Hormones affect every aspect of health, and lately I’ve seen the affect of hormones on hair and scalp health.
After eight years of pregnancy and nursing, my body was tired and after that many years of my hormones being elevated from pregnancy/nursing, the postpartum hair loss finally occurred… and did it ever.
This happens because most hair follicles grow hair for a few months and then rest for a few months with an average of 10% of the head’s follicles resting at once. This resting period lessens considerably during pregnancy and women typically lose less hair during pregnancy, but the postpartum hormones can cause the body to catch up on the rest period for hair follicles, leading to more than normal hair loss. It is a normal process, but after 5 pregnancies and not experiencing the postpartum hair loss, it finally caught up with me.
On top of that, I had a really stressful few months and stress can make hair loss worse. I addressed the stress and the hormones and it stopped the hair loss, but I wanted to do something to help my new hair grow more quickly and to protect my hair/scalp in the summer months.
This hair growth serum is the result.
Some women go to a dermatologist or a beautician for hair-related problems. I go to my pantry.
As with my homemade hair spray, sea salt spray, and dry shampoo, this homemade hair growth serum is less expensive than commercial options without the harmful chemicals.
Hair Growth Serum Recipe
This serum combines herbs and essential oils that are good for scalp health and hair growth:
- Nettle– Rich in iron and vitamins A, C, and K plus potassium and magnesium. It is often used in natural hair products and helps stimulate hair growth
- Horsetail– High in silica and excellent for hair supporting hair growth.
- Aloe Vera Gel– Naturally thickens and soothes the scalp and serves as a silkening base for this serum.
- Essential Oils- Essential oils of Clary Sage, Rosemary, and Lavender are great for hair and scalp health.
Hair Growth Serum Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup distilled water
- 2 TBSP nettle leaf
- 2 TBSP horsetail leaf (optional)
- 2 TBSP aloe vera gel
- 10 drops clary sage essential oil
- 10 drops rosemary essential oil
- 10 drops lavender essential oil
Instructions
- In a small pan, bring the distilled water to a boil.
- Remove from the heat and add the dried nettle leaf and horsetail leaf.
- Let the herbs sit in the water for at least 10 minutes or until the water cools.
- Strain the herbs out and pour the herb infused liquid in to a spray bottle.
- Add the aloe vera gel and essential oils and shake well.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months and shake well before use.
Notes
How to Apply Hair Growth Serum
Spray liberally on hair roots once or more per day. I found that it was easiest and worked the best to spray on before bed each night.
Where I Get Ingredients and Supplies
I got the nettle leaf, and horsetail leaf from Mountain Rose Herbs and the natural aloe vera here.
I re-used an old spray bottle, but it is very similar to this bottle. I also like this stainless steel bottle and this glass option.
For the essential oils, any high quality option will work. I typically order oils from Plant Therapy.
Have you ever had postpartum hair loss? What did you do to help it? Share below!
Mountain Rose Herbs is out of the horsetail leaf. Would you recommend anywhere else? Thanks.
bulkherbstore.com carries herbs in bulk. You will find it there.
Do you wash your hair after applying the serum? How long do you leave it in for?
Haha – WellnessMama must have directed so much horsetail business to MRH because they ran out!
They were out too when I checked so I just got the horsetail extract. I’m going to add it to the nettle tea after it cools. If anything, the extract is more potent so you will get more benefits from it.
I know this is an older thread, but I just found this and am interested in how much of the horsetail extract you used in place of the dried? Did it seem to work well?
Thanks!
I have been using a similar recipe for the past 6 months (2X per week, sleep with it and wash in the morning) and I have quite a bit of new hair growth. I suffered from a chemical burn years ago, the hairdresser forgot the bleach on for too long and lost 25% of my hair. I have tried multiple remedies and the following recipe is finally yielded good results.
30 ml castor oil
45 ml jojoba oil
30 drops rosemary essential oil
15 droppers alcohol free horsetail extract
15 droppers alcohol free nettle extract
15 droppers liquid biotin
Is a dropper different from a drop in your recipe?
I’m wondering if “droppers” is a misprint meaning “drops” or if it really means the entire dropper. Also, do you have to wear a cap on your hair overnight or is it not too greasy?
HI Dana- Can you please clarify if you meant to truly say “droppers” instead of “drops” in your shared hair serum recipe. Several have asked the question and we would LOVE a response, please. Thanks!
Hi there, I was just wondering if you use dried horsetail leaf or fresh? Love your blog by the way!
I use dried. Thanks for reading 🙂
Please let me know if it is necessary to wash your hair in the morning after applying the serum. I only wash my hair twice a week..
Thank you very much!
After my son was born, my hair started thinning so much but 4 years later, it’s still thin. Can this serum be used for thinning hair possibly not related to post baby? Thanks. I bet it smells great!
Hi Katie. I’ve been doing some very similar things in my home. Interested in hearing how it’s working for you. Pinning.
I have never commented before, but I love your site- it is my go to for healthy recipes of all things. Thanks so much. Anyways my last baby is now five and I am just starting to feel like my hair isn’t falling out so much. After both of my pregnancies I lost so much hair, I even shaved my head to get a break from dealing with it. I am going to give this serum a try and see what happens 🙂
Did u try this? Does it work
If I apply at night, should I wash it out in the morning?
I’m so glad I found this! I experienced birth-control related hair loss (though I have been off of it for about 6 months, there is barely any new growth). I cant wait to try this!
Just wondering if this worked for BC related hair loss?
I’ve been off Mirena for a year now and just starting to see a reversal of the negative side effects. Half my hair fell out… 🙁
If ur dedicated to hair regrowth, I have recently learned of a few things. I made a hair regrowth serum for my aunt undergoing chemo. In an aloe Vera juice (with a little aloe Vera gel) and a about a 25%-33% distilled water, base, I add it to my Pyrex/simmering water ‘dbl boiler’ and add polysorbate 20 or 80, to emulsify the the water and oil. Also, add Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Peppermint/menthol, Geranium, Sage, Ylang Ylang, Ravinsara, Cedarwood, Basil and Oregano.
And that is all that I can remember goes in that, but menthol essential oil, comes as a solid. You warm its glass container, melt it down and add at least 30-100% liquid peppermint essential oil to blend the menthol with and it will stay a liquid. That and tea tree are really potent and add an invigorating effect to help stimulate circulation in the scalp. This promotes growth. Since then, I have learned of two other ingredients I’m ordering this week; Rhodiola Hair Active (usage rate of only 1-5%), and Follicle booster. The follicle booster might give u some sticker shock (at almost $40/oz) but their sample recipe calls for a usage rate of only about 2%, so that’s not that bad at all, especially if it delivers! Not yet tested. I have just learned of this update. But I will be making this for sure!!!!!
Oh! And don’t get taken, purchasing certain ‘Hair Support essential oil blends’, many cost from about just under $25 for only a HALF AN OUNCE!? It simply contains about 6 essential oils. All of which u can buy for RUFFLY $10/oz. So, I highly advise u to make ur own, you’ll save tons!!!. Some may contain; (Rosemary, Ylang Ylang, Ravinsara, Cedarwood, Basil, and Sage.) I would def add Tea Tree, Menthol/peppermint, & Eucalyptus, if u wish, to awaken circulation around the hair follicles. I also have learned to use a Gelmaker product with this (use when product adding to, is already warm). If u don’t have that, just use mostly aloe Vera gel with about 20-30% aloe Vera juice..
Also add a little baking soda about 1-2t. per 8oz of your Shampoo {Mix: Outside the container, in a bowl, as the baking soda will react and expand!!! ??}. (It’s fx are: clarifying, freeing each follicle of any blockages) and a dissolved aspirin or two (for the salycilic acid, controls dandruff, and keep the skin cells free and clear around the follicles) to your shampoo. Be careful do it in a large bowl so it can double in size, based, on the baking soda and aspirin. But after it calms back down, stir gently, and pour back into bottle. A funnel may help. You may want to have a place for the excess to go. If it isn’t much, put it in a mug and use for tonight or in the morning.
Remember to add the Rhodiola and Follicle Booster (2%) to your Healthy Scalp Serum. I put mine in a Cosmo oval bottle with Yorker top that you can dial up and down to control the rate at which your serum comes out. And since its leave-on, you apply it like you’re dying your roots, by parting your hair about an inch apart all over the scalp, applying the serum, massaging in with ur fingers, as u go, until u apply it all over ur scalp. The tingly, invigorating and cooling fx have a delayed response. Give them a 5 min head start. Meaning, you probably won’t start to feel it’s fx, until ur just about done with the application process or u may be completely finished, before u feel it’s fx. Happy Growing to you! : )
This intrigues me! I will have to try it, because i could use a little longer locks! Thanks for the recipe!
THIS WILL COST APPROX. $35.00 TO MAKE. IN THE CASE IT DOESN’T GROW HAIR CAN IT BE USED FOR OTHER PURPOSES ANY IDEAS. SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD SMELL GREAT
Massage oil? Add it to any light oil and massage with it.
Check to see if you have any health stores in your area. They sometimes carry loose herbs which you can buy by weight. I got these herbs by the tablespoons for $2 total 🙂
Omg…I so love you for this recipe! I needed this!! You rock my world, girl! Xo
Is this safe to use while breast-feeding, including the horsetail and essential oils?
I’d ask a midwife or doc before using anything while pregnant or nursing but I have…
Has anyone seen results from this recipe? I’d like to hear some testimonies.
I’ve been using this for over a year. I’ve had thinning hair caused by birth control pills and hormone imbalance. I’m 29 years old. I use it nightly in conjunction with castor oil, which I rub into the problem areas of my scalp. It does help a lot, it soothes the itchiness I associate with inflamation that causes the loss. It also makes my hair look super curly and bouncy and shiny in the morning. I have oily scalp and dry hair. This gives the dry parts some relief, while also not adding oil to my problem areas.
I also add sea salt to the recipe. I melt it in after steeping and straining the herbs. I find this when sprayed on my curls helps them keep their shape and creates almost a natural hair spray that also smells nice.
Wondering if anyone tried this and had results?
Does anyone know if Rosemary or Jamaican black castor oil is safe while nursing a baby? Or while pregnant?
I have read in several different places that Rosemary is unsafe for pregnancy. Personally, the smell of it gave me terrible headaches when I was pregnant, which I saw as confirmation. Some people use castor oil to induce labor, my mother being one of them! I would avoid these during pregnancy, but I don’t know about breast feeding.
So long as you dont drink the castor oil it is safe for pregnant women. Castor oil is used for constipation because it gets the bowels moving which in turn could induce contractions in a pregnant woman. Applying it on your hair would not cause labor.
Please be careful of Clary Sage when breastfeeding or trying to get pregnant. This was one of the first things I had to be mindful of when I used it to lift my mood. Better safe than sorry, as essential oils do get absorbed by the body to a large extent.
Thanks Wellness Mama – am going to try this for my hair too. You really are a sweetheart for making all this information available. I hope you have a very Happy New Year and wish you go from strength to strength in all your endeavours.
Everyone else, Happy New Year.
xxx
Will this for hair loss in men too?
Thanks!
Sharan
I haven’t tested it on men, but I don’t see why it would hurt, so you could experiment.
I just made this hair serum recipe yesterday! Does it really need to be stored in the fridge? Just wondering bc it would be easier to leave it on the counter bc I am going to be using it twice a day. Thanks!!
Do you think it’s okay to use purified vs distilled water?
OMG!!!!!!!ALMOST AN ORGASMIC CONCOCTION, I feel like a kitty rolling in Catnip, really. And the best part, besides this wonderful sensory stimulation, is that I might grow back some hair I’ve lost in perimenopause, awesome. Love it Wellness Mama, Thank You. Had to do a few adjustments, I used a few sprigs of fresh Rosemary (instead of dried), and I couldn’t wait to order the dried Nettle leaf so I left it out, used fresh aloe vera (I liquified it in the blender), and 12 drops of Lavender essential oil. I had to leave out the Clary Sage oil because I’m in the process of starting Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy and Clary Sage will have some effect on your hormone balance and I need my blood and saliva tests to read true. Anyway, a descendent of the Mayans, I grew up with mom and grandma self-prescribing herbal medicinal potions for all ailments and to the best of my knowledge, all the ingredients in your natural hair growth serum comply with their beliefs in the powerful healing science with herbs for a killer for mane of hair. My mother had the kind of hair you would stop and look and she never used any expensive products. Thanks, I was looking for just the right combination and I found it.
Clary Sage essential oil is also a wonderful mood up-lifter. Neat on a tissue and inhale to lift sadness, moderate depressive states etc or mixed with a carrier oil and massaged into temples and collarbone.
Clary Sage: Have any idea if it will interfere while taking just T3/T4?? Glad you mention the “hormone” part of your review. I’m in the process of gathering all the ingredients to make this lovely serum…
I know this question is silly, but I just need the confirmation – This truly does work for you? You see new hair growth and improvement? My hair is falling out less but it is reallly thinned out. You could try for men, that would be cool, if it worked -Thank you WellnessMama, I appreciate your time and putting this website together!! ~Shillene Hancock
Could I infuse the castor oil by heating it on low adding the herbs. Letting it infuse for 4-6 hours. Then there will not be any need for water and may increase shelf life?
HeatherB
I would either use Castor or Olive oil instead of water and infuse 3-6 weeks that will LAST for a year. Shake it daily for 3-6 weeks. =)
I’m looking for aloe vera gel and would like to know what kind to use. I’m only finding aloe vera gel with additional ingredients and would like to know what additions are ok to use for this serum recipe?
I order mine from Mountain Rose Herbs.
I found it was best to just buy an aloe vera plant and snip a leaf when you need it that way its always growing and available. Looks nice in the house too.
Does this work on hair that is processed as mine is without stripping out the color? Are all of the ingredients in your serum etc safe to use on processed hair? I need to know this prior to investing in these ingredients. Thanks so much.
I make my own aloe Vera gel by mixing aloe Vera juice with a very small amount of xantham gum. Blending seems to speed up the absorption process. Very Inexpensive alternative to buying gel.
If this is good for hair growth, surely if you have superfluous facial hair, it is a no no!! Would like to know as soon as possible please.
thank you for sharing that info to i am going to try that serum and i have tried curl activator and coconut oil for my hair and coconut oil liv and curl activator mixed together for my girls hair and it grows it but it stops at a certain length. i cant wait to try this to see what this will do for our hair. thank you once again for your postings.