How to Make Rosemary Water for Hair Growth (DIY Recipe + Guide)

Learn how to make rosemary water for hair growth! This natural homemade remedy can help boost hair growth and thickness, clarify the scalp, and promote silky, shiny hair.

In this tutorial, I’ll show you the best way to DIY rosemary water using either fresh or dried rosemary, plus, how to use it as a hair rinse or growth spray. You’ll also find tips and tricks for best results + answers to common questions.

The internet is ablaze with rosemary water – everywhere you turn, someone is talking about how to use it to grow longer, thicker hair. But does it live up to the hype?

I’m not a fan of bogus beauty recipes, and when it comes to TikTok beauty tips, it’s important to be extra discerning. But rosemary water is one of those hair growth tips that truly does work.

Boiling rosemary leaves creates a fragrant herbal tonic with a variety of benefits for hair and scalp. Not only does it stimulate healthy hair growth and thickening, but it also helps reduce dandruff, combat oil, relieve itchy scalp, and even naturally dye your hair.

How do I know? I experienced the results firsthand. Not only did my hair thicken and regrow after a period of stress-induced hair fall, but my scalp health also improved, becoming much calmer, less itchy, and less oily.

That’s why I wanted to share my easy rosemary water recipe based on my own personal experience.

Below you’ll find a step-by-step tutorial and how-to guide for best results, freshly updated for 2025. But don’t just take my word for it, because I’ve also included sources to back up this recipe!

Plus, if you’ve ever wondered about rosemary water’s pH level, whether you can make it using essential oils, or whether it can damage your hair, this in-depth guide has you covered with frequently asked questions.

What is rosemary water, and how does it help hair growth?

Rosemary water is a hair growth tonic made by steeping water and rosemary leaves. The resulting fragrant, dark-colored tea is infused with all of rosemary’s benefits for hair and scalp health.

Though sometimes called rosemary tea, hair tea is steeped longer than tea for drinking. A long simmer releases the rosemary leaves’ beneficial constituents for hair health, including growth-boosting caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, and hair-smoothing tannins^1,2.

After infusing, rosemary water can be used as a rinse or scalp spray, or used to make hair serum and other homemade hair growth recipes. Since it imparts hair with rich golden tones, it’s also ideal for darkening hair naturally.

Still, this is only scratching the surface, and the benefits are too broad for one article! For a deep dive into the science behind why it works, you can read my article on rosemary water’s benefits for hair growth.

What You’ll Need

Making this natural remedy is simple, and you’ll need only 2 ingredients:

• Distilled water: Distilled water is free of impurities that can interfere with the final product.
• Fresh rosemary sprigs or dried rosemary leaves: You can use either one, but dried rosemary is cheaper and easier to measure.

You’ll also need a few pieces of equipment:

• Stainless steel saucepan to steep your hair tea
• Metal sieve to separate the leaves
• Swing top bottle or spray bottle for use, such as this pretty gold one

Distilled water

Our hair is very sensitive to pH levels⁵ and mineral deposits, so when it comes to making rosemary water at home, distilled water is best.

Unlike plain filtered water, pure distilled water is free of all minerals and impurities that can interfere with your results (or cause your hair tea to spoil prematurely).

Distilled water is relatively inexpensive and can be used to make other DIY beauty and hair care products. However, if you don’t have access to it, simply use the best filtered water you can find.

Rosemary leaves

If you have an abundance of fresh rosemary in your garden, you’re in luck – but fresh rosemary isn’t always in season, and doesn’t grow in all climates. So you can also use dried rosemary leaves, which are available in bulk at an affordable price.

I actually prefer using dried rosemary to make rosemary water, as it’s cheaper and easier to measure. Bonus: when buying in bulk, you can use the leftover to make DIY rosemary oil for hair.

Finally, organic rosemary is preferable but not always accessible, so use what’s available to you.

DIY Rosemary Water Recipe

1 litre distilled water
1/2 cup dried rosemary leaves (or approx 24 fresh rosemary sprigs – see notes below)

How to make rosemary water for hair growth

1. Combine rosemary and water. Place rosemary sprigs or leaves in a stainless steel saucepan. Pour distilled water over top, and stir to ensure the herbs are submerged. (If using fresh rosemary, be sure to wash it beforehand.)
   
2. Boil the rosemary. Bring the rosemary mixture to a boil and allow it to bubble for 1 minute. Stir the mixture again, then cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Don’t skip the lid – this helps prevent too much water from boiling off.
3. Allow to simmer. Leave the rosemary water to simmer for 30 minutes, allowing the leaves to steep and release their hair growth benefits. There’s no need to boil your rosemary for hours, which can degrade its quality. You’ll know it’s ready when the rosemary looks “cooked” and sinks to the bottom of the pot, and when the water turns brown. It will also have the characteristic herbal rosemary fragrance, and smell a bit like black tea (that’s due to tannins).
   
4. Allow to cool. Once the hair tonic has steeped to your desired strength, shut off the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.
5. Strain rosemary. Using a metal sieve, strain out the rosemary from the liquid and transfer to your desired container, such as a large mason jar, flip-top bottle, or spray bottle. Your rosemary water is now ready to use as a rinse or hair spray for growth.
   

Recipe Notes

• Take note of your water line before you begin – if desired, you can add more water at the end of steeping to replace any lost liquid.
• Shelf life: For best results, store rosemary water in the fridge and use within 7-10 days. It may last longer, especially if you used distilled water, but you don’t want to risk bacterial growth. Please do not store it at room temperature, as this breeds harmful mold and bacteria that can harm you.
• If you can’t use the entire batch within a week, simply freeze the extra for later.

Tips + Tricks

• To reap rosemary water’s hair growth benefits, it’s best to use it as a hair rinse or apply it as a scalp spray. For hair smoothing and darkening, try an all-over hair spray. Instructions below!
• If you can’t tolerate the feeling of a wet scalp, you can turn your batch of rosemary tea into a lightweight hair growth serum instead.
• Have another question or run into an issue? For more information, see the FAQ below + section on customizing your rosemary hair water.

Customizing and Troubleshooting

If you find your homemade rosemary water is too strong, too weak, or somewhere in between, you may need to adjust how much rosemary you use. Here’s a general guideline:

• For a gentle rosemary hair rinse, use 1/4 cup of dried rosemary (approximately 12 large sprigs of fresh rosemary) to 1 litre of distilled water.
• For stronger rosemary water, use 1/2 cup dried rosemary (24 large sprigs of fresh rosemary) to 1 litre of distilled water.

Remember: the more rosemary leaves you use, the stronger and more astringent your hair tonic will be. You’ll likely want a medium strength rosemary water for hair growth. To darken your hair or make a clarifying rinse, you’ll want to make a stronger hair tea.

However, making rosemary water isn’t an exact science, and its strength also depends on how much water evaporates while it boils. You’ll be able to determine your tea’s strength by its color – a gentle tonic is the color of light iced tea, while a stronger infusion is a rich, dark amber color.

How to use rosemary water for hair growth

There are 3 main ways to use this recipe: as a rinse, scalp spray, or all-over hair spray.

Tip: You can also incorporate rosemary tea into other DIY hair products – use it as the base for a dry shampoo spray or in a micellar rinse to replace shampoo.

Rosemary Hair Rinse

Want to finish off your washing routine with a growth-boosting, scalp-clarifying rinse for healthy, shiny hair? Try rinsing with rosemary water in the shower.

1. Fill a shower-friendly container with enough tea to completely douse your hair and scalp. (A swing-top bottle works well – just be careful with glass in the shower.)
2. After shampooing and conditioning, squeeze any excess water out of your hair. Tilt your head back and pour the rosemary water all over your head, being careful not to get it into your eyes. Be sure to focus on the scalp, which is where the tea can exert its hair growth effects.
3. Leave the rinse in your hair for at least a couple minutes before towel drying and continuing your hair routine as usual. Do not rinse.

Rosemary Growth Spray

Spritzed on the scalp, rosemary water helps stimulate faster hair growth and combat oiliness with a refreshing tingle. It also has analgesic properties, so it can help reduce itching and soothe a sore scalp.

To make a growth stimulating scalp spray, simply fill a spray bottle with rosemary tea and spritz directly on your hair’s roots, making your way around the entire scalp. (Fine mist bottles are pretty, but large trigger spray bottles give you a better stream.)

You can spritz rosemary water any time: on clean, freshly washed hair, or on slightly oily hair between washes. You can also use it in conjunction with dry shampoo to refresh an oily scalp fast.

Tip: layer it with a hair growth oil to further boost growth.

Rosemary Hair Spray

If your hair is feeling frizzy or dry, you can wet it down with a rosemary spray to help it dry softer and smoother. It makes an excellent hair refresher spray to revitalize dry strands between washes, redefine waves, or to “reset” your hair without jumping in the shower.

Simply pour rosemary tea into a spray bottle and spray directly on your hair to reduce frizz, boost volume, and enhance shine. Don’t forget to douse your scalp to take advantage of its benefits for growth and scalp health, too.

Comb through your hair gently and continue with your day as usual, allowing your hair to dry.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

How often should you use rosemary water?

To reap the benefits for hair growth, you’ll want to use it at least twice a week as a hair rinse, or between washes as a scalp spray.

If you’d like to use rosemary water every day, it’s important to keep an eye on your hair’s condition. Too much can be drying, so you’ll have to use your discretion to determine when your hair has had enough.

If it starts to feel dry or brittle, give the tea a break and give your hair a good deep conditioning.

Can rosemary water damage your hair?

It’s important to not overuse this remedy, because you can have too much of a good thing. When used in excess, rosemary water can damage your hair by causing dry, brittle strands that are more prone to breakage.

That’s because rosemary tea is astringent, which means it removes water from tissues¹⁵. It’s also high in tannins, which bind to lipids. Therefore, when used frequently or brewed too strongly, rosemary water may strip too much moisture and oil from the hair shaft, leaving the cuticle dry and susceptible to damage.

You can read more about rosemary’s clarifying properties here.

Why does rosemary water make my hair feel dry?

If your hair feels dry or “rough” immediately after rinsing with rosemary, that’s the astringent tannins at work. This feeling should subside by the time your hair dries, leaving it smooth and silky.

However, if your hair feels like straw even after drying, your tea was likely too strong for your hair type. You’ll need to experiment with using less rosemary. In the meantime, you can dilute your homemade rosemary water with more distilled water to weaken it.

For best results, don’t use a rosemary hair rinse at the same time as protein treatments, as protein is already inherently drying. Always follow it with a moisturizing hair serum to replace lost lipids.

What is rosemary water’s pH?

Rosemary water’s pH falls between 5.3-5.4. I tested several batches using an Apera PH60S pH meter.

Your tea’s exact pH will depend on your batch and the type of water used. Distilled water is best to avoid minerals or impurities that could affect your rinse’s purity or pH level.

Can you make rosemary water with essential oils?

No. Despite what some may say, you can’t make rosemary hair water with rosemary essential oil, because essential oils and water do not mix.

Rosemary oil floats on top of water, creating puddles of pure undiluted essential oil. If you then pour this undiluted oil onto your scalp, it can cause injury or serious skin irritation, and may even burn your scalp!

Unfortunately, anyone telling you to mix rosemary oil and water is misinformed. If you’d like to use rosemary essential oil for hair growth, you can make a hair oil or hair mask instead.

Is there an alternative to rosemary tea?

If you don’t have time to brew a batch of tea, you can make DIY rosemary water quickly with water-soluble rosemary extract.

When used topically, rosemary leaf extract has been found to promote favorable hormonal conditions for hair growth⁷.

To use, mix rosemary extract with distilled water, following the recommended dilution rate on your bottle, or simply make my rosemary hair growth serum.

More DIY hair growth recipes

For more natural hair growth remedies with rosemary, see also:

• Rosemary Oil for Hair Growth
• Rosemary Hair Growth Serum
• DIY Rosemary Hair Mask for Growth
• Herbal Hair Growth Oil Recipe
• DIY Eyebrow Growth Serum

More DIY hair care recipes:

• DIY Hair Growth Masks
• DIY Dry Shampoo Spray
• Micellar Cleansing Water for Hair
• DIY Vinegar Rinse to pH-Balance Your Hair

For more natural homemade beauty recipes, follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter.

Pin it for later