My personal favourite out of the two oils is rosemary oil. This is because it’s lighter, and easier to use. I also found I had better results with rosemary oil in achieving glossier and shinier hair. Castor oil is completely natural and free of synthetic chemicals (as long as you use pure 100 percent pure oil, of course), yet it’s rich in skin-boosting ingredients like fatty acids. Applying this oil to dry or irritated skin can help to discourage dryness and keep it well moisturized, since it prevents water loss.

Interestingly, a small study done with 86 alopecia areata patients showed that a daily scalp massage of 4 essential oils improved symptoms ( source).Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with nearly five years of experience researching, writing, and editing hair stories that range from shea butter for hair to shampoos for oily hair. She’s an authority in all hair categories, but is an expert when it comes to rosemary oil for hair. After interviewing experts and researching up-to-date info on rosemary oil for hair, she tested it for two months on her own short, fine hair. Dosages can vary by age, health status and your individual response to taking the oil. This amount is typically useful for regulating bowel movements. Aside from its primary constituent, ricinoleic acid, castor oil also contains other beneficial salts and esters that mainly act as skin-conditioning agents. This is why, according to a report published in the International Journal of Toxicology, this oil is used in over 700 cosmetic products and counting. Rosemary has been used by many to promote hair growth successfully. Using rosemary essential oil could very well do the same for you.

Castor oil works like a natural, mild stimulant laxative when taken orally. It can provide constipation relief, reduce straining during defecation and enhance the feeling of complete evacuation after a bowel movement. When trichologist Bridgette Hill recommends an oil to her clients, this is the one she tells them to look for. "The René Furterer Complex 5 has botanical-based cleansing and anti-inflammatory ingredients that truly cleanse and exfoliate for every scalp and hair type and texture," she says.It also has deep roots in India, where it’s considered to be a skin-healing, digestive-soothing, antibacterial ingredient that is utilized in Ayurvedic medicine. Castor is one of the oldest cultivated crops, but interestingly it contributes to only 0.15 percent of the vegetable oil produced in the world each year. This oil is also sometimes called ricinus oil.