Using Chile Shampoo for Hair Growth: Learn How and Why It Works

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Have you heard that chili shampoo can help your hair grow? If you regularly use hair shampoos, you already know that these products are specifically designed to clean the scalp and hair while removing excess sebum, the natural oil your scalp makes.

However, not all shampoos are the same. Most are produced by combining several cleaning and nourishing compounds that, besides washing off the dirt, leave a smooth sensation with a nourishing effect on your hair.

Most chile shampoos pair chili extract with other botanicals (i.e., plant extracts). This article looks at the three you'll see most in these hair care products: chili, aloe vera, and rosemary. Formulas vary from brand to brand, so check the ingredient list on your bottle.

Chile Romero Shampoo is named after two of its ingredients, pepper/chili (Chile) and rosemary (Romero). If you're in a rush, one popular brand of chili pepper shampoo is the chili rosemary hair growth shampoo.

We haven't tested this shampoo, but it's often accompanied by great reviews online. You can purchase this shampoo using this link.

In this article, we will explore how to use chile shampoo for hair growth and learn what it can and can't do for your hair.

What Does Chile Shampoo Do for Your Hair?

Chile shampoo cleans your hair and scalp like any other shampoo, and the chili in it leaves your scalp with a warm tingle. Its hair growth reputation comes from its three primary ingredients. Many shampoos on the market already use aloe vera or aloe pulp, thanks to its healing and nourishing properties.

Chili, the common spicy food flavoring, is what gives the shampoo its tingle. Rosemary is the ingredient with the most hair research behind it.

The catch is that none of the studies behind these ingredients tested a shampoo. They used capsaicin, the hot compound in chili, as a pill, rosemary as an oil or extract, and aloe as a skin lotion. We'll go through each one below, so you know what a bottle of chile shampoo can and can't do for your hair.

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To understand what Chile shampoo can do for your hair, let's look at these components individually.

Aloe Vera  

Aloe vera is one of many widely used natural ingredients that is packed with a ton of healing properties. Over the years, aloe vera has become popular with makeup artists and has seen widespread adoption in the beauty industry.

Below are some of the benefits of aloe vera for your hair.

• It calms an itchy scalp - aloe vera may ease an itchy scalp or flaking skin. In a study of 44 adults with seborrheic dermatitis, the skin condition behind stubborn dandruff, an aloe vera skin lotion eased flaking and itching better than a lotion without aloe, though it didn't calm the redness. A review in the Indian Journal of Dermatology notes that aloe vera contains four plant steroids: campesterol, cholesterol, lupeol, and β-sitosterol, which have an anti-inflammatory effect, as well as analgesic and antiseptic properties.
• Adds antioxidants - Aloe vera contains vitamins A, C, and E, which are antioxidants (i.e., they help protect cells from damage). Aloe doesn't contain collagen, though, so a shampoo with aloe in it won't repair sun damage to your hair strands.
• It helps keep the hair you grow - aloe vera doesn't make your hair grow faster, but if it leaves your hair softer and easier to detangle, you'll lose fewer strands to breakage.

Chili Peppers

The hair benefits of chili haven't been widely studied. What chili does on your scalp is easier to explain, and it's the reason a chili pepper shampoo feels different from every other bottle in your daily hair care routine.

The active ingredient in chili peppers is capsaicin, the compound that makes them hot. It isn't in the seeds themselves. It's made in the white, spongy tissue inside the pepper that the seeds hang on, which is why that part is the hottest.

When capsaicin touches your skin, it stirs up the nerve endings there. You feel that as warmth or tingling, and at higher strengths, as burning. The warm feeling is a sensation, not a sign the shampoo is growing hair, and it has nothing to do with your hair type; it's your scalp skin that feels it.

Capsaicin creams sold for muscle and joint pain use the same ingredient, and their labels say to test the cream on a small patch of skin first, to keep it away from your eyes, lips, and nose, and to stop if the burning gets severe or your skin blisters. They also say not to use it if you're allergic to chili peppers. A shampoo stays on your scalp for a much shorter time than a cream, but the same care applies.

A 2007 study also found that capsaicin, given together with isoflavone (a plant compound), raised a hair growth signal called insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and sped up hair regrowth in mice. The researchers then gave 48 people with alopecia (the medical word for hair loss) either capsaicin and isoflavone pills or a placebo, which is a look-alike pill with nothing active in it, for 5 months. Hair growth improved in 20 of the 31 people taking the pills, compared with 2 of the 17 taking the placebo.

That's an interesting result, but it doesn't tell you much about chile shampoo. The capsaicin was swallowed as a pill every day, and always with isoflavone, so the study can't show what capsaicin does on its own, or what it does in a shampoo that sits on your scalp for a minute or two. So enjoy the tingle, but don't count on chile shampoo to promote healthy hair growth by itself.

Rosemary 

This is one of the many essential oils that have seen widespread use in the beauty industry. Rosemary is a culinary and healing herb used by several people to promote hair growth and alleviate hair loss.

The reasons for this trend are mainly due to the herb's health benefits. 

The rosemary plant in essential oil form is the version most hair studies have tested.

Now that you know what the three main ingredients in Chile Shampoo can do for your hair, you can see where it fits. It's a tingly shampoo that cleans your hair, formulated with ingredients that have shown some promise in other forms. It isn't a treatment for hair loss.

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How to Use Chile Shampoo for Hair Growth

To use chile shampoo for hair growth, wash with it the way you would any shampoo, focus it on your scalp, and keep it out of your eyes. You'll find the step-by-step further down this page. First, here's what each ingredient is said to do, and what the research behind it actually tested.

• Chili, one of the vital ingredients, is the reason your scalp feels warm. The human study above gave people capsaicin as a pill, so it can't tell you whether chili in a shampoo leads to faster growth of healthier hair. If you're dealing with flakes, a shampoo made to treat dandruff is a better pick.
• Aloe vera, the other ingredient in Chile shampoo, may help soothe an itchy, flaky scalp, based on the small study of an aloe skin lotion above. It won't make new hair grow.
• The third ingredient is rosemary, which has the most hair research of the three. Below is a detailed summary of what that research found, and what it means for a rosemary shampoo.

Promote Hair Health and Growth with Chile Con Pepper

A 2015 study compared rosemary oil with minoxidil (commercially known as Rogaine) in 100 men with androgenetic alopecia (i.e., pattern hair loss). Half used rosemary oil and half used 2% minoxidil, twice a day for six months. Neither group changed at three months. At six months, both groups had more hair than when they started, and the gap between the two groups was too small to count as a real difference.

However, no one in the study went without treatment, so it can't show how much of that gain came from the oils and medicine themselves. Scalp itching also went up in both groups. It was more common with minoxidil, but rosemary oil wasn't itch-free either.

Another 2013 study found that rosemary leaf extract, applied to the skin, improved hair regrowth in mice that experienced hair regrowth interruption due to testosterone treatment.

Rosemary has also been tested as part of a blend. In a 1998 trial, 86 people with alopecia areata (i.e., an immune condition that causes patchy hair loss) massaged a mix of thyme, rosemary, lavender, and cedarwood essential oils in carrier oils into their scalps every day for seven months. 19 of the 43 people using the blend improved, compared with 6 of the 41 people using the carrier oils alone.

Because the blend held four essential oils, no single oil in it can take the credit. And alopecia areata is a medical condition, not the slow growth most of us mean when we say our hair won't grow.

Is a Rosemary Shampoo the Same as Rosemary Oil?

No. A rosemary shampoo, including a chile shampoo with rosemary in it, mixes rosemary extract or oil with cleansers, and you rinse it off within minutes. In every study above, people put rosemary oil or extract on the skin every day for months, and none of them used it as a shampoo.

So a rosemary shampoo isn't a stand-in for the treatment those people used. If your part has been getting wider or your hairline is moving back, see a dermatologist before you rely on any oil or shampoo. If you still want to try rosemary at home, our guide to rosemary oil for natural hair covers how to use it.

Now let's look at what causes thinning hair, because the cause decides what will actually help.

Causes of Hair Loss and Thinning

According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), it's normal to shed between 50 and 100 hairs a day. Shedding more hairs indicates a problem that one of the following could cause:

• You've lost 20 pounds or more of your weight. 
• You've recently given birth or have undergone an operation.
• You have a high fever or are recovering from an illness. 
• You stopped taking birth control pills.
• You are experiencing lots of stress.
• You are taking some prescription drugs, aging, or are a regular smoker. 
• Genetics are to blame. 
• You wear tight hairstyles that put tension on your hair, like tight braids, ponytails, or extensions.
• You often use harsh hair care products.

While the list isn't exhaustive, it paints a picture of what might be happening in the background that's causing your hair to shed really fast.

If your shedding started after one of the stressful events on that list, that's normal, and it's temporary. It usually shows up a few months after the event. Once your body readjusts, the extra shedding stops, and your hair tends to look full again within six to nine months.

Hair loss is different. Hair coming out in patches or clumps, a part that keeps getting wider, or thinning along your edges means something has stopped your hair from growing. That's worth a visit to a board-certified dermatologist, and the sooner you go, the better your chances, since treatment works best when it starts early. No shampoo, chile or otherwise, will fix it.

If you only notice a big clump on wash day, read our guide to shedding vs. breakage first. When you wash every few days, a few days of normal shedding all comes out at once.

Sticking with a healthier lifestyle and a proper hair maintenance routine will help keep your hair healthier and prevent excessive hair loss.

That said, being gentle with your strands and choosing the right shampoo for your scalp can help you keep more of the hair you grow.  

Getting your hair to look fuller, healthier, and shiny takes effort. Chile shampoo can be one part of a gentle hair care routine, especially if you enjoy the tingle.

However, using this shampoo alone isn't going to get you the desired results. Here, you need to up your hair game with a couple of other hair maintenance tips, such as: 

• Using the right hair conditioner 
• Allow your hair to air dry where possible 
• Massage your scalp to increase blood circulation and loosen buildup
• Watch your diet: eat foods rich in protein and healthy fats

Last but not least, using the wrong shampoo will do you more harm than good. Always look for a shampoo that suits your scalp and hair type, whether that's one with natural ingredients such as aloe vera and rosemary or a gentle, sulfate-free formula.

Some of the ingredients you may want to avoid include sodium lauryl sulfate and ammonium lauryl sulfate (more of this in the following section).  

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Is Chile Shampoo Safe for Hair?

Chile shampoo is safe for most people to use as a regular shampoo, as long as you keep it out of your eyes and stop if your scalp burns rather than tingles. Skip it if you're allergic to chili peppers, or if your scalp has cuts, scratches, or open sores, since capsaicin can sting broken skin.

Chile shampoo smells of chili, and most people feel only a gentle warmth. How strong it feels depends on how much chili extract the brand uses and how sensitive your skin is. Capsaicin can cause a burning feeling, and for some people, that burning is severe.

After applying the shampoo, you'll usually feel a soft, tingly sensation on your scalp. That's normal. It comes from the capsaicin acting on nerve endings in your skin, not from the shampoo soaking into your hair follicles.

Ingredients to Watch for in Hair Care Products

It's worth noting that most shampoos are safe for use except those with certain ingredients such as: 

• Sulfates - this is a harsh cleansing agent used as the primary cleanser in some shampoos. It may cause skin dryness, skin irritation, and inflammation. If you're buying a clarifying shampoo or another deep cleansing shampoo, check to make sure that it doesn't include harsh ingredients.
• Formaldehyde - This is a chemical compound that's sometimes used as a preservative in products like shampoos. The Department of Health & Human Services has listed this compound as a human carcinogen, and you should avoid any shampoo with this ingredient.
• Parabens - these are preservatives that keep bacteria and mold from growing in the bottle. Some people avoid them because parabens can act a little like the hormone estrogen, and one safety review advises against using lots of paraben products at the same time. Still, the FDA says it has no information showing that parabens, as they're used in cosmetics, affect your health.
• Hexachlorophene - this is a germ-killing chemical that the FDA restricts in cosmetics because it's toxic and can pass through your skin. It's only allowed as a preservative, at no more than 0.1 percent, when nothing else works as well.
• Phthalates - These are a group of chemicals best known for making plastics flexible. In cosmetics, the one still in common use helps fragrances last. Some phthalates have been tied to hormone and fertility problems, including DNA damage in sperm, but the FDA's position is that it doesn't have evidence that phthalates as used in cosmetics are a safety risk. If you'd rather skip them, choose a fragrance-free shampoo.

Formulas vary between brands and can change over time, so read the ingredient list on your bottle of chile shampoo rather than assuming it's free of all of these.

How to Patch Test Chile Shampoo

Before your first full wash, patch test the shampoo at home. Capsaicin labels tell you to test on a small area of skin first, and aloe can also cause redness or stinging in people with sensitive skin.

1. Wet a small patch of skin on the inside of your forearm.
2. Rub in a little shampoo, leave it on for about as long as you would on wash day, then rinse it off.
3. Wash your hands, and watch the spot for the next day or two.
4. If the spot turns red, itches, burns, or blisters, don't use the shampoo on your scalp.

Skip chile shampoo if you're allergic to chili peppers, or if your scalp is scratched, broken, or already sore. And don't make your own chili shampoo or hair rinse at home by soaking hot peppers. You can't tell how much capsaicin ends up in a homemade batch, and a strong one can burn your scalp and your eyes.

Using Chili Shampoos for Healthy Hair Growth

Depending on how you'd like to wash your hair, either using the reverse shampooing method (conditioning then shampooing) or the traditional shampooing before conditioning; there's no wrong or right way of doing it.

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Plus, you can always try an alternative method every once in a while.

Below is how you can use the Chile shampoo before conditioning. 

1. Use warm water (not hot or cold) to saturate your hair.
2. Squirt a moderate amount of shampoo into your palm.
3. Gently apply the shampoo to your scalp.
4. Massage your scalp until the shampoo lathers. 
5. Keep the lather on your scalp and away from your eyes and face.
6. Apply the shampoo throughout your hair while paying keen attention to the scalp.
7. Don't leave it on longer than the label says. If your scalp starts to burn instead of tingle, rinse it out right away.
8. Rinse the hair and scalp completely. 
9. Wash your hands so you don't carry chili to your eyes later.

To apply the conditioner after shampooing, follow the steps below. 

1. Squirt a reasonable amount of conditioner into your hand. 
2. Massage the conditioner throughout your hair while avoiding the scalp.
3. Leave the conditioner in for about 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Rinse the hair completely. 
5. Gently blot a clean microfiber towel or t-shirt on the hair to remove excess moisture.

Depending on your hair's condition and your own preference, you can condition and shampoo your hair once a day or a couple of times per week. For oily or dirty hair, you will want to shampoo more frequently than those with dry hair.

As far as conditioning is concerned, you can use any conditioner with Chile shampoo, provided it's safe for your skin, scalp, and hair and contains your preferred natural oils or proteins.

The right conditioner will help smooth and detangle your hair, helping protect hair shafts from damage.

Similarly, if you are worried that conditioner may weigh down your strands, making them too soft to hold a style, conditioning before applying the shampoo will help avoid this mess.

Remember, reverse washing your hair can be beneficial, and you might want to try it.

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Chili (capsaicin) gives chile shampoo its tingle, and rosemary has shown some promise as an oil. Neither one turns a shampoo into a hair growth treatment.

On the other hand, aloe may help calm an itchy, flaky scalp.

If you want to apply a hair mask, first use Chile shampoo to cleanse the hair and scalp, then apply the mask before conditioning.

Washing first clears away oil and product buildup, so the mask can reach your hair strands. The conditioner then smooths the cuticle (i.e., the outer layer of each hair) and helps your hair hold on to moisture.

For additional information, check out the Amazon listing linked near the top of this article, which shows several shampoos, detailed product info, packaging, shipping, recommendations, and customer reviews from those who have made a verified purchase.

You can also see which items are in stock and understand the features and details related to each hair product. You should also look specifically at the Amazon seller, as many of these shampoos appear to be sold by third-party companies and not directly by Amazon.

I would pay close attention to reviews from customers since we haven't tested these shampoos extensively. There are also several videos on YouTube that talk about how these shampoos perform. Note that these shampoos can also be purchased at specialty stores.

Have you tried Chile shampoo before? If you haven't, and you enjoy a scalp tingle, patch-test a bottle first and see how your scalp likes it.