Olive Oil for Hair: What the Research Shows

Olive oil is a common home hair remedy. We found no trial of olive oil on hair growth. The research we found is on oleuropein, a compound from olives, in mice and cells; a study showing olive oil damaged the skin barrier on forearms; and a review of herbal remedies that includes olive oil.

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Key Takeaways

• We found no human trial of olive oil for hair growth.
• Oleuropein, a compound from olives, promoted hair growth in mice and the proliferation of human dermal papilla cells in the lab.
• In 19 adults, olive oil applied to the forearm for 4 weeks significantly reduced skin barrier integrity and caused mild redness. Sunflower seed oil did not.
• A 2025 review of herbal remedies for hair loss, which included olive oil, said many studies have small samples, short durations and limited follow-up.

What Is Olive Oil?

Olive oil is pressed from olives and used in cooking and personal care. Oleuropein is one of its plant compounds.

Does Olive Oil Help Hair?

Not shown. The hair finding is for a single compound, in mice, and the skin study is a caution about the oil itself.

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Using Olive Oil Sensibly

• Patch test first, and stop if your skin reddens or itches.
• Don't expect it to grow hair. If you use it, think of it as a cosmetic oil.
• See a doctor for hair loss to find the cause.

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What The Research Shows

Oleuropein In Mice

Oleuropein promoted proliferation of cultured human follicle dermal papilla cells and increased β-catenin and related markers. Applied to the skin of telogen-phase C57BL/6N mice at 0.4 mg per mouse per day, it accelerated hair-growth induction and increased follicle size, with higher expression of several growth-factor genes (Tong et al., 2015). This was a single compound, not olive oil, in mice.

Olive Oil On The Skin Barrier

In two randomized forearm studies of 19 adult volunteers, with and without a history of atopic dermatitis, olive oil applied twice daily for 4 to 5 weeks significantly reduced stratum corneum integrity and induced mild erythema. Sunflower seed oil preserved integrity and improved hydration. The authors discouraged olive oil for dry skin and infant massage (Danby et al., 2013). It was forearm skin, not scalp.

Herbal Remedies Overall

A review of herbal remedies for hair loss, with search terms including olive oil, rosemary, saw palmetto and others, reported potential benefits in androgenetic alopecia, telogen effluvium and alopecia areata. The authors said many studies had a lack of long-term follow-up, small samples and short treatment, and that larger randomized trials are required (Ahmed et al., 2025). The abstract doesn't separate out olive oil results.

See also: Pomegranate Seed Oil for Hair: What the Research Shows · Green Tea (EGCG) for Hair: What the Research Shows

Comparing oils? See our guide to rosemary oil for hair growth, the oil with the most research behind it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does olive oil help hair growth?

We found no human trial showing that.

Is olive oil good for the scalp?

One study found it weakened the forearm skin barrier. We found no scalp study.

What is oleuropein?

A compound from olives that promoted hair growth in mice in one study.

References

1. Tong T, Kim N, Park T. Topical Application of Oleuropein Induces Anagen Hair Growth in Telogen Mouse Skin. PLoS One. 2015. PubMed
2. Danby SG, AlEnezi T, Sultan A, et al. Effect of olive and sunflower seed oil on the adult skin barrier: implications for neonatal skin care. Pediatr Dermatol. 2013. PubMed
3. Ahmed A, Alali AM, Abdullah E, et al. Herbal Remedies for Hair Loss: A Review of Efficacy and Safety. Skin Appendage Disord. 2025. PubMed