend.

So I did the research. Here’s everything I learned about whether something as simple as oiling your scalp actually helps your hair grow.

Do Hair Oils Actually Help With Hair Growth?

Not exactly, at least not in the way TikTok tells you.

Your hair grows from the follicles underneath your scalp, and its growth rate is influenced by things like genetics, nutrition and hormones. Putting an oil on your scalp hasn’t been reliably proven to directly increase hair growth.

There isn’t enough evidence to confirm that oiling your scalp directly increases hair growth.

Essentially, hair oils are not magic, but some of them really can support a healthy scalp and reduce hair breakage. That’s important because a healthy scalp is the best environment for your hair to grow. Also, if your hair is constantly snapping at the ends, you might be growing new hair without actually seeing much extra length.

The Hair Growth Oils Actually Worth Knowing About

While I said there isn’t enough evidence to prove hair oils directly stimulate hair growth, that doesn’t mean there isn’t any evidence to suggest they help.

Here are the key oils that have some evidence to back them up:

Rosemary Oil

Rosemary oil has the most evidence out of all the oils marketed towards hair growth, as it's considered to improve blood flow to the scalp.

A 2015 study compared the effects of rosemary oil with a 2% minoxidil solution, in the form of Regaine, which itself has been clinically proven to stimulate hair growth. After 6 months, both groups experienced a significant increase in hair count. 

There have also been some animal studies showing similar results, such as oleogels containing 10% rosemary oil having similar effects as 2% minoxidil, and that 1% rosemary oil was better than 2% minoxidil at initiating hair growth.

If you want to try it, my favourite is the Mielle Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil. It's specifically formulated for use on the scalp, and it contains peppermint and several carrier oils.

Peppermint Oil

This one is often sprinkled in with other oils, but it’s been shown to have the most prominent hair growth effects in mice when compared to jojoba oil and minoxidil.

Peppermint oil contains a bunch of menthol, which has been shown to improve blood flow to the scalp when applied. It’s thought that this promotes hair growth by improving the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the hair follicles, but there hasn’t been sufficient evidence to say for certain.

The Nature Spell Peppermint Oil is a great option because it’s pre-diluted and you get a lot of product for the price.

Pumpkin Oil

A recent one I’ve been seeing a lot about is pumpkin oil. 

In 2019, a study found that topical pumpkin seed oil helps encourage hair growth in mice. A 2021 study found similar improvements in female pattern hair loss after three months between participants using pumpkin seed oil and those using topical 5% minoxidil foam.

Theories for how it works include that the oil’s phytosterols, plant-based estrogens, and vitamin E promote hair growth. 

Nature Spell’s Pumpkin Oil blends pumpkin, soybean, almond, linseed, and macadamia together, and the brand is cruelty-free.

Want More Honest Beauty Research?

So, hair oils don’t seem to be as effective as social media makes them out to be. I don’t find that super surprising, and it’s one of the reasons why we focus our articles on figuring out what actually works. You can have a read of our free beauty articles for more advice.

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