DIY Hair Growth Serum: Natural Rosemary Hair Serum Recipe

If you want to reap rosemary’s benefits for hair growth without the mess, learn how to make rosemary hair serum! When applied to your scalp, this lightweight DIY hair growth serum stimulates and revitalizes hair follicles, helping to grow and thicken hair without leaving it oily or wet.

Rosemary oil, rosemary water, and other homemade hair growth recipes have exploded in popularity, and for good reason.

After all, there’s plenty of evidence that rosemary supports hair growth by improving scalp blood flow, strengthening hair follicles, and suppressing hair loss hormones^1,2 – all excellent reasons to incorporate it into your natural hair care routine.

But what if you don’t like the feeling of oil on your scalp? Or maybe you don’t have the time or inclination to regularly soak your head in rosemary tea.

I can relate. Personally, I’ve seen great results from over a year of regularly using both remedies. But to be honest, I got tired of walking around with my scalp either soaking wet or greased with oil.

I wanted to create an alternative that was easier and more pleasant to use, and that’s where this DIY hair serum comes in. It’s an uncomplicated way to enjoy rosemary’s growth benefits without sacrificing your comfort (or hairstyle!).

Don’t get me wrong – both rosemary water and rosemary oil treatments are very effective, but a hair serum is a lot easier to use, with far less mess. Simply apply a light layer to your scalp and go about your day.

Homemade Hair Growth Serum That Works

In this post, I’m sharing 3 easy hair growth serum recipes you can make in minutes, using rosemary essential oil, rosemary water, or rosemary extract.

Each formula supports healthy growth, thickening, and scalp health with the revitalizing effects of rosemary. Only, at a fraction of the cost of fancy store-bought hair growth potions!

These are water-based formulas, not hair oils, so they don’t contain any greasy ingredients like castor oil, argan oil, or coconut oil. (But if you’d prefer an oil treatment, I also have a rosemary hair oil recipe or homemade hair growth oil.)

Finally, to read more about rosemary’s well-documented, clinically proven hair growth benefits, you can also read my post on the difference between rosemary oil vs rosemary water.

DIY Hair Growth Serum Ingredients

To make your own rosemary hair serum, you’ll need a few natural ingredients from the list below.

• Rosemary: Rosemary adds growth-promoting and hair thickening properties to this hair serum. You can use rosemary essential oil, rosemary extract, or rosemary water. Alternatively, you can also use a bottled hair growth essential oil blend.
• Aloe vera gel: Natural aloe vera gel helps soothe and moisturize the scalp, and it also thickens the formula to a light gel texture.
• Soy or sunflower lecithin: Oil and water don’t mix, so if you want to make a growth serum with rosemary essential oil, you’ll need liquid lecithin to disperse it into the formula.
• Natural preservative: Using a preservative prevents harmful mold or bacterial growth. You can read more about preservative options + substitutions later in this article.
• Xanthan Gum: This natural thickener turns liquids into gels, but it’s only required if you’re making the rosemary water serum.

Please note that you won’t need every single ingredient listed above – it depends on which recipe you choose to make.

To get the most benefits from your hair serum, I recommend reading this entire article. But for those who are eager for the DIY, the recipes and step-by-step tutorial can be found immediately below.

Afterwards, you’ll find more information on each ingredient, substitutions, and instructions for use.

Supplies Needed

You’ll also need a few supplies:

• Cosmetic scale to precisely measure each ingredient
• Lab beakers, which are easy to sanitize and incredibly useful for making homemade hair care and other DIY beauty creations
• Mini spatulas, which make it easy to mix small batches, and they won’t damage glass beakers
• Dropper or pump bottle for storage. It’s best to store your homemade hair serum in a pump bottle to avoid exposing it to oxygen, but you can also store it in a glass dropper bottle.

Rosemary Oil Hair Serum Recipe

18ml distilled water (or rosemary water)
9g aloe vera gel
1.5g rosemary essential oil or Hair Therapy essential oil blend
1.2g Leucidal SF Complete
0.3g liquid soy lecithin or sunflower lecithin

Want to use rosemary oil for hair growth without the greasy scalp? This lightweight serum contains 5% rosemary essential oil emulsified into a silky gel base. It’s easy to apply, and won’t leave your hair overly oily.

Tip: You can replace the distilled water with rosemary water to deepen your serum’s color while adding an extra dose of benefits.

Tip: You can also turn this recipe into a hair mask for growth.

Rosemary Water Hair Serum Recipe

28ml rosemary water (or rosemary hydrosol)
0.2g clear xanthan gum
0.6g vegetable glycerin
1.2g Leucidal SF Complete

If you’d like to experience rosemary water’s benefits without soaking your hair, turn it into a scalp serum for growth instead. All you need is a bit of xanthan gum and glycerin to thicken it to a light, spreadable gel.

Rosemary Extract Hair Serum

1 tablespoon aloe vera leaf gel
2 dropperfuls rosemary leaf extract or rosemary tincture

In yet another win for rosemary, a recent study found that a herbal hair lotion containing only 1% rosemary extract promoted better hair growth and thickening than minoxidil³.

So if you’d rather not use essential oils on your scalp, or don’t want to go to the trouble of making rosemary water, you can make a simple hair growth serum using bottled rosemary extract and aloe vera gel.

This recipe takes 1 minute to make, and requires no preservative as long as you keep the serum in the fridge and use it within a week.

How to make hair growth serum with rosemary oil

1. Begin by measuring liquid lecithin into a glass beaker.
   
2. Add the rosemary essential oil (or hair growth essential blend), then mix well to combine the oils with the lecithin.
   
3. Add aloe vera gel and mix well. (Note: It’s normal for the serum to be lumpy at this stage.)
   
4. Measure the distilled water (or rosemary water) into a separate beaker for easy pouring. Then, slowly drizzle the liquid into the mixture. Add it in increments, mixing as you go. Continue this process until the hair serum emulsifies, becoming a creamy, opaque, light yellow gel.
   
   
5. Add the natural preservative and mix well to combine. The serum’s texture may become more runny after adding the preservative – this is normal, and it should thicken up again later.
   
6. Transfer the finished hair growth serum to a pump bottle or dropper bottle, and it’s ready to use.

How to make rosemary water hair serum

1. Begin by making a batch of rosemary water (instructions here) and set aside the amount you’ll need for your grow serum. Tip: use equal amounts dried rosemary and distilled water to make an extra potent rosemary concentrate.
2. Combine xanthan gum with vegetable glycerin in a glass beaker to create a xanthan gum “slurry”. This hydrates the xanthan gum, which prevents lumps and allows it to blend seamlessly into the hair serum. Mix well until incorporated.
3. Slowly add the rosemary tea to the xanthan gum and glycerin slurry, mixing as you go, until all of the liquid is incorporated and the serum becomes a smooth gel.
4. Add the preservative and mix well to combine. The serum may become more liquid after adding the preservative – this is normal, and it will thicken up later.
5. Transfer the finished growth serum to a treatment pump or dropper bottle.

How to make rosemary extract growth serum

1. In a glass beaker, combine rosemary extract and aloe vera gel. Mix thoroughly.
2. Pour into a bottle, and your simple grow serum is ready to use! Since this recipe does not contain a preservative, remember to store in it the fridge and use it within 1 week.

Formula Notes

• Each recipe makes 1oz (30ml) of hair growth serum. (Exception: the rosemary extract serum makes only 15ml as it’s meant to be used quickly.)
• Store in a cool, dark place and use within 3 months.
• Preservatives are not substitutes for proper sanitation and safety practices, so please be sure to sanitize all tools, equipment, and containers before you begin.
• Alternatively, you can skip the preservative only as long as you keep your serum in the fridge and use it within a week.
• For more information on each ingredient, why it works, and where to purchase, read the section called “hair serum formula” below.

How to use your DIY hair serum for growth

Dispense a small amount onto clean fingers, then use your fingertips to gently press the growth serum into your scalp. You may feel a gentle, invigorating rosemary tingle as the serum gets to work stimulating your hair follicles.

Continue to apply in sections until you’ve covered your entire head. Allow to dry for a few minutes before styling your hair as normal.

Tips for use:

• For best results, apply your rosemary serum daily and leave it in – don’t rinse. You can apply it to clean or dirty hair, but it will absorb best on a clean scalp. (If your hair is very greasy, you can use a hair growth oil treatment instead.)
• When using your hair serum for the first time, be sure to test it on a day you’ll be at home. That way, you can see how your scalp reacts and how you hair feels before you commit to wearing it out of the house.
• I wouldn’t recommend applying it to a bouncy new blowout. Instead, apply to second-day hair or before pulling your hair back into a ponytail. No one will know!
• Your results may vary depending on which brand of aloe vera gel you use. Some aloe gels may leave residue or dry to a “crunchy” feel on your hair, but the brands linked in this post do not.
• As always, it’s advised to do a patch test before using any new product in your routine. Discontinue use if any irritation occurs, and do not make this hair serum if you’re allergic to any of the ingredients, such as aloe vera.

Rosemary Hair Serum Formula Information

Below, you’ll find more information on each ingredient, why it works for hair growth, and where to find it.

Rosemary Essential Oil

By now we know that rosemary oil helps hair grow, and you can read this post for a deep dive into its scientifically proven benefits.

However, rosemary isn’t the only essential oil for hair growth, and you can also incorporate other oils into your hair serum. I like Plant Therapy’s Hair Therapy, which also includes lavender, cedarwood, and other oils with proven hair growth benefits.

Rosemary Extract or Rosemary Water

Rather than using essential oil, you can also make a grow serum with a water-based rosemary extract or tincture.

When used topically, rosemary leaf extract has been found to support optimal hormonal conditions for hair growth³. It’s also high in antioxidants and natural compounds that help grow healthy hair, such as caffeic acid, ursolic acid, and rosmarinic acid¹.

Be sure to use a water, glycerin, or alcohol-based rosemary leaf extract or tincture. Oil-based rosemary extract (also called rosemary CO2) is not suitable for this recipe.

Aloe Vera Gel

Aloe vera gel’s moisturizing and soothing qualities make it an excellent thickener. As well, its lightweight, hydrating gel texture helps moisturize the hair, prevent dandruff, and soothe a dry, itchy scalp.

There’s plenty of literature linking aloe vera to hair growth and improving hair loss. But rather than stimulating growth, aloe’s unique hair growth effects appear to come from its ability to create the ideal conditions for healthy growth.

It suppresses inflammation, yeast, and bacterial growth on the scalp, helping to support a slightly acidic, healthy scalp pH⁴.

Which aloe gel is best for hair serum?

When it comes to selecting an aloe vera gel, look for one with clean ingredients that’s free of synthetic fragrances and toxic preservatives such as DMDM hydantoin.

I recommend Plant Therapy’s aloe vera gel for its smooth, viscous texture, natural ingredients, and added benefits from centella and horsetail. It has the perfect viscosity to thicken the serum without the need for extra thickening ingredients.

As another option, NaturSense aloe vera gel has a very clean, simple ingredients list for those who are particularly sensitive, but its texture is much thinner.

If using NaturSense or another less viscous brand of aloe gel, I recommend modifying the recipe to account for the difference in texture. You can double the amount of aloe jelly to 18g and decrease the water to 9ml to avoid a liquidy hair serum.

Liquid Lecithin

Oil and water don’t mix, so in order to make a hair serum with essential oils, you’ll need an emulsifier. You can use either soy lecithin or sunflower lecithin.

Lecithin is very thick and oily, but it’s used in such a small amount that it won’t make your hair greasy – just enough to emulsify and disperse the rosemary EO in the formula. It creates a smooth emulsion and adds a nice, silky quality.

The rosemary oil serum will not work without lecithin, so please make one of the other recipes if you don’t have it, or make your own DIY rosemary oil for growth instead.

Using undiluted essential oil on your scalp is dangerous and can cause serious skin irritation, which is why using an emulsifier is so important.

Xanthan Gum (and Vegetable Glycerin)

Xanthan gum is used as a natural thickener in the water-based rosemary serum.

When combined with vegetable glycerin and dispersed into the formula, it creates a thin, smooth gel that doesn’t leave a crunchy texture or film on your scalp.

Culinary xanthan gum is easy to find, but I recommend Clear Xanthan Gum, which is more pleasant to use and made specifically for cosmetics.

Leucidal Liquid Natural Preservative

Water is a breeding ground for mold, fungi, and bacteria, so all water-based homemade beauty haircare products require a preservative for safety.

The Leucidal line of preservatives, which includes Leucidal Liquid SF, Leucidal SF Max, and Leucidal SF Complete, are gentle, natural preservatives made from fermented radish, lactobacillus, and coconut extracts.

If you can’t find Leucidal Liquid (also sometimes called Radish Root Ferment Filtrate), Linatural is another natural preservative option, though it’s not always readily available.

If you’re an experienced DIY beauty maker, you can also substitute your preferred preservative in its required percentage for efficacy (altering the formula as needed).

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