Rosemary Tea Is TikTok's Latest Hair Growth Trick — Find Out If It's Worth Trying

Another day, another hair-care method promising thicker, longer, and healthier-looking hair on TikTok. The latest beauty trend to sweep the app? A DIY rosemary tea mist. In a video that now has four million views, TikTok user @kaligirly demonstrates how to make rosemary tea for hair and raves about their improved hair growth from using the spray.

In the video, @kaligirly makes the hairspray by boiling rosemary in a pot of water and letting it steep for about an hour. Then, @kaligirly transfers the liquid from the pot to a spray bottle and keeps it in the fridge so it can last up to a week. Finally @kaligirly sprays the formula all around their freshly washed hair. It's best to wrap a towel around your shoulders to prevent the spray from getting on other areas of your face because "this stuff makes your hair grow," advises @kaligirly in the clip. "So, I'm getting sideburns from this stuff, so I put a towel here [on the side of her head] now to cover it and go crazy." They the hairspray until their hair is fully saturated and then wraps it in a towel to soak excess moisture before letting it air dry. (

In another video, @kaligirly shows before and after photos of their hair after using the rosemary tea spray over the course of a year. If you caught the post, you're probably curious whether using rosemary tea for hair growth is as transformative as it sounds.

Anyone who frequents the beauty corner of TikTok knows that rosemary oil for hair growth is another hot topic on the app. While research is limited, one study published in the journal SkinMED found promising results when using rosemary oil on people with androgenetic alopecia. The blind study found the effect of rosemary oil to be similar to that of two percent minoxidil in growing hair, explains Ednan Sheikh, M.D. board-certified physician and hair restoration expert of Eternal Hair & Esthetics. (

"Rosemary oil can help promote hair growth in some individuals with age-related hair loss, such as androgenetic alopecia," James Y. Wang, M.D. dermatologist and founder of Metropolis Dermatology, previously told Shape. Dr. Wang also noted that while it isn't exactly clear how rosemary oil works, some believe it blocks DHT, a hormone that when elevated can cause hair follicles to shrink and stop growing hair altogether, from interacting with hair follicles.

That said, though, just because some research suggests rosemary oil is beneficial for hair growth, there's no guarantee that the same can be said for rosemary tea. "While rosemary tea shares the same key component as rosemary oil, we cannot assume it will yield the same hair growth results," says Dr. Sheikh.

"Since processing tea is different from processing oil, it can impact the overall concentration of the key ingredients as well as the efficacy," echoes Marisa Garshick, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist of MDCS Dermatology. If you still want to try rosemary tea for hair, though, you can feel free to use it daily, says Dr. Garshick. "While there's no specific recommendation for rosemary tea use, it can be used every day, providing there's no sensitivity or irritation," she says. "If just starting out incorporating it, it may be best to start two to three times per week to ensure tolerability."

For those looking to remedy hair loss, Dr. Sheikh recommends formulas that incorporate science-backed ingredients, such as minoxidil. "[Minoxidil] is used topically to stimulate hair growth and pump the brakes on hair loss," he explains. It's an FDA-approved topical treatment for men and women who experience hair loss. (

"If you've experienced significant hair loss, at-home remedies will not be enough to stop hair loss and regrow your hair," says Dr. Sheikh. "In these situations, we always recommend combination treatment of an in-office treatment (think: platelet-rich plasma hair regrowth therapy) and an at-home topical or oral supplement to achieve new hair growth and restored thickness." As for rosemary tea, while it certainly makes for a delicious drink, it's not the most promising hair growth hack.