Can Peppermint Oil Really Help Your Hair Grow?

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Essential oils are underrated ingredients that can make all the difference in your hair’s health. One of the buzziest of the moment happens to be peppermint oil, which is an essential oil that's extracted from peppermint or the peppermint leaf.

Meet the experts: Marisa Garshick, MD, is a New York City-based board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology. Connie Yang, MD, is a New York City-based cosmetic dermatologist at PFRANKMD by Dr. Paul Jarrod Frank.

Peppermint oil is believed to have many benefits for the hair. For example, Connie Yang, MD, a cosmetic dermatologist at PFRANKMD by Dr. Paul Jarrod Frank in New York City, says the the ingredient has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties and increases blood flow to the scalp to help stimulate hair growth. But, of course, that's not all it has to offer.

Ahead, learn all about peppermint oil for hair, including the benefits, downsides, tips for using it, and more. Plus, whether it can really help with dandruff.

Benefits Of Peppermint Oil For Hair

There are a few supposed benefits of using peppermint oil on your hair.

• Hair growth: “It causes some vasodilation, so dilation of the blood vessels and bringing more blood flow to the hair follicles can help with its growth,” Dr. Yang says.

• Anti-inflammatory properties: “It's known to be soothing on the scalp,” says Marisa Garshick, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology in New York City. “It may help to reduce any itching or redness, and it may be helpful for those who deal with dandruff as a result of what's known as seborrheic dermatitis.”

• Anti-bacterial properties: According to Dr. Garshick, it also kills bacteria to keep your scalp clean.

• Regulate sebum production: It can be used on both oily scalps and dry scalps. With oily scalps, it’ll regulate sebum production and kind of balance out the oil, Dr. Garshick says. On dry scalps, it’s soothing.

Potential Side Effects Of Peppermint Oil For Hair

If you have sensitive skin, peppermint oil has potential to cause irritation if you’re using it directly on the scalp and it’s undiluted, says Dr. Garshick. If it’s not diluted “into a product that has other ingredients in it to balance it out, it's essentially just that the potency of the concentration may be too strong for the scalp,” she says. Some symptoms you might experience could be a redness, dryness, and flaking of the scalp.

“Because it's so concentrated, you have to be careful with the amount that you're using, really very minimal amounts because it can cause a burning sensation,” says Dr. Yang. "Essential oils can be very irritating and have been known to cause contact allergies.” If you have a contact allergy to peppermint oil, it can cause a rash, so it's always a good idea to do a patch test on part of the scalp to see how you react. If you don’t have a reaction after a few minutes, it’s probably safe for use, but if you develop a reaction, hold off on using it, Dr. Yang says.

How To Use Peppermint Oil For Hair

According to Dr. Garshick, it's safe for all hair types to use peppermint oil, but there are still a few things worth knowing before trying it out. First, you should dilute it. It can be diluted into a carrier oil like coconut or jojoja oil, which will “deliver the oil in a way that makes it easier to tolerate,” says Dr. Garshick, or even a shampoo, says Dr. Yang.

• If using it with a carrier oil: Mix one or two drops with a carrier oil, and apply it to the scalp. Leave it on as a scalp mask for 10 to 15 minutes, or even as an overnight treatment.

• If using it with your shampoo: Take a normal amount of shampoo, then add in one to two drops of the peppermint oil and mix it, then apply it directly to the scalp, not the actual hair, Dr. Yang says. “Where it's going to give you benefits is when it's in contact with the scalp,” she says. Massage it in for 10 to 15 minutes, and listen to your body. A bit of tingling is normal, but if it starts burning, rinse it out.

Dr. Garshick recommends using peppermint oil once a week if you’re using it in a mask, but you can definitely use it every day. “Generally with these types of hair growth treatments, it is recommended that daily, you're stimulating that blood flow to the hair follicles,” Dr. Yang adds. So, if your scalp can tolerate it, it might be best to use it daily.

One more thing: Lots of shampoos and other hair products say they contain peppermint oil or a peppermint scent, but this isn’t always as effective as the real essential oil because “it's not clear what the concentration is in there,” Dr. Yang says. So, you’ll want to buy a high-quality essential oil that’s safe to use on the skin.

The bottle should actually say “essential oil” and you’ll want to do some research to make sure the manufacturer has cleared it for use on the skin. Something that’s made to be in a diffuser may not actually be safe, she says.

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