Having long, thick, healthy hair is at the top of many of our hair care wishlists. But can you do that without products that are loaded with chemicals? Absolutely!

If you’re making the shift to more natural beauty products, good for you! We expose our bodies to so many harmful chemicals in our daily lives, we don’t need to be adding even more with our soaps, lotions, makeup, and hair products.

Essential oils have a wide range of benefits, based on which plant they’re derived from (usually through a distillation or evaporation process) and can do wonders for our hair, including controlling dandruff, promoting hair growth, and making it shiny and strong.

Remember that essential oils are super-concentrated, so always dilute them in a carrier oil, like coconut, jojoba, or olive when you’re using them or they can cause major skin irritation. Do a skin patch test to make sure you don’t have any adverse reactions to whichever essential oils you’re using.

Lavender Essential Oil

You know that relaxing, luxurious scent when you walk into a spa? More often than not, that scent is lavender.

Lavender not only can promote faster, thicker hair growth and prevent hair loss, but it also has antimicrobial properties and can soothe the scalp. As an added bonus, the scent even has a relaxing, calming effect. What’s not to love?

Try this: Mix up to 10 drops of lavender essential oil with a 2-3 tablespoons of a warmed carrier oil (coconut or olive works well) and massage into your hair and scalp. Leave it on for at least 10 minutes or up to overnight, then shampoo and condition as usual.

Rosemary Essential Oil

You’re probably more familiar with rosemary being used in your food rather than your beauty products, but it is a powerful addition to your hair-thickening regimen.

This woodsy-smelling essential oil can stimulate hair growth as well as conventional topical hair-growth products and is also great for controlling greasy scalps, clogged pores, and dandruff.

Try this: Mix 10-12 drops of rosemary essential oil with 2-3 tablespoons of a warmed carrier oil and massage into your hair and scalp. Leave on for up to 30 minutes and shampoo out. You can even add in a few drops of lavender essential oil for an extra boost!

Peppermint Essential Oil

Candy canes, gum, delectable chocolate cookies, toothpaste.

Peppermint is a staple in our lives, so why not take advantage of its healthy-hair properties, too?

It’s another powerful essential oil that promotes hair growth. You know that tingly, cooling feeling that you get from peppermint? That means that it’s promoting blood circulation, which can help your hair grow healthy and strong.

It also unclogs pores and can help people who suffer from dandruff associated with a dry scalp.

Added bonus: the sweet, clean scent can also energize you and lift your mood.

Try this: Add a few drops of peppermint essential oil to your shampoo and use as usual.

Cedar Essential Oil

Picture breathing deeply as you walk through a peaceful forest. The smell of cedar can have a calming effect, and this warm, woodsy essential oil can also boost hair growth.

It’s even been shown (mixed with thyme, rosemary, and lavender) to treat hair loss due to alopecia areata!

Cedar essential oil also has antibacterial properties and can help fight bacterial and fungal problems as well as balance oil production of the scalp and control dandruff.

Try this: Mix 2-3 drops of cedar essential oil into 2-3 tablespoons of a carrier oil and leave on for 10 minutes for an oil treatment, or add a couple of drops into your conditioner.

Thyme Essential Oil

Thyme is another plant that you’re probably more used to having in food (it’s in the French blend herbes de provence) than in hair care products.

Thyme essential oil stimulates blood circulation and promotes hair growth, but it is a very potent oil and is best used in moderation and when mixed with something soothing, like lavender.

Try this: Mix 2 drops of thyme essential oil and 5 drops of lavender essential oil with 2 tablespoons of a carrier oil. Massage into the scalp and let it sit for up to 20 minutes before shampooing it out.

Essential Oils and Your Hair, In A Nutshell

There are several essential oils that can help you achieve your hair growth dreams, whether it’s growing longer and stronger, controlling grease, preventing hair loss, or treating dandruff.

Use them as a hot oil treatment, add them into your shampoo and conditioner, or, if you’re not into the DIY thing, look for natural products that contain powerful essential oils like cedar, peppermint, and rosemary.

Good luck on your natural hair quest and don’t forget to tap into the power of essential oils!