I tested the viral "as good as minoxidil" Mielle rosemary oil for 3 months. Here's what happened.

"I never wear my hair down because it has no volume."

That's how our tester described her hair before trying Mielle Rosemary Mint Hair Oil : thinning all over, a skimpy ponytail, less body and the kind of diffuse shedding that seems more obvious in the shower drain than in any one bald spot.

She'd never even heard of the $10 "miracle" oil before we sent it to her. But anyone who's spent time in the hair-loss corner of the internet has probably come across the claim that rosemary oil works "just as well as minoxidil." It's a bold assertion — and not a new one — that almost always traces back to one small, randomized trial of 100 participants, which found that rosemary oil performed similarly to 2% minoxidil for hair regrowth over six months.

It's an attention-grabbing result, considering that minoxidil — better known by the brand name Rogaine — is the only FDA-approved, over-the-counter treatment for pattern hair loss in both men and women.

Dermatologists have taken notice. One 2022 review described rosemary as "the most studied" of the viral hair-growth trends. But the authors also warned that "hairfluencers" often make claims that aren't "entirely based on scientific research." So we decided to separate the hype from the evidence. Here's what happened after three months of testing, what two dermatologists think of the science and what a couple of Yahoo staffers learned when they tried it themselves.

📍The baseline: Where our tester started

Our tester, in her 40s, began noticing hair thinning and a sad ponytail about three years ago, which is not unusual. According to the American Academy of Dermatology , hair thinning often begins in midlife .

At first, there was the daily shedding — in the shower, in her brush — and over time it became clear she was losing real fullness. "Pictures from years ago look way different than today," she said, noting that these days hair now looks "lifeless, flat, with zero volume."

Before starting the rosemary oil trial, she rated her overall hair satisfaction at 2 out of 5and her hair density at 1 out of 5. Her biggest frustration wasn't the shedding itself — it was how flat everything looked. "Long hair looks very sad on me," she said.

This was her first real step toward doing anything about her thinning hair. Going in, she was skeptical but hopeful that after three months of using Mielle rosemary oil, she'd have more hair. Not perfection — just enough regrowth to notice.

🪞The results: What happened after 3 months of testing?

Testers rate each category on a 1-to-5 scale, where 5 is the best possible score for that category. After 12 weeks of use, our tester reported:

Despite giving the product full credit for the changes she saw, our tester described the overall results as modest, summing up her hair's progress from where she started as "about the same."

Did it meet her expectations? Not really. While she "kept noticing more and more baby hair in the front/forehead area," the improvement wasn't dramatic enough to change how she felt about her hair.

Still, she isn't ruling Mielle rosemary oil out.

"I definitely think I would've seen more if I'd been able to use the oil every day," she said. "I would totally use it daily if it didn't give me such a greasy look."

Why consistency is tricky — but matters

Her experience highlights one of the biggest challenges with rosemary oil: actually using it consistently. She started out applying it every day, as most clinical studies require, but after about a week, she cut back because the oil made her fine hair look greasy.

"Maybe this isn't an issue for someone who has a lot of hair," she said. "But for someone with fine hair, there's no hiding."

Two Yahoo staffers who tried the same oil outside our official testing also found daily use difficult. One lasted only two weeks before giving up.

"Putting it in your hair, then showering after letting it sit every day, requires the kind of forward planning I do not excel at." She also said the oil "really weighed down" her hair, especially around the temples where her hair had thinned the most.

The second staffer stopped using the oil after developing intense itching and dryness a few days into treatment. (Take note: Patch-testing is a good idea before applying rosemary oil regularly, especially if you know essential oils irritate your skin.)

Whether applying the oil just once or twice a week affected our tester's results is impossible to know. But dermatologists say rosemary oil generally requires both consistent use and patience.

"We're really not even starting to look for results until about the three- to four-month mark, with maximum benefit evident at six to 12 months," says Dr. Shauna Higgins , a board-certified dermatologist and spokesperson for the Skin of Color Society .

By that measure, our tester's checkpoint landed at the very beginning of the window when dermatologists would expect to start seeing results. In other words, she may have stopped evaluating the product just as it was beginning to work.

🔬 The research: Where does the "as good as minoxidil" claim come from?

The viral claim traces back to a single study that's now more than a decade old. It wasn't placebo-controlled, included only men and compared rosemary oil with a 2% minoxidil solution—not the stronger 5% version many people think of when they hear Rogaine.

For perspective, "both rosemary oil and 2% minoxidil improve hair growth, but to a marginal degree," Higgins says. By comparison, men using 5% minoxidil experienced about 45% more hair regrowth than those using 2% in a landmark 48-week clinical trial .

There's another important caveat: "The finding has not been convincingly reproduced in larger, rigorous trials," says Dr. Thomas Leung , an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania and founding director of its Center for Human Skin Biology. 

Rosemary oil vs. minoxidil at a glance:

• Rosemary oil :Worked about as well as 2% minoxidil in one small, unreplicated study ; no placebo comparison exists

• 2% minoxidil:Grew about 12.7 new hairs per square centimeter over 48 weeks in a major clinical trial of 393 men (vs. 3.9 for placebo) — though, like the rosemary study, it only looked at men

• 5% minoxidil:Grew about 18.6 new hairs per square centimeter in that same trial — nearly 45% more regrowth than the 2% version.

🎯 The target audience: Who's rosemary oil actually for?  

Both dermatologists agree that rosemary oil has a real, if limited, place at the hair-growth table. "I generally find that patients with very early hair loss who don't feel quite ready for medications but still want to use some sort of treatment are good candidates for rosemary oil," Higgins says, adding that it might be a good fit for those drawn to natural, plant-based options as part of a broader routine that might also include minoxidil. (Higgins notes that there are no known interactions between rosemary oil and minoxidil or finasteride, so the two can be safely combined.)

Higgins also notes that you should skip rosemary oil ifyou:

• Have a known sensitivity to rosemary, mint or essential oils

• Have an actively inflamed scalp from eczema, psoriasis or dandruff

• Are pregnant or breastfeeding , since safety data on concentrated rosemary oil in pregnancy is limited.

• Hoping for fast, dramatic results despite more advanced hair loss. 

👀 Hair shedding vs. hair loss: how much is normal — and when to worry .

🧬The science: What's actually in Mielle Rosemary Mint Hair Oil

When it comes to the science behind Mielle's formula, rosemary is doing most of the heavy lifting. True to its name, the oil combines rosemary and mint with biotin. Of the three, rosemary has by far the strongest scientific backing . There's little evidence that mint promotes hair growth, and biotin is generally thought to help only people who are truly deficient in the nutrient.

Researchers believe rosemary may work in a couple of different ways, though neither has been definitively proven in people with hair loss.

• It may help reduce DHT activity.In lab studies, rosemary leaf extract slowed activity in an enzyme involved in producing dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the hormone that plays a major role in pattern hair loss, according to a 2021 review of natural hair-growth ingredients .

• It may create a healthier environment for hair follicles. Leung's own research found that a compound in rosemary activates a nerve receptor that shifts skin toward regeneration and away from scarring. In theory, that could support healthier hair follicles. But he's quick to point out that this work focused on wound healing, not thinning hair on an otherwise healthy scalp, so it "remains an open question" whether the same mechanism applies here.

🤼‍♀️ The competition: Other leave-in hair growth treatments we tested

• Vegamour GRO Hair Serum : Our tester gave this a 4/5 for overall satisfaction by the end of testing, with a noticeably thicker part that gave her enough confidence to skip the ponytail-hiding routine. Shedding, however, barely changed. Full review to come.

• Harklinikken Hair Gain Extract : This daily-use extract delivered visible baby hairs and a 4/5 confidence score by the final survey, but our tester felt real thickness would take longer than the three-month test window to show up. Full review to come.

• Nioxin Night Density Rescue Serum : With baby hairs and improved density by the end of testing, our tester called it "great improvement," rating her confidence in the product a 4/5, though hair remained noticeably thin overall. Full review to come.

🧪 How we test hair growth products

Hair loss is deeply personal, so we test with people who actually live with it — not folks with healthy hair trying out a serum for a few weeks. Every product in Yahoo Health's hair growth testing program is tested by real people actively managing shedding, thinning or receding hairlines, over months, not days.

Before starting, each of our 20+ testers completed a detailed baseline survey, rating shedding severity and thickness and flagging specific problem areas like hairline, crown or part width, along with standardized "before" photos. From there, testers check in around 4–6 weeks and submit a final survey and photos at roughly three months, once the products have had time to show early results. Most criteria are rated on a 1-to-5 scale, and we weigh those scores and feedback alongside dermatologist-backed research on each ingredient to inform how we frame the results.

But because no system is perfect, a few testers deviated from protocol — skipping a midpoint check-in or missing a few days of daily application. Those moments are a reminder that our testers are real people, juggling life along with hair loss.

✅ The bottom line

The internet's favorite claim — that rosemary oil works "as well as minoxidil" —rests largely on a single study with important limitations. So our tester's three-month trial offered a useful reality check: real but modest improvement, undercut by a texture that made daily use unrealistic — and by a timeline that may not have run long enough to fairly judge the product either way, according to dermatologists. So if you're hoping for minoxidil-like results in a few weeks, keep your expectations grounded.

Perhaps the best summary came from our tester herself. She'd recommend it to a friend "because it's cheap," and she was encouraged by the new baby hairs she noticed. Her one caveat? Be prepared for "potentially looking like you have dirty hair."

FAQs

Does Mielle's rosemary oil really work as well as minoxidil? 

Higgins calls it "a fair comparison" — with caveats. The claim comes from a single, yet-to-be-replicated 2015 study of 100 men, with no placebo group, that tested rosemary oil against a lower, 2% dose of minoxidil rather than the more effective 5% version. And even where the study did find a difference, Higgins notes: "Just because a difference was demonstrated in a study, it doesn't necessarily mean that difference will be readily noticeable by the naked eye."

Can Mielle's rosemary oil help a receding hairline?

Maybe — if you start early in the process. Some lab studies also point to potential benefits of pumpkin seed oil- and tea tree oil–based blends, though experts stress that these should complement — not replace — proven hair loss treatments like minoxidil or finasteride (Propecia). Learn other ways to fix a receding hairline, according to dermatologists .

How long does it take to see results? 

Longer than most people expect. It generally takes 3 to 4 months of regular use before you start seeing any small changes, according to Higgins. While our tester noticed baby hair growth around 4-6 weeks,  her results were still modest by month 3. The 6- to 12-month mark is a more realistic timeline for "maximum benefit," says Higgins. 

Is rosemary oil safe for daily use? 

Generally speaking, yes. But if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, it's best to hold off. Reported side effects are generally mild — occasional scalp itching or irritation. Leung recommends a patch test on a small area first, and stopping use if you develop persistent burning, itching, scaling or a rash. 

Meet our experts

• Shauna Higgins ,MD, a board-certified dermatologist, Clinical Director at Metropolis Dermatology in Los Angeles and spokesperson for the Skin of Color Society

• Thomas Leung ,MD, PhD, associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania and founding director of its Center for Human Skin Biology

Our health content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional on questions about your health.