It may be one of beauty’s trendiest botanicals—but rosemary has been studied long before it started appearing all over social media.
Walk through the hair-care aisle today and you’ll find rosemary everywhere.
But at Root Renova, an ingredient doesn’t earn a place in a formula simply because it’s popular. The question is always the same:
Is there a thoughtful reason for it to be there?
With rosemary, the answer was yes.
Here’s what makes this familiar botanical so interesting—and what the science tells us.
First, what makes rosemary special?
Rosemary contains a variety of naturally occurring plant compounds including rosmarinic acid, carnosic acid and carnosol- compounds that have been studied for their antioxidant properties.
The antioxidant activity is one of the reasons rosemary has attracted so much interest in cosmetic research – and one of the reasons we found it worth exploring for scalp care.
You don’t need to understand the chemistry to appreciate why researchers find rosemary interesting: this ordinary-looking herb contains a surprisingly complex collection of plant compounds.
But what does any of this have to do with hair?
This is where rosemary’s reputation – and the actual research – need a little separating.
If you’ve spent any time on social media, you’ve probably encountered some pretty dramatic claims about rosemary and hair. There is human research involving rosemary —but it is much more limited than social media might lead you to believe.
Here’s what the research actually found:
· A 2023 study in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science analyzed different rosemary extracts and identified different compounds within it that may protect hair against UV (light) induced peptide and protein damage.
· Another 2023 study in the Advanced Biomedical Research Journal showed that in mice, applying a hair lotion with rosemary oil stimulated hair growth and showed additional benefits to hair quality, length, weight, and appearance.
· A small study from 2015 showed Rosemary be as effective as minoxidil and finasteride in improving blood flow to the scalp and regeneration of hair follicles, but with less itching than minoxidil.
It’s important to note that these were small studies with specific rosemary oil preparations in very specific research populations. So you should not turn this into a much broader statement that “rosemary is proven to grow hair”. Further research is needed to investigate these promising therapeutic benefits.
Root Renova does not promise that rosemary will regrow hair, but we do feel that it may nourish and condition the scalp while supporting stronger-looking, fuller-feeling, and healthier-appearing hair.
So why did rosemary earn its place?
Because we weren’t looking for a miracle ingredient. We were looking for thoughtful ingredients.
Rosemary is a botanical with a well-characterized collection of naturally occurring compounds. Its antioxidant activity has been repeatedly demonstrated in research, it has a history of topical and cosmetic use, and researchers continue to investigate its potential applications in skin, scalp and hair care.
That’s enough to make rosemary interesting to us—without turning it into something it isn’t.
In Root Renova Scalp Strengthening Serum, rosemary is part of a larger, thoughtfully formulated scalp-care ritual designed to nourish and condition the scalp while supporting stronger-looking, fuller-looking, healthier-looking hair.
No single botanical has to do everything. It simply has to have a reason for being there.
Only What Matters. Nothing That Doesn’t.
That’s the philosophy behind Root Renova Botanica.
We look at ingredients individually, consider the science behind them, and then consider something equally important: how they work as part of the complete cosmetic formulation and experience.
Rosemary earned its place.
And we’ll continue introducing you to the ingredients that earned theirs, too.
Which botanical should we explore next?
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