Botanicals for hair & scalp
Oils for growth, shine and breakage, and which of them have data behind them. Covers scalp, brows, lashes and beards too.
8 articles · 7 botanicals
Research Desk
Pumpkin seed
One randomized, placebo‑controlled trial found men taking oral pumpkin seed oil capsules had a meaningful hair‑count gain; animal studies and small topical trials add plausible mechanisms but do not settle whether rubbing oil on your scalp will help. Evidence is suggestive but thin and largely unreplicated.
Origins
Scalp
Scalp oiling is an old care ritual whose modern popularity rests on texture, comfort and smell as much as any biological effect. Laboratory work shows coconut oil can change hair-fibre mechanics and has antibacterial activity in vitro; a randomized trial in preterm infants shows topical coconut oil increases skin moisture. Clinical evidence for scalp oiling specifically is thin.
Evidence Check
Castor oil
Lab models and computer docking raise plausible mechanisms for ricinoleic acid, and some animal work and reviews note cosmetic benefits; but well-designed human trials showing topical castor oil reliably produces new scalp hair are not available in the cited literature.