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We’ve all been there. You sit in the salon chair and declare yourself ready for a seasonal refresh. The Big Chop. The year of the bob seems unending, right? Thanks to the sleek, chin-length hair inspo of people like Nara Smith, that is. The model, TikTok star, and Miu Miu’s front row-er took more than a few inches off her chest-length hairdo last year, and has since experimented with her parting, texture, and bangs on her short bob.
In a new TikTok, Smith tells the story of a recent hair appointment disaster. “A couple of weeks ago I got a haircut that was definitely too short,” she narrates. “My bangs are a lot shorter than I want them, and the back of my head is something I don’t even want to talk about.”
So how to address it in the most Nara Smith way possible? From the woman who makes Pop Tarts, cola, and bubblegum for her kids from scratch, it’s a homemade hair growth recipe.
She then walks us through the process: Smith starts by adding rosemary sprigs to a saucepan of water, letting it simmer for 15 minutes, before taking it off the heat to cool, to then transfer the mixture into a spray bottle. That’s your rosemary water spray. Next, she starts on a rosemary hair oil: she combines olive oil (she advises that you can also use avocado oil or coconut oil as an alternative to olive), with clean rosemary sprigs, and lets it infuse on a double boiler (a bowl set on top of a simmering pot of water). 45 minutes later, she takes it off and lets it cool. Next, Smith combine jojoba, sweet almond oil, vitamin E, peppermint oil, and Argan oil, which she then pours and mixes into the rosemary-infused olive oil concoction to be bottled.
As a first step, Smith will then spray the rosemary water over her scalp and hair. Next, she’ll take the oil and massage it directly onto her scalp, let it sit, and then wash it out.
TikTok content
Smith just dropped her Vogue Beauty Secrets, in which she shares her 34-step beauty routine, and walks us through a homemade (what else did you expect?) and holiday-appropriate peppermint exfoliating lip balm recipe. Her rosemary oil creations, surely, racks the routine up to 35 steps.
And it’s not just Smith. On TikTok, people get evangelical about the wondrous benefits of rosemary oil for regrowing, thickening, and lengthening hair.
Rosemary oil is known for a multitude of benefits: with antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, astringent, skin toning, and purifying properties. Most pertinently, it stimulates the scalp’s microcirculation. With the improvement and increase to blood circulation and oxygen supply, this may then help stimulate hair follicles to grow. Good if your hair is weak and thin, and if you’re looking for regrowth and breakage prevention. It’s also thought to be a wonder product for greasy scalps. There’s plenty of tried-and-tested products on the market if you’re not feeling as domestic, too.
A study from 2015 reflected that rosemary oil on hair is comparable to that of Minoxidil, the drug typically used to treat androgenetic alopecia. But some studies show that it can take up to six months to see any improvement in your hair, so you’re gonna have to stick with it to see any serious results and assuage your bob regret.
Nkem Ugonabo, MD, board-certified dermatologist and Skin of Color Society leader, previously told Vogue that those with sensitive skin should be extra cautious though. It’s important to dilute rosemary oil to minimize the chances of irritation. This can be done as Smith does in her TikTok recipe, by mixing it with a carrier oil like coconut oil, jojoba oil, or olive oil. Then, consider a patch test to check for tolerability, before applying to larger areas like your scalp.
Other essential oils, such as castor oil or almond oil, are often associated with hair growth, and you’ll find products that include these ingredients to help care for your hair follicles also. From your scalp to your sleep, energy levels and your mental wellbeing, there’s essential oil-forward products for a range of needs.
If you’re experiencing significant hair loss, you should always contact a dermatologist and be guided by their advice first on hair loss and growth treatments.
Want to cover all bases? From choosing the right shampoo to a trim of your split ends, scalp scrubs, and silk pillows, a checklist for long lengths awaits you. Below, some of Vogue s favorite rosemary-enriched hair products.
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