The Science Backed Benefits of Hops for Hair Growth

The Benefits of Hops for Hair Growth written over Hops coming up from the ground with a blue sky in background

Botanical Brilliance

Hops are best known for brewing, but Humulus lupulus also has direct—if still limited—hair research. An older study of topical hop extract reported 5α-reductase inhibition in laboratory testing as well as hair-related animal and human-use findings, making hops scientifically interesting without establishing it as a proven hair-loss treatment.

Fresh green hop cones beside an amber botanical preparation for an article examining hops extract and hair research — Female hop cones of *Humulus lupulus*. The primary cosmetic preparation discussed in this article is prepared hop extract.

Botanical identity

Common nameHops, common hop

Scientific nameHumulus lupulus L.

FamilyCannabaceae

Plant partPrimarily female inflorescences, or hop cones / strobili

Preparation discussedTopical hop extract

INCI nameHumulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract

Native rangeTemperate Europe and western Asia with native populations extending into North Africa; now widely cultivated

Primary cosmetic roleHair-conditioning and scalp-focused formulation ingredient

Humulus lupulus is a climbing perennial whose female plants form the characteristic cone-like strobili most people recognize as hops. These structures contain many of the phytochemicals that have made hops important in brewing, traditional use and modern research. [4] [6]

The physician’s answer

Do hops actually have benefits for hair growth?

There is enough direct evidence to make hops extract genuinely interesting for hair, but not enough to call it a clinically proven treatment for hair loss.

A 1996 research program evaluated hop extract specifically for hair-related effects. Researchers reported 5α-reductase inhibition in laboratory testing, effects on hair-follicle-derived keratinocytes, animal findings, a small human hair-growth-rate study, and a six-month evaluation of a tonic containing 1% hop extract in 54 men. [1]

Those findings deserve to be reported accurately. But they came from older cosmetic-science research and have not been followed by the kind of large, independent, well-controlled contemporary human trials needed to establish hops as a treatment for androgenetic alopecia.

At-a-glance summary

Hop extract has been directly studied for hair-related effects rather than relying entirely on general botanical mechanisms.
Laboratory testing found that the hop extract studied inhibited 5α-reductase, an enzyme involved in converting testosterone to DHT.
The same research program also reported hair-related animal and human-use findings.
Hops contains bitter acids, prenylated flavonoids and other phytochemicals with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity demonstrated primarily in experimental research.
Modern controlled human evidence remains limited, and hop extract should not be treated as interchangeable with hop oil, beer, tea, supplements or isolated hop compounds.

Meet the botanical

Hops may be synonymous with beer, but Humulus lupulus is a chemically complex botanical. The plant is dioecious, meaning male and female flowers generally occur on separate plants. Female plants develop the familiar yellow-green hop cones, or strobili, with overlapping bracts and lupulin-bearing structures associated with many of the plant's characteristic aromatic and bitter compounds. [4]

The form matters enormously when discussing the benefits of hops. This article primarily examines Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract used topically in hair and scalp formulations. Whole hop flowers, dried cones, hop tea, beer, essential oil, oral supplements and isolated constituents represent different preparations and exposures. Research performed on one should not automatically be assigned to another.

Educational comparison showing fresh hop strobiles, prepared hop extract, and major hop compound families — Female hop strobiles are the botanical source material. Prepared extracts can concentrate different constituent families depending on hop variety, growing conditions and extraction method.

Main bioactives and functional constituents

Hops contains numerous phytochemicals, including bitter acids, prenylated chalcones and flavonoids, polyphenols and volatile compounds. The chemical profile varies with cultivar, plant material, growing conditions and extraction method. [3] [4]

Xanthohumol A prenylated chalcone and one of the best-studied constituents of hops. Much of its research remains preclinical. The historical hair study evaluated hop extract rather than isolated xanthohumol, so its 5α-reductase finding should not automatically be assigned to this single constituent. [5]

Alpha acids Humulone and related alpha acids contribute to the characteristic bitterness of hops. Hop acids and preparations containing them have been investigated for antioxidant, inflammatory-modulating and antimicrobial activity in experimental systems. [3]

Beta acids Lupulone and related beta acids are another characteristic family of hop compounds. Their experimental antimicrobial activity has contributed to interest in hops for cosmetic formulation. [3]

8-Prenylnaringenin A biologically active prenylated flavonoid with estrogenic activity. Its presence is scientifically and toxicologically relevant, but it does not establish that hops treats postpartum shedding, menopausal thinning or other hormone-related hair concerns. [2]

Ingredient form matters: The strongest hair-specific research examined hop extract and a topical tonic containing 1% hop extract. It did not evaluate beer, hop tea, oral supplements, isolated xanthohumol, hop essential oil or an Origenere formulation.

Historical and cultural context

Hops has a long history extending far beyond modern hair care. The female strobili became particularly valuable in brewing because of their bitterness, aroma and preservative contribution, while ethnobotanical records also document broader folk and traditional uses of Humulus lupulus. [4]

That history is useful context, but traditional use is not clinical proof. Older practices may show which botanical preparations people valued; they cannot demonstrate that those preparations produce a particular hair-growth or scalp outcome.

What the science actually shows

Human evidence

The most directly relevant human research comes from Okano and colleagues in 1996. In one small test, adults were evaluated after using a preparation containing 1% hop extract for two months; the investigators reported increased measured hair-growth rate in most of the small group tested.

A separate six-month evaluation involved 54 male volunteers aged 27–54 and a hair tonic containing 1% hop extract. The researchers reported favorable hair-related evaluations. [1]

The findings are legitimate but limited. The publication predates modern clinical-trial reporting standards, the human investigations were relatively small, and independent replication remains lacking. The appropriate interpretation is direct but preliminary human evidence.

Ex-vivo evidence

No material ex-vivo human hair evidence was identified in the evidence set reviewed for this article.

Animal evidence

The same research program evaluated hop extract in a mouse model and reported increased hair growth. Minoxidil was included within the experimental program. This animal finding can be reported, but it does not establish that hops performs as well as minoxidil in humans. [1]

Laboratory evidence

Researchers screened extracts from 80 plants for effects on 5α-reductase. The hop extract they tested showed inhibitory activity in that laboratory system, and the investigators also reported increased proliferation of hair-follicle-derived keratinocytes. [1] Because 5α-reductase is involved in conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, the mechanism is relevant to androgen-related hair biology. The precise finding is that the tested hop extract inhibited 5α-reductase under the study's laboratory conditions—not that hops universally or completely “blocks DHT.”

Formulation rationale

Separate research has identified antioxidant, inflammatory-modulating and antimicrobial activity in hop extracts, fractions and constituents, much of it in laboratory or preclinical systems. These properties provide a reasonable formulation rationale for including hops in scalp-focused cosmetics without converting those mechanisms into unproven clinical scalp outcomes. [2] [3]

Hair, scalp, and strand relevance

Scalp relevance

Hop preparations have demonstrated antioxidant, antimicrobial and inflammatory-modulating activity in experimental research. That provides a reasonable formulation rationale for using hop extract in scalp-focused cosmetics. [3]

What has not been established is that topical hop extract clinically treats dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, scalp infection or another diagnosed scalp disorder.

Strand relevance

Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract has a reported cosmetic function as a hair-conditioning agent. [2]

That is different from claiming hops independently repairs damaged hair, stimulates collagen around follicles or scientifically seals the hair cuticle. In a finished shampoo or conditioner, softness, manageability and strand feel result from the formulation as a whole rather than necessarily from one botanical.

Hair-growth relevance

This is where hops becomes more interesting than many botanicals. There is a research chain involving laboratory 5α-reductase testing, follicle-derived cells, an animal model and older human-use research. [1]

That makes it reasonable to describe hops extract for hair as a botanical with direct preliminary hair-growth research. It does not make hops a clinically established treatment for androgenetic alopecia.

What has not been proven

Hops has not been shown to reliably regrow hair in large, modern, well-controlled human trials.
Hops has not been established as clinically equivalent to minoxidil or finasteride.
The hair study does not establish that isolated xanthohumol is the constituent responsible for the reported 5α-reductase activity.
Every hop extract cannot be assumed to have the same composition or activity as the specific extract tested in 1996.
Hops has not been shown to increase human scalp circulation or treat dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis.
The estrogenic activity of certain hop constituents does not establish treatment of postpartum or menopausal hair thinning.
Beer rinses and oral hop supplements should not be assumed to reproduce findings from topical hop-extract research.
The cited hop study did not evaluate an Origenere product or the Naturale formulation.

Safety and appropriate use

Topical use The Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety concluded that Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract and Hops Oil are safe under current cosmetic practices of use and concentration when formulated to be non-sensitizing. Follow the directions for the finished product and discontinue use if irritation develops. [2]

Who should use extra caution People with a known sensitivity or allergy to hops should avoid hop-containing preparations. Concentrated ingestible or homemade preparations require a different safety assessment from professionally formulated topical cosmetics.

Ingredient form Cosmetic hop extract, hops oil, dried hop flowers, beer, hop tea and oral supplements represent different forms and routes of exposure. Safety and evidence from one form should not automatically be transferred to another.

When to seek medical care Persistent or rapid shedding, sharply defined hair loss, scalp pain, significant inflammation, scarring, signs of infection or an unexplained change in hair density deserves medical evaluation rather than relying solely on cosmetic ingredients.

Within the Origenere system

Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract appears in several formulas within Origenere's Naturale Collection. Its presence provides an ingredient-level and formulation-level connection to the botanical discussed here. The 1996 study did not evaluate Naturale, the exact extracts used in these formulas, or their finished formulations.

Naturale Scalp and Hair Tonic

A leave-in botanical scalp step whose current ingredient list includes Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract. Although its leave-in format makes the botanical relevant to the formulation story, it should not be described as equivalent to the experimental 1% hop-extract tonic studied in 1996.

Explore Naturale Scalp and Hair Tonic

Naturale Shampoo for Thinning Hair / Hair Loss

A rinse-off botanical shampoo whose current formulation includes Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract. Here, hops is appropriately discussed as part of the formula's botanical architecture rather than as proof of an independent clinical outcome.

Explore Naturale Shampoo

Naturale Conditioner For Thinning Hair / Hair Loss

A conditioning formula that includes Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract alongside other conditioning and botanical ingredients. Softness and manageability are properties of the finished conditioning system and should not be assigned to hops alone.

Explore Naturale Conditioner

Botanical ritual

A scalp-first botanical routine: cleanse the scalp gently rather than aggressively scrubbing, condition the lengths and ends according to your hair's needs, and apply a leave-in scalp formula according to its directions when one is part of your routine.

Massage gently with the fingertips during application and evaluate the routine consistently over time rather than continually increasing botanical concentration. Homemade hop tinctures, essential oils and concentrated extracts should not be assumed to be interchangeable with professionally formulated cosmetic hop extract.

Frequently asked questions

Do hops actually help hair grow?

Hops extract has preliminary direct hair-growth evidence. A 1996 study reported laboratory, animal and human-use findings, including tests of topical preparations containing 1% hop extract. The findings are interesting but have not been sufficiently replicated in large contemporary controlled human trials to establish hops as a proven treatment for hair loss. [1]

Does hops block DHT?

A hop extract inhibited 5α-reductase in a laboratory experiment. Because this enzyme is involved in converting testosterone to DHT, the finding is relevant to androgen-related hair biology. It does not establish that topical hops completely blocks DHT in the human scalp. [1]

What are the benefits of hops extract for hair?

The strongest evidence is the historical research involving 5α-reductase, hair-follicle-derived keratinocytes, animal hair growth and small human-use studies. Hops extract also has a reported cosmetic hair-conditioning function. The evidence is promising but remains too limited to describe hops as a clinically established hair-regrowth treatment. [1] [2]

Are hop flowers and hops extract the same thing?

No. Hop flowers or cones are botanical material from the female plant. A hops flower extract is a preparation produced from botanical material using a particular extraction process. Extraction changes which constituents are present and at what concentrations, so whole cones and prepared extracts should not be treated as scientifically interchangeable.

What are Humulus lupulus benefits for the scalp?

Hop preparations have demonstrated antioxidant, inflammatory-modulating and antimicrobial activity mainly in experimental research. That provides formulation rationale for scalp-care cosmetics, but it does not establish that hops treats dandruff, dermatitis or other scalp diseases. [3]

Is xanthohumol the DHT-blocking ingredient in hops?

The hair study reviewed here does not establish that. It evaluated a hop extract rather than isolated xanthohumol. Xanthohumol is an important prenylated hop constituent with substantial preclinical research, but results obtained with the whole extract should not automatically be assigned to it. [1] [5]

Does washing your hair with beer help hair growth?

Beer and cosmetic hop extract are different preparations. The evidence reviewed for this article does not establish that beer rinses stimulate human hair growth or reproduce the effects reported with the experimental topical hop extract.

Final perspective

The benefits of hops for hair growth are more scientifically interesting than the botanical's reputation as simply a brewing ingredient might suggest. Unlike botanicals whose hair story rests entirely on general antioxidant or anti-inflammatory mechanisms, hop extract has been evaluated directly in laboratory, animal and human hair research. [1]

The limitation is equally important: the central human evidence is approximately three decades old, relatively small and insufficiently replicated.

Hops is more than folklore and more than a theoretical mechanism—but it is not yet a clinically established hair-loss treatment.

References

Okano Y, Okamoto N, Yamamura T, Masaki H. Hop Extract as a New Potent Ingredient for Hair Growth Products. Journal of Society of Cosmetic Chemists of Japan. 1996;29(4):411–416. View source
Becker L, Boyer I, Bergfeld WF, et al. Safety Assessment of Hops as Used in Cosmetics. International Journal of Toxicology. 2024;43(1 Suppl):5S–29S. View source
Pereira OR, Santos G, Sousa MJ. Hop By-Products: Pharmacological Activities and Potential Application as Cosmetics. Cosmetics. 2022;9(6):139. View source
Korpelainen H, Pietiläinen M. Hop (Humulus lupulus L.): Traditional and Present Use, and Future Potential. Economic Botany. 2021;75:302–322. View source
Liu M, Hansen PE, Wang G, et al. Pharmacological Profile of Xanthohumol, a Prenylated Flavonoid from Hops (Humulus lupulus). Molecules. 2015;20(1):754–779. View source
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Humulus lupulus L. Plants of the World Online. View botanical record