Mielle, founded in 2014, has gained significant attention with its range of products. Probably their most popular offering is the Rosemary Mint Oil. While many love it, there are questions if Rosemary Mint Oil could be causing itchy scalp or hair loss. Read on to find out if that could be the case.
Table of Contents
Online Reactions: Mielle Rosemary Mint Oil Itchy Scalp + More
There have been a few reports of Mielle’s Rosemary Mint Oil causing an itchy scalp and other hair issues. From Tiktok to Reddit to Amazon and the site’s own reviews, there are some unhappy customers. However, it should be noted it is not a large amount of negative reviews. But with the reports, I believe it is important to investigate further.
Overall, the most important voice is your own. With that said, you are probably here because you have had a negative reaction or have heard others have and are curious if you should buy the product. Let’s take a look through to find out more.
Mielle Product Ingredients
First – let’s take a look at the ingredients for two of Mielle’s products. Many of Mielle’s products contain a mix of oils, and Mielle’s Rosemary Mint Oil is no exception. From the list, we can see many familiar names. The earliest ingredients in the list are the ones in the largest quantity. In this case, the three oils of Soybean, Castor and Rosemary make up the largest percentages of the product.
1. Rosemary Mint Oil
Overall, the ingredient list appears safe and includes many ingredients that people are used to or exposed to. However, there may be some ingredients that people are more prone to be sensitive to. I will explore that more – but if anything sticks out to you as something you know you have had a reaction to, you should stop using the product immediately.
2. Rosemary Mint Light Oil
Interestingly enough, Mielle launched a new product in 2023 called Mielle Rosemary Mint Light Oil. Typically, a launch represents a suspected need in the marketplace. This could tell us that Mielle recognized the product may have been too strong for some people, and wanted to release a lighter version. Our top three ingredients for the light version are Grape Seed Oil, Soybean Oil, and Almond Oil. As the product list indicates, it is a much lighter and more hypoallergenic formulation compared to the parent product.
| Top 3 Ingredients | |
| Rosemary Mint Oil | Rosemary Mint Light Oil |
| Soybean Oil | Grape Seed Oil |
| Castor Oil | Soybean Oil |
| Rosemary OIl | Sweet Almond Oil |
Product ingredients aside, let’s take a look at causes of itchy scalp and if the Rosemary Mint Oil could be the cause of scalp/hair issues.
Causes of Itchy Scalp
To understand how any product could cause an itchy scalp, it is important to understand what typically causes an itchy scalp in the first place. There are a few different causes to an itchy scalp.
Link to Allergies
It is possible to have an allergic reaction to just about anything. Thus, it is a possibility that while there is nothing inherently wrong with the ingredient list, it still may not be a good fit for you. Either way, you should always patch test new products before trying new products. Even if you patch test it with no reaction, the product may still not be the right match for you.
As for Mielle’s Rosemary Mint Oil specifically, there are at least two ingredients that people may be sensitive to:
- Rosemary Oil: The chief ingredient in the Rosemary Mint Oil can actually cause irritation to the skin.
- Tea Tree Oil: Those with plant allergies may be more sensitive to Tea Tree Oil. Moreover, it is a strong oil, and if you are more sensitive the dilution level in the product may not be enough for you
If you compare the ingredient lists from Rosemary Mint Oil and the light version, you will note that these two ingredients are more diluted in the light version, which aligns with Mielle looking to formulate a more calming version. Remember – the further down in the list, the less of the ingredient is in the product.
| Ingredient | Rosemary Mint Oil | Rosemary Mint Light Oil |
| Rosemary Oil | 3rd in ingredient list | 7th in ingredient list |
| Tea Tree Oil | 8th in ingredient list | 10th in ingredient list |
Specific ingredients and versions aside, you may just end up having a reaction to the overall formulation or it could be the potency level of an ingredient that is impacting you that you are otherwise used to. Those two above are just two examples.
Yeast, Itchy Scalp & Rosemary Mint Oil
Itchy scalp, particularly when accompanied by a flaky scalp, is often caused by Seborrheic Dermatitis (ie., dandruff). While the exact cause of dandruff is up to debate, the Malassezia yeast species is associated with it. Thus, reason stands that what causes Malassezia is likely to worsen dandruff.
Malassezia are lipid-dependent – meaning they need lipids to grow. Lipids are fatty acids that are insoluble in water, like waxes and oils. Because of this, dandruff usually impacts naturally oily areas of the body.
So do you see the connection now? Mielle Rosemary Oil is a primarily oil based product that people are applying directly to the scalp. Malassezia needs lipids (like oil) to grow, and higher levels of Malassezia are associated with worse dandruff, which can cause an itchy scalp. Thus, it may not be any allergies or anything wrong with the product, but just the fact that using oil on the scalp is actually correlated with an itchy scalp and dandruff.
Ironic isn’t it? Using an oil on the scalp (which many use to seal in moisture) can actually worsen problems!
Possible Influence of Fake Mielle Products:
Something else that you cannot discount the possibility of is fake Mielle products causing an itchy scalp or hair loss. Check ingredients and compare it to the product website listing. Review who the seller is (try to purchase from the Retailer themselves if you are buying from a site like Amazon). Lastly, pay attention to what the product looks and smells like when you do get it. If you have purchased it directly from the website, does it still look and smell the same? I won’t link them here, but there were a ton of fake Mielle products I saw being listed online.
Has There Been An Ingredient Change to Mielle’s Rosemary Mint Oil?
Some may think that the cause of itchy scalp after using Mielle’s Rosemary Mint Oil is due to a change of ingredients. Many users are more hesitant as well given Mielle announced their acquisition by P&G Beauty. For what it is worth, co-founders Monique and Melvin Rodriguez stayed on to run the Mielle as an independent subsidiary. Moreover, Monique personally assured customers that she was not changing ingredients in her products, and specifically called out the Rosemary Mint Oil. There is no evidence of an ingredient change at this point, thus it seems this can be ruled out as a cause of any adverse action to the Rosemary Mint Oil product.
Improper Usage
Mielle’s Rosemary Mint Oil comes with a “How to Use” section. There are 3 different ways to apply it based on the results you are looking to achieve. The important part to these instructions that people may be missing that could cause issues is one word: small.
Apply a SMALL AMOUNT of oil to the scalp. For all applications that do not explicitly note to shampoo your hair afterwards, they notate that a small amount of oil should be used. Adding too much oil may be causing an itchy scalp. Your scalp may not be able to properly absorb the oil, or too much oil may be throwing off the natural balance of your skin.
Explore Other Interactions
It is important to note other interactions could be causing issues for you outside the product. For example, perhaps you recently had a baby. The hormonal change may actually cause hair loss/hair fall. Thus, it is important to keep track of all the changes occurring when using a new product.
—
Overall, I cannot say whether Mielle’s Rosemary Mint Oil caused or will cause an itchy scalp for you specifically. The product ingredient list appears safe and there are some great ingredients for coating and softening your hair strands. However, ingredient concentration is also key. While the ingredients may appear safe – the concentration of them may cause an unexpected reaction.
Moreover, as noted, oil in general can cause scalp problems. Thus, it may not be a bad idea to skip heavy oil based products (Mielle or otherwise) or at least heavily dilute them.
Another thing to keep in mind: the product is popular, so more people are using it and researching it. Moreover, the brand was originally mostly popular within the 4c hair community. With the widespread popularity of Mielle, there may now be people using an oil for the first time on their scalp, who have never used an oil in their scalp before.
If the product is working well for you, continue to feel free to use it! If it isn’t, or if you typically have issues with oil-based products, then this may just not be the right product for you.
**As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
