We've heard about caffeine for hair growth, but what about the herbal teas in your kitchen?

If you’re anything like us here at Cel, we bet you’ve got a whole host of herbal teas piling high in the coffee cupboard!

Fruit and herb teas have increased in popularity exponentially over the years as self-care and caffeine detoxes have started to take priority in people’s lives… And rightly so! Herbal teas can do wondrous things for our bodies and mind, via aroma and their ingredient’s individual benefits.

So, you may be sipping on a chamomile tea to help you unwind and sleep, or perhaps you might be having a peppermint tea to aid your digestion, but did you know that some teas can actually help your hair grow?

That’s right! By using tea as a hair rinse (applying it topically to the scalp and mane) you can reap further benefits for your hair and scalp health!

So, let’s see which of those teabags collecting in your caddy can actually promote hair growth and quality…

Rosemary Tea

One of the most popular culinary spices there is (and a great savoury garnish for a gin and tonic...), this herb has been touted as a hair growth stimulant and dandruff fighter! It’s also been claimed that it prevents greying, too, as it’s thought to enhance your natural colour.

You can drink rosemary tea or you can make a hair rinse! Pour boiling water over a clump of rosemary leaves. Cover for 15 minutes and then drain the leaves out of the water. After washing your hair with a gentle, yet stimulating, shampoo and conditioner, and making sure the rosemary-infused water is now cool enough to touch, pour the rosemary hair rinse through your clean mane.

Tea hair rinses can be the final step in your hair care routine as there’s no build-up - it’s just infused water! Rosemary is renowned for its anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties so it will leave dry, flaky scalps feeling smooth and relieved too.

Green Tea

Green tea is amazing for the body: it can increase fat burning, can help brain functioning, and may help prevent conditions like type 2 diabetes! But it can also be fantastic for hair growth.

Because green tea is rich in catechins (powerful plant-based chemicals with impressive antioxidant properties), it can help reduce the effect of DHT, the hormone widely thought to cause premature hair loss by shrinking hair follicles. It also includes polyphenols which are plant-based micronutrients that are considered to be good hair follicle stimulants.

Like rosemary tea, you can make a green tea hair rinse to run through the hair, after washing with a hypoallergenic, paraben and sulphate-free shampoo and conditioner, or you can make a hair mask.

To make a green tea hair mask, simply mix a tablespoon of coconut or olive oil, half a lemon's juice, and two tablespoons of cooled, brewed green tea.

Coat the formula through the hair and over the entirety of the scalp. Leave for half an hour before thoroughly washing through with Cel’s Microstem Shampoo & Conditioner (which contains rosemary leaf oil, by the way!), that’s scientifically formulated to promote new hair growth and strengthen existing hair strands.

Bergamot Tea

News flash! Bergamot tea is also known as Earl Grey! Yes – Earl Grey is a tea blend infused with bergamot oil!

Bergamot is loaded with Vitamin C, Beta-Carotene, and other important nourishing antioxidants. Bergamot also sports properties that are known for hydration. All of these attributes can lend themselves to your scalp and hair health. Drinking a cup or two of Bergamot tea/Earl Grey a day can help you on your way to gleaming, healthy hair.

Peppermint Tea

Peppermint tea has long been one of the most popular herbal teas on the market because of its menthol content and minty flavour.

Peppermint can help stimulate blood flow when drunk, which means more nutrients will be transported to your hair! When applied topically as a hair rinse, it can invigorate your hair follicles directly. The menthol will make any sore, dandruff-affected, and/or inflamed scalp feel relieved and cool too!

Once you’ve applied a rinse, after washing your hair with a cruelty-free shampoo and conditioner, spend a little time massaging the scalp to really reap the rewards of the peppermint.

Fig Leaf Tea

Figs are one of the oldest fruits known to be consumed in the world. It was allegedly Cleopatra’s favourite fruit! As well as being steep in history, they’re thought to lend themselves to the health of your locks too.

You may notice next time you look at the hair care shelves in the drug store, figs are a popular ingredient in conditioners. That’s because they can provide needed moisture to the scalp and aid detangling.

What’s ideal about using fig extract in conditioner, is that it conditions the hair without leaving it feeling heavy, as some conditioners can do.

Additionally, figs are loaded with magnesium, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E, which are all nutrients your hair is hungry for! Place three to five fig leaves in a saucepan of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Then, remove the leaves and either drink it or rinse your hair with it once it's cool.

Fig leaf tea is gorgeously fragrant so if you use it as a rinse, it will make your hair smell divine!

Final Thoughts

Who knew that your herbal tea collection could also be your new beauty range! As well as perfuming the hair, it’s clear that herbal teas can potentially aid the hair growth process and boost scalp and hair health. Which one are you going to try rinsing through first?