If you’re already a daily shampoo-er, in most cases you can simply swap in your rosemary shampoo for your typical go-to and use it with the same frequency you normally would. However, there are some caveats and encouraged application techniques to get the most out of rosemary shampoo. “If the rosemary shampoo has strong detergents or other ingredients like tea tree, it can be over-drying to someone with dry scalp or fine hair or if it’s on the other hand, combined with other essential oils, it may be too heavy and oily for the scalp and hair,” says Dr. Kobets.
In order to fine-tune your usage for your own unique hair needs, she says to see how your hair and scalp feel after one use—that will determine how that particular shampoo may fit into your routine. You may find that you want to implement hair cycling, which calls for swapping your shampoos out with each wash, so if you wash twice a week, maybe your second wash will be with a rosemary shampoo.
As for best practices with the application, Dr. Saedi says, “Be sure to massage it into your scalp, let it sit for a couple of minutes, and rinse well.” It’s important that the shampoo is getting where it needs to go, AKA the scalp and hair follicles. “You want to have direct contact with the scalp,” says Yates, pointing out that the massage is super important because it will help boost circulation. “Honestly it is the action of the massage plus anti-inflammatory benefits of the rosemary that help with follicle fitness.”
