DIY Hair Growth Serum Recipe

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DIY Hair Growth Serum Recipe
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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.
DIY Hair Growth Serum Recipe
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4.43 from 95 votes

Hair Growth Serum Recipe

Help stimulate hair growth with this aloe very, herb, and essential oil recipe.
Prep Time25 minutes
Author: Katie Wells

Materials

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

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.

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!
This natural hair growth serum combines herbs like nettle and horsetail with aloe vera gel and essential oils of lavender, rosemary and clary sage.

Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

361 responses to “DIY Hair Growth Serum Recipe”

  1. Kirstin Avatar
    Kirstin

    Can this be stored at room temp for a shorter time? The fridge is so out if my routine route I forget to use it!

  2. Myla Avatar

    Two questions. One is can you use this at the same time of the castor oil scalp treatment for hair growth, or just alternate times you use them? And secondly, do you need to wash this out in the morning, just like the castor oil compound? Thanks

  3. Cathy Avatar

    Can I just use the Nettle Leaf and essential oils for this lotion? For some reason, the aloe vera gel and the witch hazel leave my hair dry and lifeless (even the natural wave in my hair doesn’t ‘take’ – it just hangs in a frizzy-ended clump.) I’ve used natural, non-sulfate shampoos and the same thing happens. The area right around my hairline looks and feels better, but the rest of my hair? Well, guess it’s time for a haircut!

  4. Amanda Avatar
    Amanda

    Hi! Thank you for all of the amazing recipes! Would aloe juice work as well as the gel in this serum?

    1. Amanda Avatar
      Amanda

      I made the serum, and wow! It is incredible! I’m a 30 year old woman who started experiencing hereditary hair loss last year. Seeing how thin my mom’s hair is, I started using Rogaine pre-emptively. The warning labels are pretty terrifying, but I vainly wanted to keep my thick hair. Rogaine has a TON of possible side effects and when you first start using it your hair goes through a “shedding phase”. For the first month I was pulling out clumps of 10 or more hairs at a time, several times a day. Once the shedding phase is over (it’s supposed to last 2 weeks, but mine lasted about a month) the Rogaine really does work–as long as you keep using it twice a day. I found that if I missed a few doses I would start losing clumps of hair again. Fast forward a year to me becoming a diy beauty girl, I wanted to get rid of the Rogaine chemicals. I made this serum (with aloe juice) and quit the Rogaine cold turkey. It’s been almost two weeks and I haven’t had any of the Rogaine fall out! As I said before, in the past I would experience it within only a few days of stopping Rogaine, but this serum seems to be keeping the hairs on my head! I can’t thank you enough for this recipe! We are going to try it on my mom soon, too! 🙂

  5. Jeri Avatar

    I want to let you know that after just two treatments my thin, fine, dry, brittle hair is already softer, shiner and healthier feeling and looking than it has been in years. Thanks so much for your recipe.

  6. Nick Avatar

    Can any men who use this tell me of its effectiveness? I understand it stimulates hair growth but balding due to male patterned baldness works a little differently..

  7. Barbara Burton Avatar
    Barbara Burton

    Are the EO’s essential? I ask because these are 3 EO’s that do not smell good to me!!!

  8. Michele Conard Avatar
    Michele Conard

    Just received everything today and ready to make. I will post results in a few months if I have any as I have tried everything to get my hair to grow. I chopped it up to my shoulders to get off all the dry ends and faithfully trimmed every 6-8 weeks and still stops at just past shoulders. Will be your best friend if this works lol.

  9. Michele Conard Avatar
    Michele Conard

    I have everything ready to order but going out of town so will order when I get back. I don’t have a problem with thinning hair so much as it just doesn’t grow past my shoulders no matter how much I trim it and i’m taking hair, skin, and nail supplement. Will this help my hair grow in length? Thanks for all your great recipes!!

    1. Suha Ahmad Avatar
      Suha Ahmad

      Have you heard of a lunar calendar for hair? I started using it and noticed results. Look it up.

  10. Chandra Avatar

    I have thinning eyebrows will this help in the regrow the of them?

    1. Yvonne Avatar

      Chandra ~ I use castor oil on my eyelashes and eyebrows. It’s works exceptionally well for hair growth! You can even use it on your head. I make a little mixture that I found online and I’m sorry but I don’t remember the source. In a mascara tube…fill 3/4 of the way with castor oil, 1/8 with sweet almond oil, and 1/8 with Vitamin E oil. Having it with a mascara wand makes it soooooo easy to apply and not make a mess lol I used to just dab caster oil on my finger and run it across my lashes and I always ended up with oil in my eyes lol Things were a bit blurry for awhile :p I would say you should definitely notice a significant difference within a month or even less. Hope this helps. 🙂

      Yvonne

      1. Chandra Avatar

        Thank you Yvonne!! I have all these ingredients I’m going to make it today!! Random question, how do you get the liquid into a mascara bottle?

        1. Yvonne Avatar

          It’s kind of tricky especially with castor oil and vitamin E oil being so viscous/thick and the tube opening being very narrow. I used pipettes that I have. You could use a syringe by pouring everything into the barrel and then plunging it into the tube. Also you could try pouring everything into a Baggie and mash it all together til it’s fully mixed. Then squeeze all the liquid to one side while cutting a bit off the opposite corner off. Twist that corner really skinny and tight and slip it into the mascara tube and slowly push your mixture thru that opening. Whichever way you chose, remember to allow a little space for when everything disperses after putting the mascara wand in. I didn’t think of that the first time and I ended up over flowing the tube. Live and learn I guess lol Good luck hun :)) Let me know how it goes.

  11. Megan croman Avatar
    Megan croman

    I use something like this. I brew it as a tea, some are from tea bags and some loose herbs. I do recommend that anyone with problems on the hair really research well. I use green tea in my mix to help. Green tea blocks the hormone that causes hair loss. So that can be a option for anyone. Certain teas help with coloring hair. Rosemary tea is great for this but eo wud def be better if u have light hair cause it darkens hair same with sage. Drinking the teas also greatly helps with hair fall and growth. Nettle is great for growth and green tea for the hair fall. As a bonus nettle is great for allergies too. I also put in lavender to help with scalp issues. Very soothing. I make my tea in a 14oz jar every day and use it as a rinse plus as a spritz for later in the day. Without the aloe in it. I put a lil on at a time and massage it in, especially where I have a few bald spots. Sometimes I leave it in sometimes rinse. Depends on my mood. I strongly believe in spiritual underlying causes for ailments and hair loss is one of them. So really to combat it u also need to find the cause and address everything as a whole

  12. Elvira Ng Avatar
    Elvira Ng

    Hi Katie

    Can I use dried rosemary boil together with nettle and horsetail leave instead of rosemary essential oil?

    Regards
    Elvira

  13. Amy Avatar

    If you ever decide to sell stuff, please let me know! I think you’d have quite the market!

  14. Kerry Avatar

    Can you make this recipe for me? I would love to have some. Please let me know how to order and the amount. Thanks!

  15. Jana Avatar

    Hello! I have been recently going “greener” with my young family and am eager to try this as my hair is definitely not what it was… Have you tried sage instead of clary sage? It is almost prohibitive in price. Thank you in advance!

  16. Brilliant Mendez Avatar
    Brilliant Mendez

    Can we use the aloe vera straight from the aloe vera plant leaf instead of the store bought gel to make this serum? If the aloe vera gel used is natural will the serum still be effective for 3 months when refigerated or will it get spoilt? Which is better to use natural aloe vera gel or store bought? Thanks.

  17. Julie Avatar

    Hi, I have been using the hair serum for about 4 months and love it. I am seeing regrowth and my hair feels thicker.

    1. Suzy Avatar

      Thank you so much for sharing your results! I’m going to purchase the ingredients for this concoction and give it a go. Castor oil made my hair fall out like crazy when I washed it out. I also have hypothyroidism and have taken desiccated thyroid meds for 20 yrs. I have been taking Biosil drops that I ordered from Amazon (5 drops on a teaspoon and followed by 1/2 cup water) for about 2 weeks. This isn’t enough time to notice a change. I’m still noticing a lot of hair loss in the shower. I do have an absorption issue as well as lack minerals and I am currently working with a Naturopath to correct this. Lastly, I am going to see my doctor to do bloodwork for hormone imbalance. I tested positive to take chromium which impacts the hormones and we feel will help with the hair loss.
      Biotin is excellent to take but I’m a big believer in doing muscle testing to make sure that your body really does need it, I tested negative on it. Everyone is different. Taking the fermented cod liver oil internally makes complete sense, and I read this on this blog in the comment area and I’m going to start taking this instead of my regular fish oil.
      Lastly, I purchased a scalp massaging brush by Vitagoods. I use this daily as it is supposed to help with blood circulation to the scalp and follicles. I’ve been using it for about 3 weeks along with regular exercise to get the blood flow moving.
      Hope this helps and I will post my results once I start this serum that Wellness Mama has so graciously posted and shared. Thank Wellness Mama for all of your fabulous recommendations and newsletters!

  18. Leska Avatar

    Hi Katie
    Did you notice change in your hair after using this? I really want to try it because I am 4 months post partum and my hair is falling out like crazy!

      1. Leska Avatar

        Awesome! Ordered everything today 🙂 Crossing my fingers for amazing results! Thank you 🙂

  19. Julie B Avatar

    Is this effective without the Clary Sage? It is a bit more expensive than I can afford…

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