If you’re an avid social media user, you’ve likely encountered a food-inspired trend take the beauty world by storm at one point or another. Strawberry makeup was one, glazed donut nails were another. Yet, it seems beauty brands aren’t stepping out of the kitchen just yet. The industry’s latest obsession? Rosemary, of course.
Last year, Mielle Organics’ viral Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil was the product du jour, piquing interest in the star ingredient and its benefits for hair growth. “Rosemary has many beneficial factors when it comes to hair. Using products that contain rosemary can stimulate hair growth, improve scalp health, and even slow down premature graying,” says Robert-Jan Rietveld, a Netherlands-based barber and groomer at Schorem Barbershop. Beyond oil products, the herb’s benefits are just as impressive when used from the very first step: shampooing.
In shampoos, rosemary helps to invigorate the scalp and increase blood flow while also acting as a supporting character for other ingredients—like carrier oils (coconut oil is a popular one) or soothers such as aloe vera—to work their magic, too. Of course, since shampoos are immediately rinsed off, incorporating a rosemary-infused conditioner or even adding a rosemary oil post-washing only enhances the ingredient’s effects.
If you’re a fan of rosemary-infused shampoos, you’re not alone—count the ELLE beauty team as part of the ingredient’s fan club. We combed through our at-home collections, scoured the internet for top customer feedback, and consulted a hair expert to bring you this guide to the best rosemary shampoos on the market. Your hair’s spa day is just a click away.
Pros
Sloughs away dead skin on the scalp
Cons
- Will need to follow up with a moisturizing shampoo
One of Amazon’s best-selling rosemary shampoos has a legion of fans not only for its scalp-stimulating benefits but for its other star ingredient: salicylic acid. As rosemary helps restore balance and improve the health of the scalp, salicylic acid clarifies and sloughs away dead skin cells.
Key ingredients: Rosemary oil and extract, salicylic acid
Size: 13.53 oz
Amazon rating: 4.3/5 stars
An Amazon reviewer said: “This rosemary shampoo is wonderful and helped treat my falling hair. I use it three times a week. I lather up and leave on for two minutes, then rinse, and follow up with the brand’s scalp-enhancing spray. I’ve gotten great results and highly recommend this!”
Pros
- Great degreaser
Cons
- Scent can be too strong for some
Even the greasiest strands are no match for this powerhouse shampoo. Combining witch hazel, rosemary, and nettle leaf, this shampoo is gentle enough for daily use, especially if sweat, dirt, or product build-up wreaks havoc on your hair.
Key ingredients: Witch hazel, nettle leaf, rosemary, horsetail root
Size: 3.38 fl oz
Amazon rating: 4.5/5 stars
Our expert says: “This vegan formula thoroughly cleanses the hair and scalp without causing dryness and is specially formulated to degrease and deeply clean the hair.”—Robert-Jan Rietveld, barber and grooming educator at Reuzel
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Pros
- Gently cleanses hair
Cons
- Pump can be faulty
Beyond the pretty pink color the liquid gives the clear bottle, this shampoo is a powerhouse product for clarifying oily, dirty strands with gentleness and care. Sage, eucalyptus, and rosemary provide an invigorating sensation, all working to strengthen strands.
Key ingredients: Sage, eucalyptus, rosemary, ginger root, amino acids
Size: 10.4 fl oz
Sephora rating: 4.5/5 stars
An ELLE editor says: “Whenever I come out of a long protective style, I eagerly reach for this shampoo because it’s guaranteed to give my hair and scalp a thorough wash. The earthy blend of rosemary, sage, and eucalyptus leaves a tingling sensation on my scalp; the mixture gently washes my strands without drying it out or weighing it down.”—Nerisha Penrose, ELLE.com beauty commerce editor
Best for Thick Hair
Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Strengthening Shampoo
Pros
- Strengthens hair
Cons
- Can weigh down thin hair
A TikTok favorite, every product in Mielle’s Rosemary Mint works to invigorate the scalp and strengthen strands. The formula is packed with ingredients that add an extra layer of TLC to the hair, including coconut oil and biotin, to ensure a healthy atmosphere for growth.
Key ingredients: Rosemary, mint, biotin, coconut oil
Size: 12 fl oz
Ulta rating: 4.6/5 stars
An ELLE editor says: “Every natural girl has incorporated this shampoo in her routine and one thing we can all agree on is how soft and manageable our hair feels after rounds of it. By itself, this shampoo thoroughly cleanses away any product build-up and has a tingling sensation that feels good on the scalp. When used in tandem with the conditioner, masque, and oil, my hair feels especially stronger.”—Nerisha Penrose
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Pros
- Nourishing
Cons
- Some users note it can be drying
Nécessaire takes a skin-first approach to its offerings, and its hair care collection is no different. This shampoo is supercharged with stimulating rosemary oil, strengthening plant proteins, and moisturizing ceramides to fortify strands and prevent excess shedding. Plus, the aroma is an earthy blend of rosemary, jasmine, mandarin, and cedarwood to give you great-smelling hair, too.
Key ingredients: Rosemary oil, plant proteins, ceramides
Size: 8.4/5 stars
Amazon rating: 3.8/5 stars
An ELLE editor says: “The formula of this Nécessaire shampoo is fantastic. Plus, the packaging is super chic and the twist-open lid is easy to work with. However, what really pulled me in was the beautiful scent; the rosemary is the main attraction, of course, but the depth and complexity added by the other notes make the fragrance special. The scent lingers on your strands for hours post-shower, and I’ve gotten multiple compliments on the smell.”—Carol Lee, ELLE.com associate beauty e-commerce writer
Best for Minimizing Shedding
BondiBoost HG Shampoo
Pros
- Reduces shedding
Cons
- Some users note it can be drying if used excessively
If a herby, spicy sensation is what you love most about rosemary-infused products, Bondi Boost’s cult-favorite shampoo serves up a minty, spa-like feel for your scalp. Along with rosemary, saw palmetto, peppermint, and nettle leaf round out the herbaceous blend working to restore thin hair; aloe vera swoops in as the soother.
Key ingredients: Rosemary, peppermint, saw palmetto, nettle leaf, aloe vera
Size: 10.14 fl oz
Amazon rating: 4.3/5 stars
An Amazon reviewer says: “This shampoo makes my hair feel so clean and fresh. Leaves my hair feeling moisturized and super soft!! Love BondiBoost!!!”
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Best for Restoring Balance
Aveda Rosemary Mint Purifying Shampoo
Pros
- Gently purifies strands
Cons
- Can be a little drying
As its name suggests, this shampoo works overtime to eliminate all traces of impurities from your hair so it can truly flourish. How? All credit goes to micelles—you know, the surfactant found in micellar water—and white vinegar, both of which clarify hair troubled with stubborn build-up.
Key ingredients: Micelles, white vinegar, rosemary, spearmint
Size: 8.5 fl oz
Nordstrom rating: 4.6/5 stars
A Nordstrom reviewer says: “My hair gets oily the next day after washing. I hate to wash my hair daily because I lose so much with each wash. With this shampoo, I can push my hair washing to every three days.”
Best for Elasticity
Melanin Hair Care African Black Soap Reviving Shampoo
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Pros
- Improves elasticity and malleability
Cons
- Can weigh down thin, fine hair
Not the traditional black soap you used growing up. Melanin’s iteration takes cues from its purifying and strengthening powers, along with shea butters, rosemary oil, argan oil, and pro-vitamin B5 to fully coat the hair in nourishment.
Key ingredients: Rosemary oil, argan oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, pro-vitamin B5
Size: 16.1 fl oz
Melanin Hair Care rating: 4.64/5 stars
A Melanin Hair Care reviewer says: “I love the shampoo. I only use a little at a time, and my hair has grown a lot since I started using it regularly. It cleanses my scalp really well. Been using it for about two months. I finally found a shampoo my hair loves.”
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Best Pre-Wash Treatment
Briogeo Scalp Revival Rosemary Pre-wash Oil
Pros
- Preps and strengthens hair ahead of shampooing
Cons
- Needs to be thoroughly washed out
Designed as a pre-shampoo treatment, this formula uses rosemary, castor oil, biotin, as well as an ingredient named bisabolol, derived from calming chamomile, to fortify strands ahead of shampooing. The benefits only intensify when used as an overnight treatment, which can boost scalp stimulation and smooth hair.
Key ingredients: Rosemary oil, bisabolol, biotin, castor oil
Size: 3.4 fl oz
Ulta rating: 4.7/5 stars
An ELLE editor says: “As someone who struggles with excessive breakage, pre-pooing has been a godsend for my natural curly hair. Since my hair is always tucked in a protective style, it misses out on a lot of moisture and care it would normally get when I wear it out. This pre-wash oil helps to impart moisture and nourishment so my dry strands to prep them for a clarifying shampoo and deep mask. Over time, I’ve noticed softer, more manageable strands that don’t fall out as much as before.”—Nerisha Penrose
Do the benefits of the rosemary differ when in a shampoo versus a serum or oil?
When using a rosemary product, what matters most is the formula and how the product is being used. “The rosemary ingredient can interact in different ways with one’s hair, mostly because of the concentration level of the ingredient in the product itself,” Rietveld says. “If you use a shampoo, the rosemary will distribute more evenly throughout the hair, whereas using an oil or serum hones in on one part of the hair, especially if you rely on oil to improve your scalp health.”
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What hair type/concern benefits most from using a rosemary shampoo?
Fortunately, rosemary is an ingredient that works for all hair types. “It is multifaceted and beneficial for all hair textures as its natural properties help address various issues, including balancing your scalp health, stimulating blood flow for new growth, or strengthening your hair,” he explains.
How often should you use a rosemary shampoo?
“Depending on your hair and personal preferences, I recommend using a rosemary-infused shampoo two to three times a week,” Rietveld offers. Of course, your frequency is contingent on lifestyle and personal goals, so Rietveld suggests starting slowly to determine what cadence works for your hair type.
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Why Trust ELLE Beauty?
As a leading publisher of fashion, lifestyle, and beauty content, ELLE.com is committed to highlighting the best products in various categories by personally testing the latest and most innovative products, interviewing countless experts, and vetting customer-loved items. For this piece, ELLE.com beauty commerce editor Nerisha Penrose spoke to a hair expert, ELLE editors, and looked through customer reviews to find the best formulas on the market.
Nerisha Penrose
Beauty Commerce Editor
Nerisha Penrose is the Beauty Commerce Editor at ELLE.com. Prior to joining the team, she was an Editorial Fellow at ELLE.com. In her current role, she helps lead coverage on makeup, skin care, hair, and fragrances. With over six years of experience in the world of beauty editorial, Nerisha enjoys delving deep into the complexities of fragrance notes, hunting for the best fixes for acne-prone skin, and advocating for daily sunscreen use. She regularly researches and tests the latest products, consults beauty professionals (including our Beauty Advisory Board) to determine the best expert-approved formulas to recommend, and conducts interviews with luminaries across the industry. Nerisha received her bachelor’s degree in Communication and Media Studies from Temple University before joining the editorial teams at Nylon and Billboard. In 2020, she co-launched our popular franchise The State of Black Beauty, an ongoing exploration of—and destination for—beauty at the intersection of Black culture.
