3 Oregano Oil Hair and Scalp Care Benefits

Oregano oil can give you an effective and natural way to enjoy a healthier scalp and fuller and more lustrous hair. 

Many commercial hair products contain harmful ingredients that cause more problems than they promise to cure. Natural oregano oil can promote hair growth and relieve scalp infections, thinning, frizz, and dandruff.* 

You can purchase oregano oil as an extract or essential oil to add to your hair cleansing routine. You can also buy oregano oil in tablet form and take it orally. Or, you can make your own oregano oil in less than a half hour. 

In this article, we discuss the different ways oregano oil can benefit your hair and scalp, when to use it, and what other natural herbs and plants may also be used for a healthier approach to hair care. 

The Star of the Show: Why Oregano Oil is Good for Your Hair and Scalp

Oregano has many properties that make it an excellent choice for hair care. 

Oregano oil is rich in vitamin C, which is essential for producing the collagen our bodies need to enhance hair growth. 

It contains vitamin B6, which, like vitamin C, helps maintain healthy skin and scalp. 

Oregano is also one of the best-known sources of carvacrol, a chemical that studies have proven: 

• Is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants work to reduce free radicals by preventing excess oxygen throughout the body’s system. Free radicals contribute to the development of chronic diseases and can damage hair follicles, which leads to hair loss. By reducing oxidative stress, carvacrol may also help minimize premature greying.REF#112
• Contains anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce inflammation caused by disease and reduce redness and swelling on the scalp that can harm hair follicles.
• Has strong antimicrobial activity, which makes it effective in inhibiting bacterial growth and preventing bacterial and fungal infections of the scalp that are irritating and can lead to hair loss.REF#110REF#111

While several natural oils will help your hair shine (which we’ll include at the end of this article), oregano oil is one of the best for maintaining the healthy environment your hair needs to grow. Depending on the current condition of your hair and scalp, you may need to repeat an oregano oil treatment several times, and it may take weeks to show signs of improvement.

Strengthen Hair and Promote Hair Growth with Oregano Oil

A healthy scalp helps maintain healthy hair follicles, the 100,000 or more tiny pockets in your scalp where the root of each hair begins. Hair growth goes through three stages of development:

1. Growth phase: The hair grows from the root, which is made up of protein cells nourished by blood from nearby blood vessels.
2. Transitional phase: Hair growth slows and the follicle shrinks.
3. Resting phase: Old hair falls out and a new hair begins to grow.

Different follicles are always in different stages of development, with up to 90% being in the growth phase. It is believed that if a hair follicle is damaged, it will stop producing hair. Scalp infections can damage follicles and may stop growth permanently.

Oregano oil may not only treat scalp conditions that affect hair follicles, but also stimulate blood flow and circulation, which is critical to the health of the root of each hair. Using oregano oil as part of your hair care routine for several weeks may help ensure maximum growth.

How to use: Oregano oil as an essential oil or extract should be mixed with a natural carrier oil, such as:

• Olive oil
• Coconut oil
• Jojoba oil
• Mineral oil
• Almond oil
• Avocado oil
• Walnut oil

Start with a mixture of three to five drops of oregano oil to one teaspoon of carrier oil. Oregano oil is strong, so do a patch test on a small area of your scalp to make sure you can tolerate the potency. If it stings, add more carrier oil to the oregano oil. For optimum results, massage the oil into your scalp in a clockwise direction, which is thought to improve blood circulation and oxygenation.

Treat Thinning Hair with Oregano Oil

Many people take drastic measures to cope with thinning hair and premature baldness.

Before taking medications with serious side effects or scheduling hair replacement surgery, focus on the underlying causes of thinning hair. While you can’t alter the role of genetics in male- or female-pattern baldness, you can help support nutrient deficiencies and stress that can lead to hair loss.

Oregano oil provides the nutrients and healing properties you need to provide the right environment for healthy hair maintenance. 

How to use: Follow the directions for preparing the oil for strengthening hair. For general use, massage the oil throughout your scalp. Let it sit for 30 to 60 minutes. Then wash and rinse. 

Treat Scalp Infections with Oregano Oil

Scalp infections can be caused by bacteria or fungi that enter hair follicles or skin and cause inflammation, scaling, itching, and/or pain. 

With its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal properties, oregano oil may treat various infections and conditions.

You may need to apply oregano oil several times to realize symptom relief. However, if the symptoms persist after a week or get worse, consult with your doctor.

How to use: Mix oregano oil with a carrier oil in a ratio of five drops to one teaspoon . Use clean hands to patch test the oil on an area of your scalp free of infection. If it does not burn or sting, apply more oil to all infected areas. If it feels too strong, dilute the mixture further and try again. Be careful not to massage the oil into unaffected areas, which can spread the fungus or bacteria. When finished with the application, let the oil sit on your scalp for 60 minutes. Then wash and rinse.

Moisturize Your Hair with Oregano Oil and Other Essential Oils

Oregano oil can be used to hydrate and detangle dry or frizzy hair and give you more lustrous locks. It may also help maintain proper production levels of sebum (a thick oily substance) from your sebaceous glands. The right amount of sebum helps your hair shine. Too much will make it greasy. 

Oregano oil’s antioxidants make it a great choice to use as a hair moisturizer. 

How to use: You may have to experiment to find the best method for using natural oil to moisturize your hair. You can:

• Mix a few drops of oil in a cup of warm water to use as a rinse before or after shampooing and conditioning. 
• Add a few drops to a squeeze of our shampoo or conditioner. 
• Mix a few drops with olive oil or another carrier oil and massage the oil throughout your hair. Leave it in for at least 5 minutes. You don’t have to rinse it out. But if your hair feels too oily, you can use shampoo and conditioner after you treat it with the oil. 

Other Herbal Oils That Promote Healthy Hair

If you want to try another natural oil or can’t tolerate oregano oil, consider one of the following oils to strengthen and/or rehydrate your hair and scalp.

• Rosemary oil has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, improves circulation and may rejuvenate nerves in the scalp. One study indicated that rosemary oil was as effective as minoxidil (known commercially as Rogaine) in protecting against hair loss.REF#113
• Peppermint oil stimulates your scalp and has antimicrobial properties that can help reduce skin infections. Peppermint oil not only creates a cooling sensation that improves blood circulation and soothes sore or itchy scalp, but it also leaves the hair smelling good.
• Lavender oil is antimicrobial and may minimize scalp inflammation. One studyREF#114 suggested that lavender oil may treat head lice, although more research is necessary. 
• Cedarwood oil, combined with thyme, rosemary, and lavender essential oils, was shown to promote hair growth over seven months of useREF#115. With anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties, it can nourish the hair and scalp. 
• Argan oil, rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, can help or prevent scalp conditions that lead to hair loss and protect against sun damage. It is a great source of vitamin E, which boosts hydration and makes your hair shine.
• Coconut oil has antifungal properties that may help treat and prevent dandruff and other fungal infections of the scalp. It absorbs better than many natural oils and is a great hair moisturizer, potentially protecting against water and heat damage.

In addition to Oregano Leaf extract, Gaia Herbs offers an herbal blend in capsule form that can be taken to strengthen your hair.* Our Hair, Skin and Nail Support combines Horsetail, Alfalfa, Burdock, Gotu Kola, and Nettle. 

To ensure that you get the best results from whatever natural oil you choose to nurture the health of your hair and scalp, look for an oil that is purity-tested, organic, unsprayed, and notes the product’s country of origin and production and expiration dates.

At Gaia Herbs, we value transparency, which is why wecreated meetyourherbs.com, the world’s first herb traceability platform.

With our Meet Your Herbs® program, you can enter the ID number located on the back of any Gaia Herbs product and instantly learn where the product was grown, when it was manufactured as well as its best-by date. You can also see validation of your product’s level of purity and potency.